Pediatric telephone triage is an extremely challenging task, requiring the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) physicians to be supported by the most reliable tools. Real-time video conference has been implemented in the Loire-Atlantique’s dispatch center (France) since 2016. No data are available regarding pediatric dispatch or the use of video for this purpose.

The aim of our study is to assess the utility and reliability of this tool for the triage of pediatric respiratory distress.

The study was conducted over one year, between the 2nd of February 2021 and the 23rd of February 2022, at our local dispatch center. Children between the ages of 0 and 16 years were included if they presented with respiratory distress and if the EMS physician felt the need to use the video conferencing system. The primary outcome was a score between 0 and 10, assessed by the EMS physician after the call, evaluating the usefulness of real-time video support. Secondary outcomes focused on the impact of video use on the final triage decision as well as the reliability of the tool.

A total of 296 calls were included. EMS physicians gave an average score of 8.5/10 (IC = 95 % [8.4;8.7]) for the support provided by the video tool. Its implementation reduced the number of patients referred to emergency rooms by 17.2 %. Among these, 7.9 % eventually visited the pediatric emergency services for specific care within the 7 days following triage.

The real-time video system is considered a useful tool to support EMS physicians in the tele-triage of pediatric respiratory distress cases and may help reduce overcrowding in pediatric emergency departments. While the tool appears to be reliable, it cannot replace an extended physical examination in cases of persistent doubt or parental concern.