EMSC DAY
May 21, 2008

Illinois EMSC is pleased to announce that Wednesday, May 21st is Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day.  EMSC Day provides an opportunity during EMS week to recognize the special emergency care and injury prevention needs of children.

This year’s EMSC Day theme is aimed at promoting asthma awareness.   Asthma affects 6.1 million children and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism.  Children with asthma miss an average of twice as many school days as other children.

Illinois has one of the nation's highest mortality rates from asthma related causes.  Prevalence rates for asthma, particularly in children younger than 5 years of age, have increased rapidly during the last decade.

In recognition of EMSC Day, we encourage those involved in emergency care to become more aware of asthma related resources and other EMSC Day resources by clicking on the links below. 

• Asthma Awareness Planning Kit (623K)

• Asthma Resources

• EMSC Day flyer (4,936K)

• Pediatric Asthma: Education for Emergency Care Professionals

• National EMSC resources for EMSC Day (2,417K)

• EMSC Day Resources through the American College of Emergency Pysicians (ACEP)

• EMERGENCY! What You Need to Know in an Emergency Situation handout (114K)

• Emergency Information Form (EIF) for Children with Special Healthcare Needs
  (299K)

• How to Prevent & Handle Childhood Emergencies – A Handbook for Parents and People Who Care for Children (808K)