Pediatric Patients–Are Sometimes Just Small Adults

The phrase "children are not small adults" has appropriately emphasized the distinct physiological, developmental, pharmacologic, and psychosocial needs of pediatric patients. Yet when educators and health systems convey this message without placing equal emphasis on Pediatric Readiness, they may unintentionally imply that pediatric emergency care is primarily the domain of pediatric specialists. This implication conflicts with the reality that more than 80% of children receive emergency care outside specialized children's hospitals, often in settings where pediatric specialists are not physically present. This Special Feature calls for Pediatric Readiness to be understood as essential infrastructure for every emergency department that cares for children. Rather than diminishing pediatric specialization, we reframe pediatric expertise as a system-level resource that can be extended through education, protocols, simulation, teleconsultation, transfer collaboration, and advocacy. The next imperative in pediatric emergency care is to preserve what is distinct about children while ensuring that every emergency setting can care for them safely, competently, and collaboratively.