Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2008
ReviewPediatric disaster preparedness: best planning for the worst-case scenario.
Natural and man-made disasters are unpredictable but certainly will include children as victims. Increasingly, knowledge of pediatric disaster preparedness is required of emergency and primary care practitioners. A complete pediatric disaster plan comprises the following elements: appropriate personnel and equipment, disaster- and venue-specific training, and family preparedness. ⋯ Exercise content depends on local hazard vulnerabilities and learner training needs. Postexercise evaluations follow a stepwise process that culminates in improved disaster plans. This article will review disaster planning and the design, implementation, and evaluation of pediatric disaster exercises.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2008
ReviewChildren's mental health emergencies--part 2: emergency department evaluation and treatment of children with mental health disorders.
The emergency physician should be familiar with the wide spectrum of pediatric mental health emergencies because they are commonly encountered in emergency medical practice. ⋯ The actions and directions taken in the ED are a crucial part of the child's long-term care and treatment. The ED evaluation and management of pediatric mental health emergencies may vary depending on the complaint and includes differentiation from organic etiologies, medical stabilization, and occasionally in depth psychosocial interview.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2008
Inter-rater reliability for noninvasive measurement of cardiac function in children.
A transcutaneous ultrasound monitor has recently been developed which noninvasively and quickly measures cardiac output. Validity and reliability testing has been reported in adults. No reliability testing has been undertaken in the pediatric population. ⋯ Transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound technique demonstrates acceptable inter-rater agreement for measuring CI and SVI in children.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2008
Emergency department detection of adolescents with a history of alcohol abuse and alcohol problems.
To compare the characteristics of adolescents with and without a history of problematic alcohol use, who are treated in the emergency department (ED) for an alcohol-related problem. ⋯ Of the adolescents presenting to the ED with an alcohol-related incident, those with a positive history of problematic drinking represent a particularly high-risk subgroup.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2008
Case ReportsMultiple seizures after bupropion overdose in a small child.
Unintentional ingestion of bupropion in young children has generally resulted in limited toxicity. We report a case of pediatric bupropion ingestion resulting in multiple seizures. The patient experienced hallucinations, agitation, vomiting, tachycardia and seizures after ingestion of 1050 (48 mg/kg) of extended-release bupropion. The potential for severe toxicity in the setting of pediatric overdose should be recognized.