Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Nov 2013
Case ReportsInvoluntary movements misdiagnosed as seizure during vitamin B12 treatment.
Seizures and epilepsy are a common problem in childhood. Nonepileptic paroxysmal events are conditions that can mimic seizure and frequent in early childhood. ⋯ Involuntary movements rarely may appear a few days after the initiation of vitamin B12 treatments and might be misdiagnosed as seizure. Here, we report 2 patients who presented with involuntary movements with his video image.
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Pediatric emergency care · Nov 2013
Too Attractive: The Growing Problem of Magnet Ingestions in Children.
Small, powerful magnets are increasingly available in toys and other products and pose a health risk. Small spherical neodymium magnets marketed since 2008 are of particular concern. ⋯ The incidence of pediatric magnet ingestions and subsequent interventions has increased over time. Multiple-magnet ingestions result in high utilization of radiological imaging and surgical interventions. Recent increases parallel the increased availability of small, spherical magnet sets. Young and at-risk children should not have access to these and other small magnets. Improved regulation and magnet safety standards are needed.
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Pediatric emergency care · Nov 2013
Practice GuidelinePediatric cyanide poisoning by fire smoke inhalation: a European expert consensus.
Most fire-related deaths are attributable to smoke inhalation rather than burns. The inhalation of fire smoke, which contains not only carbon monoxide but also a complex mixture of gases, seems to be the major cause of morbidity and mortality in fire victims, mainly in enclosed spaces. Cyanide gas exposure is quite common during smoke inhalation, and cyanide is present in the blood of fire victims in most cases and may play an important role in death by smoke inhalation. ⋯ In these children, hydrogen cyanide seems to be a major source of concern, and the rapid administration of the antidote, hydroxocobalamin, may be critical for these children. European experts recently met to formulate an algorithm for prehospital and hospital management of adult patients with acute cyanide poisoning. Subsequently, a group of European pediatric experts met to evaluate and adopt that algorithm for use in the pediatric population.
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Pediatric emergency care · Nov 2013
ReviewPredictive Factors of Hospitalization in Children With Acute Asthma at a University Emergency Care Unit.
This study analyzed the factors that predicted the hospitalization of children with asthma following standardized treatment in emergency care unit (ECU). ⋯ Age, mainly children younger than 1 year, the presence of associated illnesses, and the observation period length predicted the hospitalization of children with asthma following treatment in ECU. Sex and seasonality did not affect the need for hospitalization.
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Pediatric emergency care · Nov 2013
Case ReportsFacial diplegia, pharyngeal paralysis, and ophthalmoplegia after a timber rattlesnake envenomation.
The timber rattlesnake, also known as Crotalus horridus, is well known to cause significant injury from toxins stored within its venom. During envenomation, toxic systemic effects immediately begin to cause damage to many organ systems including cardiovascular, hematologic, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and neurologic. One defining characteristic of the timber rattlesnake is a specific neurotoxin called crotoxin, or the "canebrake toxin," which is a potent β-neurotoxin affecting presynaptic nerves that can cause paralysis by inhibiting appropriate neuromuscular transmission. We present an unusual case of an 8-year-old boy bitten twice on his calf by a timber rattlesnake, who presented with a life-threatening envenomation and suffered multisystem organ failure as well as a prominent presynaptic neurotoxicity resulting in facial diplegia, pharyngeal paralysis, and ophthalmoplegia.