Why are kids more important?

52% Normal
16 Comments

Finally I can get out this immence frustration I have towards "children" and the pedestal society has put them on. I have a health problem and because of this I have found myself numerous times in the Emergency department of hospital. Many many times I have waited in agonizing pain, only to have to wait longer because a kid comes in. Ok ofcourse if its serious fine, but my problem is most of the time these kids are running around and giggling in the waiting room, very clearly not at deaths door, but because they are kids they get in first. While adults like me have to wait longer. Why is it that just because their younger in age they are more important than adults??

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52% Normal
Based on 23 votes (12 yes)
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Comments ( 16 )
  • charli.m
    10 years ago

    Because children decline rapidly when seriously ill. Same as old people. They're more at risk so given priority.

    That being said, if they're running around the emergency department, their parents should be lectured on wasting time and resources for non emergency situations. It's wrong that they abuse the system while others who need it have to wait. But it's the parents fault, not the kids.

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    • [Old Memory]
      10 years ago

      I agree with you, charli.m. Adult patients are naturally expected to be more physically resilient than then elderly and children.

      OP, I'd also like to add, that there's a lot more expectations and pressure on ER staff from the parents of those children; parents are *terrified* of their child dying.

      Yet, even the ER staff hate it when parents needlessly waste their time with their child's non-emergency health problems (that's what a family doctor or paediatrician is for)-----
      But, there are just as many adult patients who waste ER resources in the same manner.

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  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    The users before me have all made excellent points. From my experience, I've noticed that society is just expected to bend backwards for children. Anyone who doesn't faces judgement among other negative things. A staff that doesn't immediately work on a child may be considered cruel, even though this is probably not the case. The country where I come from is very sue happy so, I'm sure these medical bodies are fearful of that.

    Did you hear about the girl who was declared brain dead after routine tonsillectomy? I know that her family was grieving and such, but I feel that these people took things completely out of proportion like, when they held a peaceful protest outside of the hospital (etc.). Completely unreasonable.

    Why don't they have separate ER departments? Have one for adults and then have one for children, this way no group will be neglected.

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    • Isanlapsi
      10 years ago

      That's an excellent idea Avant-garde, seperate ER departments, yeah!!

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      • blinkeredharlot
        10 years ago

        Awesome idea. Totally won't stretch the already limited health budget and make receiving quality medical care and even more difficult task!

        If they don't have enough to staff one, why not make two?!

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        • Avant-Garde
          10 years ago

          There are many aspects to our government that need reform. When they get to healthcare, they should squeeze in the concept of ER departments.

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          • Riddler
            9 years ago

            Why not just reform the hospital the OP visited? I have been to ER before and it was always worse case to least urgent case. Why cant we just add new regulations to the ones OP has been to? That would be a lot quicker and less costly. Even if they make new hospitals its going to take awhile. If its matter of life or death its not like we have time to simply wait.

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            • Avant-Garde
              9 years ago

              Would it really be fair? His hospital is probably not the only hospital that has such a flawed system of functioning. I understand the concerns about the long term cost. Reform usually costs a lot of money. But, wouldn't the benefits outweigh the costs, at least in the long run?

              For instance, look at the reform changes that were made to help disabled people having easier accessibility to places. It used to be that side walks didn't have slopes on them. This made it extremely difficult and sometimes impossible for people in wheelchairs to properly be able to get around. If I am remembering correctly, they brought their concerns to the government. I believe Clinton was in office around that time. Anyway, reform went underway. There's also special public toilet for the disabled as well as disabled parking. Was the reform worth it? Definitely.

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      • Avant-Garde
        10 years ago

        Thanks.

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  • WasNeverHere,ButThereInstead
    9 years ago

    Ageism. Pure and simple Ageism. Is it right? No. But does it still occur? Yes. Can anything be done about it? I don't think people care enough. If someone's ill or hurt they should be the first to recieve medical care DESPITE their age. No one should have priority over another. Because of this faulty way of doing things, it's likely MANY adults die of their medical problems just so someone's "Junior" or "Princess" can see the doctor for a problem that's probably nothing more than your average stomach bug or cold. I'm not saying that kids don't deserve medical care because everyone deserves it. All I'm saying is that age should have nothing to do with it. It's like once you hit 18, you don't matter squat to doctors and nurses anymore and if you get hurt/sick, it's "Tough Luck" because a person under 18 will take higher priority over you and you could have a LIFE THREATENING disease or injury. Again, it's not right but it's just how things are.

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    • Avant-Garde
      9 years ago

      The only place where I have seen form of prejudice thrown out of the window, was in London. Then again, England follows a completely different form of government than what America follows.

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  • Riddler
    10 years ago

    This is just wrong. While I was going to go over why children are important this is really an issue of how the emergency room is being ran. In the ones I usually go to its worse case gets priority to least important.

    People who are hemorrhaging get first go, if someone who chopped off a limb they get first go, people who are deadly ill are next, people with stuff like infections go last. I have been to the emergency room a few times and this is how it works.

    If someone is in deadly ill and someone comes in with a missing arm they take the missing arm person immediately. Even if the person with the missing arm came in second. Its worst case to least severe case. I think you should find a better unit to get care from. These people sound incompetent.

    I went before I was a child and everyone else was much older. I still had to wait for much severe cases. So this is just idiocy and this shouldn't be allowed in an emergency room.

    every-time I went it was either since I had a painful infection, a serious injury or I incredibly ill. I still had to wait for doctors to give me medicine since someone has a pole stuck in thier head and a few times saw them pull in people bleeding passed out on gernies.

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    • charli.m
      10 years ago

      Priority is meant to be given first to those with breathing difficulties, then those bleeding...I forget the rest of the hierarchy.

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