Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Case ReportsReversal of intractable hypoxemia with exogenous surfactant (calfactant) facilitating complete neurological recovery in a pediatric drowning victim.
To report the successful reversal of intractable hypoxemia after exogenous surfactant (calfactant) administration, facilitating neurological recovery in a toddler cold-water drowning victim with significant circulatory arrest time. ⋯ Surfactant replacement with calfactant is a rational, useful, and potentially lifesaving treatment for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to drowning.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Comparative Study Clinical TrialPediatric residents' ability to perform a lumbar puncture: evaluation of an educational intervention.
To assess the baseline ability of pediatric residents to successfully perform a lumbar puncture (LP) and to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on this skill in both a simulated and clinical environment. ⋯ After an educational intervention, pediatric first-year residents performed a simulated LP better than a group of second-year residents who had greater clinical LP experience. The low number of clinical LPs performed limits our ability to determine the educational intervention's impact in the clinical setting and reinforces the concern that recent changes to pediatric residencies may negatively impact residents' procedural experience.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Comparative StudyCentral venous access via external jugular vein in children.
To determine the success rate and complications of using the external jugular (EJ) vein for central venous access in pediatric patients. ⋯ The EJ vein is a viable site for central venous access with a low complication rate in pediatric patients.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Case ReportsSpontaneous pneumomediastinum: a report of 2 cases.
We report 2 cases of spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) with clinical presentations similar to pericarditis, including positional chest pain, tachycardia, a precordial rub, and electrocardiographic changes. Chest radiography is the most commonly used imaging modality for diagnosis, but the findings may be subtle. ⋯ Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is self-limiting, and the risk of recurrence is negligible. These cases serve to illustrate the need to include spontaneous pneumomediastinum in the differential diagnosis of pericarditis.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2010
Case ReportsToddler with seizures due to ingesting camphor at an Indian celebration.
We report a 3-year-old girl who presented to the emergency department with seizures. Earlier in the evening, the patient was with her parents at an Indian celebration where she vomited once and then became hyperactive. ⋯ Given the inadequate packaging and use of many grams of camphor at these ceremonies, the pediatric population specifically is at risk for camphor toxicity from this source. Health care professionals should be aware of this unique and culturally specific source of potential camphor toxicity.