Pediatric Death in the ED: Communicating News, Administrative Duties, Care Initiatives - v 2020-06-17

Sep 1, 2026

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Guidance for emergency department teams on handling pediatric death, covering preparation for communicating news to families, delivery of death notifications, and principles that reduce harm during high-emotion moments. Includes administrative duties such as coroner notification, organ procurement organization notification, contacting the primary care physician and funeral home, and accurate documentation in the report of death and electronic medical record. Provides care initiatives including in-hospital support, visitation coordination, and family-focused follow-up.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOCX

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

COMMUNICATING NEWS

Preparation

Delivering the death notification

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

Notifications

Documentation

CARE INITIATIVES

In Hospital

Viewing

Memory Making

Resources

Staff Support

Follow-up

Bereavement intervention program

Pediatric Death in the ED: Communicating News, Administrative Duties, Care Initiatives v. 2020-06-17 Communicating news Preparation Delivering news General guidelines Administrative Duties Notifications Coroner Organ Procurement Organization Primary Care Physician Funeral Home Documentation Report of Death Electronic Medical Record Care Initiatives In Hospital Viewing Memory Making Resources Staff Support Follow-up Bereavement intervention program COMMUNICATING NEWS The unexpected death of a child is always hard and painful to the family and to the ED staff (albeit in a much different and less intense way). Caregivers must be prepared to ensure the child’s family gets the care they need despite the emotional demands the situation places on caregivers. Preparation Prepare the family by providing information during the treatment/resuscitation process. If death seems likely, ideally a chaplain, social worker, or nurse will become the family’s link to the treatment process. As the situation deteriorates, that person needs to be able to say to the family, “The team needs you to know that… …they are working very hard to keep his heart beating.” …they’ve started CPR because the heart is not beating on its own.” …the injuries are severe and may be life-threatening.” …there may be no way to control the severe bleeding. The bleeding is life-threatening.” Before meeting the family Ensure there is no blood on the clothes of anyone who will meet the family. Ensure there is privacy for the conversation. Know the child’s name. Know with whom you will be talking and the emotional state of parents and their supporters; support services will assist. Children in attendance will likely remain with the family. Work with support services to determine a course of action. Children should not be automatically excluded from the notification, but they should not stay if witnessing the emotional outburst, hearing the description of what happened, and/or being present for questions and answers would likely be traumatic. Focus your attention on the parents rather than the calmest or most distressed person(s). Relate with caring voice tones and mannerisms. Use understandable language. Avoid medical jargon and acronyms. Give your name and describe your area of medical expertise (e.g., orthopedics, neurosurgery, surgery, etc.). The patient and family’s memory of you and the hospital will be formed by both your competency and your compassion. Delivering the death notification Speak with the family as soon as possible. Identify the parents. If the parents are seated, when possible sit near them. Don’t tell them to sit down, but instead ask, “Can we sit down?” Assume the parents have only one thing on their mind: Is their child alive? Given this, be prepared to deliver the news compassionately and quickly. Communicating the news: Be calm and paced. Identify yourself and your role in the treatment and convey the outcome Example: “I’m Dr. Smith. I have been taking care of (name of child) since she/he arrived. I have hard news to share. I am so very sorry to tell you that (child’s name) has died.” When a death notification is given, expect an emotional expression. Use support services to assist at this time. Immediately after the notification is given, typically the parents/family will be so emotionally overwhelmed that it is impossible for them to ask their questions are. Do not press them for their questions at the time of the death notification or to seek information you may need about what happened. Return later for these. Convey condolences, avoid any statement that is trite or patronizing. Resist the urge to try and “fix” their pain with platitudes. Say, “Again, I am so sorry. I will come back in a little while to answer questions and talk with you about what will happen next. ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES When anyone dies, there are standard duties that must be performed in order to document the death with the appropriate authorities and prep

FAQs

How should the ED team prepare the family before delivering likely death news?

Share clear information during the treatment/resuscitation process. If death seems likely, arrange a consistent support link (chaplain, social worker, or nurse) to communicate what the team is doing and what the injuries mean.

What administrative notifications are required after a child’s death in the ED?

Notify the coroner in cases of unnatural or unexplained death, notify the local organ procurement organization to assess tissue donation, inform the child’s primary care physician, and contact the designated funeral home if the coroner releases the body.

What documentation should be completed in the electronic medical record and death reporting?

Document the child’s death in the patient chart with date/time, the physician who pronounced death, coroner contacts and disposition, organ procurement contact, and funeral home notification when applicable. Complete the report of death procedures (often filed by the funeral home) with demographics, certifier, organ procurement notification, and authorization for release.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by Terk