Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2014
Parental Cannabis Abuse and Accidental Intoxications in Children: Prevention by Detecting Neglectful Situations and At-Risk Families.
Cannabis intoxication in toddlers is rare and mostly accidental. Our objectives were to focus on the characteristics and management of children under the age of 6 years who were admitted to our emergency department with cannabis poisoning reported as accidental by parents, and to point out the need to consider accidental cannabis ingestions as an indicator of neglect. ⋯ Cannabis intoxication in children should be reported to child protection services with the aim of prevention, to detect situations of neglect and at-risk families. Legal action against the parents may be considered. Accidental intoxication and caring parents should be no exception to this rule.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2014
Case ReportsPenetrating foreign body to the cranial vault in a young child.
We present a case of penetrating trauma with a blunt object to the calvarium of a young child. Presentation, emergency room management, radiology, and surgical treatment are illustrated and discussed. It is of utmost importance in these cases to proceed in a way so as to minimize secondary injury that may be caused in removal of the foreign body.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2014
Case ReportsSonographic finding of a pulled elbow: the "hook sign".
Point-of-care ultrasound has become a useful clinical adjunct, especially in emergency medicine, because it is noninvasive, repeatable, and nonradiating. In cases of pulled elbow also known as nursemaid's elbow or radial head subluxation, diagnosis is usually performed clinically. However, there is the potential for a failed reduction or misdiagnosis. We introduce a potentially useful diagnostic finding for pulled elbow ("Hook sign") using point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency department.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2014
Case ReportsOut of the frying pan, into the fire: a case of heat shock and its fatal complications.
Exertional heat stroke incidence is on the rise and has become the third leading cause of death in high school athletes. It is entirely preventable, yet this is a case of a 15-year-old, 97-kg male football player who presented unresponsive and hyperthermic after an August football practice. His blood pressure was 80/30, and his pulse was 180. ⋯ We address not only the complications of his hospital course relative to his positive blood cultures but also the complications that can result from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication our patient was taking. As the population of young adults becomes more obese and more highly medicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, we sought out these growing trends in correlation with the increase in incidence of heat-related illness. We also address the predisposing factors that make young high school athletes more likely to experience heat illness and propose further steps to educate this susceptible population.
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Pediatric emergency care · Dec 2014
Case ReportsA Rare Cause of Upper Airway Obstruction: Isolated Demyelinating Brainstem Lesion.
Acute upper airway obstruction derived from any cause can be a life-threatening emergency in pediatric patients. The major causes are infection, foreign body aspiration, and trauma. However, acute neurological disorders occasionally may manifest as severe airway obstruction. ⋯ Although rare, acute demyelinating brainstem disorders should be considered a part of the differential diagnosis of upper airway obstruction in children. Prompt recognition of this entity in light of additional neurological findings, neuroimaging, and other laboratory test results is critical. Early immunomodulatory treatment of these patients can be lifesaving.