Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2014
Case ReportsNasal disc battery removal: a novel technique using a magnetic device.
Disc batteries as foreign bodies present challenges in both diagnosis and management and carry a high risk for complications. We describe a novel device for disc battery removal using a magnet and basic medical supplies readily available in the emergency department setting. We also review diagnosis, complications, and management recommendations for disc batteries as foreign bodies.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2014
Case ReportsHyperosmolar hyperglycemic state without ketosis in a toddler with type 1 diabetes.
We present a thin toddler whose initial presentation with type 1 diabetes was hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome without diabetic ketoacidosis after ingestion of copious quantities of high-sugar beverages. Increasing consumption of high-sugar beverages may make this presentation of type 1 diabetes mellitus more common. Emergency care physicians must be aware of this potential clinical constellation in the very young, as management differs significantly from that accepted for diabetic ketoacidosis in children.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2014
Point-of-Care Ultrasonography for the Identification of 2 Children With Optic Disc Drusen Mimicking Papilledema.
We present 2 cases of asymptomatic patients who were found to have raised and blurred optic discs on physical examination, suggestive of papilledema. Evaluation in the emergency department revealed 2 well-appearing children with normal vital signs and neurologic evaluation results, without symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. ⋯ Optic disc drusen is caused by the deposition of calcified axonal debris and is often buried within the optic disc in pediatric patients. It can cause some changes in visual acuity and visual fields, but patients who are otherwise asymptomatic can be easily diagnosed through point-of-care ultrasound, thereby sparing patients an aggressive workup if their clinical picture is otherwise reassuring.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2014
Children in the United States Make Close to 200,000 Emergency Department Visits Due to Poisoning Each Year.
The aim of this study was to provide nationally representative hospital-based emergency department (ED) estimate visits in children (aged ≤ 18 y) attributed to poisoning in the United States in 2008. ⋯ The current study provides nationally representative estimates of ED visits attributed to poisoning among children in the United States. High-risk groups and economics associated with treating these injuries are estimated.