Areas of specialty include general medicine, general surgery, pediatrics and pediatric emergency, obstetrics and gynecology.

Performance Measure 74: The percent of hospitals recognized through a statewide, territorial, or regional standardized system that are able to stabilize and/or manage pediatric medical emergencies.

Most parents presume that every ambulance and each community hospital is equipped to handle a serious pediatric emergency.

First, at each level of care, beginning with the ambulance service, professionals need to be trained in pediatric emergencies.

The criteria cover basic staffing, training, equipment, supplies, policies and procedures for treating pediatric emergencies.

Other specialty services include pediatric and neonatal intensive care and pediatric emergency.

X-linked SCID is a known pediatric emergency which primarily affects males.

Professional healthcare providers use PALS during the stabilization and transportation phases of a pediatric emergency, in or out of hospital.

"Oftentimes people just need to be plugged into social services," said Dr. Peter Wyer, an attending physician in pediatric emergencies.

There is no registry for pediatric emergencies, nor does the state evaluate the emergency response to major accidents involving children.