Emergency Medicine Research
Improving Pediatric Emergency Care
Nemours Children’s emergency medicine research is diverse. Our researchers are driven by a mission to improve the care for children and families in emergency department settings.
We focus on implementing quality initiatives, supporting shared decision-making and exploring innovative approaches to improve care delivery and prevent severe illness. We work to translate what we learn into practice, enhance provider-family communication and improve health outcomes.
Our team is part of a recognized, national emergency medicine research network that leverages the collective expertise and resources from select children’s hospitals across the country. Together we further robust, meaningful research to benefit children everywhere.
We are regularly invited to present what we learn at national conferences hosted by leading organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Academic Society. This is testament to the quality and relevance of our research.
Clinical Trials and Research Studies at Nemours
Pediatric clinical trials and research studies are important for advancing medical knowledge and improving care for kids around the world. Our researchers lead clinical research to study diseases, new drugs, treatments, devices and techniques. We also contribute to national registries and collaboratives to further research in this area. Find a clinical trial or study now.
Notable Projects
Nemours moves research in pediatric emergency medicine forward. Currently, our work centers on these notable projects.
Bronchiolitis, a leading cause of infant hospitalization, lacks effective treatments. This emphasizes the critical need for preventative strategies. In recent years, scientists have learned more about how the gut microbiome (the bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes that live in the digestive tract), affects health and disease development. It is known that breastfeeding supports a healthy microbiome.
Our research investigates the gut microbiome and its influence on bronchiolitis severity. By understanding the intricate connections between microbiota composition in infants’ guts and breastmilk, we aim to provide insights for preventing and managing this prevalent respiratory illness in infants.
Our emergency medicine team is part of the Great Lakes Area Children’s Emergency Research (GLACiER) node of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). PECARN is the first federally funded multi-institutional network of its kind. It focuses on improving acute illness and injury prevention and management in emergency health care settings.
Through PECARN, researchers work together to study key issues, from sepsis and trauma care to mental health emergencies and health equity. Sharing our expertise and resources helps us conduct rigorous and impactful research and put our insights into practice to benefit children in our care.
Nemours joins Nationwide Children's Hospital and Pittsburgh Children's Hospital within the Great Lakes Area.
Our researchers were awarded the 2023 Department of Pediatrics Academic Funds for our focus on enhancing emergency department care for children with first-time afebrile seizures.
Seizure disorders impact about 1% of children, with current guidelines recommending against routine computerized tomography (CT) testing following a first-time, unprovoked, generalized afebrile seizure. Despite guidelines endorsed by the Choosing Wisely® campaign, a concerning number of children still undergo unneeded testing, with unnecessary exposure to radiation, especially in general emergency departments. No studies have explored why.
Using a physician and family-endorsed decision aid, we aim to address the persistent test overuse by identifying family concerns, knowledge gaps and clinician practice variations. The goal is to help share guidelines more effectively and improve the decision-making processes in the emergency setting.
Our team is engaged in critical research to improve diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease in children. We partner with the nation’s leading Lyme disease researchers as part of Pedi Lyme Net. This network focuses exclusively on advancing Lyme disease care for kids.
We are currently involved in research aimed to improve diagnostic accuracy which will ultimately allow clinicians to make the best possible treatment decisions. We also test treatments for Lyme meningitis.
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is one of eight sites enrolling patients in key studies, including Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Children’s Minnesota and Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
We are proud to contribute our expertise and resources to help improve care and outcomes for children with Lyme disease, locally and nationwide.