Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Comparative StudyImproving pretransport care of pediatric emergency patients: an assessment of referring hospital care.
Before effective educational interventions can be implemented to improve health care, a needs assessment is essential to determine areas best targeted for improvement. The purpose of this study was to assess the educational needs of referring community hospitals with regard to the pretransport care of pediatric patients. ⋯ Using a simple survey, we identified opportunities for improvement in the management of pediatric emergency patients by referring hospitals in 22% of cases.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Case ReportsHenoch-schönlein purpura complicated by reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome.
We report a 7-year-old girl with Henoch-Schönlein purpura who developed hypertensive encephalopathy. She showed a sudden onset of neurological symptoms, including hypertension, convulsions, disturbance of consciousness, and cortical blindness. ⋯ Reports of this syndrome in patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura are very rare. However, if symptoms suggest central nervous system involvement, neuroimaging should be done for rapid diagnosis, and immediate treatment should be provided to avoid sequelae.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Case ReportsPoint-of-care sonographic detection of intestinal ascaris lumbricoides in the pediatric emergency department.
Point-of-care ultrasound use is rapidly growing in acute-care settings such as pediatric emergency departments, and new applications are continually being explored. This is especially true in the developing world where the World Health Organization estimates that 75% of people have no access to any imaging or availability of more costly imaging technology may be limited (Essential Health Technologies Strategy 2004-2007). We report a case of intestinal roundworm infection in a 3-year-old boy and describe the ultrasound findings of Ascaris lumbricoides.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyTriage assessment in pediatric emergency departments: a national survey.
Because of the varying physiological and developmental stages in children, the taking of vital signs and other assessments at triage in an emergency department (ED) can be challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine current triage practices in pediatric EDs in the United States. ⋯ Despite the important decisions made based on triage assessment in a pediatric ED, there is wide variability in the parameters assessed and the methodology used. Additional research should focus on the validity and reliability of each assessment to determine the best practices.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
ReviewPediatric emergency research networks: a global initiative in pediatric emergency medicine.
Objectives of the Pediatric Emergency Research Network's (PERN's) meeting included (1) learn about each of the participating network's missions, goals, and infrastructure; (2) share important contributions each network has made to the creation of new knowledge; (3) discuss "best practices" to improve each network's effectiveness; and (4) explore the potential for a collaborative research project as proof of concept that would help us promote quality of care of the acutely ill and injured child/youth globally. ⋯ Several members of PERN will be gathering at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine in Singapore, where the group will be presenting information about the H1N1 initiative. The PERN group is planning to bring together all 5 networks later in 2010 to discuss future global collaborations.