Queensland Paediatric Emergency Care (QPEC)

Health professionals can use the resources as a reference at the point of care and as a training tool. The resources have been developed and endorsed by the Statewide Emergency Care of Children Working Group. The group includes senior emergency medical and nursing clinicians from 24 Queensland hospital emergency departments and nurse educators from rural and remote Queensland.

The Queensland Emergency Department Strategic Advisory Panel (QEDSAP) and Clinical Excellence Queensland provided funding for this work.

Contact us

We don’t give emergency clinical advice. Follow your usual escalation process or call the CATCH team.

If your patient is critically ill, follow your usual in-region pathways or call Retrieval Services Queensland (RSQ) on 1300 799 127.

Email QPEC@health.qld.gov.au if you have feedback or questions about our resources and guidelines.

Disclaimer

The information and materials contained in the Queensland Paediatric Emergency Care website are general in nature and intended for information purposes only. The information and materials have been prepared using a multidisciplinary approach with reference to the best information and evidence available at the time of preparation. No assurance is given that the information or materials are entirely complete, current or accurate in every respect.

The guidelines are not a substitute for clinical judgement, knowledge and expertise, or medical advice. Variation from the materials, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.

The materials not address all elements of standard practice and recognise that individual clinicians are responsible for:

• Providing care within the context of locally available resources, expertise, and scope of practice.
• Supporting consumer rights and informed decision making in partnership with healthcare practitioners including the right to decline intervention or ongoing management.
• Advising consumers of their choices in an environment that is culturally appropriate and which enables comfortable and confidential discussion. This includes the use of interpreter services where necessary.
• Ensuring informed consent is obtained prior to delivering care.
• Meeting all legislative requirements and professional standards.
• Applying standard precautions, and additional precautions as necessary, when delivering care.
• Documenting all care in accordance with mandatory and local requirements.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service disclaim, all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for any injury, expense, loss, damage or cost incurred by you or another party for any reason associated with the use of or reliance on the information contained in the Queensland Paediatric Emergency Care website, including the materials within or referred to throughout the website being in any way inaccurate, out of context, out of date, incomplete or unavailable.