Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2015
Review Case ReportsAn Uncommon Complication of Sinusitis in a Young Adolescent.
A young adolescent patient presented to the emergency department with forehead and eyelid swelling after a week of nasal discharge that was suspicious for Pott's puffy tumor. Point-of-care ultrasound facilitated rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment for a concerning and rare complication of sinusitis, confirmed by computed tomography scan.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2015
ReviewPoint-of-Care Ultrasonography by Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physicians.
April 2015 marks the publication of the first national guideline regarding point-of-care ultrasound by pediatric emergency medicine physicians. The joint statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and World Interactive Network Focused on Critical Ultrasound provides a framework on which pediatric emergency physicians can develop the necessary skills to use point-of-care ultrasound effectively and responsibly.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2015
ReviewThe Use of Automated External Defibrillators in Infants: A Report From the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council.
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been used successfully in many populations to improve survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. While ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia are more prevalent in adults, these arrhythmias do occur in infants. The Scientific Advisory Council of the American Red Cross reviewed the literature on the use of AEDs in infants in order to make recommendations on use in the population. ⋯ In the absence of prompt defibrillation for ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, survival is unlikely. Automated external defibrillators should be used in infants with suspected cardiac arrest, if a manual defibrillator with a trained rescuer is not immediately available. Automated external defibrillators that attenuate the energy dose (eg, via application of pediatric pads) are recommended for infants. If an AED with pediatric pads is not available, the AED with adult pads should be used.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2015
Review Case ReportsCerebral Abscess Presenting as a Complex Febrile Seizure.
Currently, there is no standardized approach to the management of complex febrile seizures in children and there are no published practice guidelines for the procurement of neuroimaging. Presented is a 2-year-old female patient who experienced a 3- to 5-minute episode of staring and unilateral mouth twitching associated with high fever. On initial presentation, the patient appeared well and had a normal neurological examination. ⋯ A literature review to answer the question "Do children with complex febrile seizures require emergent neuroimaging?" yielded a small number of retrospective reviews describing the utility of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar puncture in the work-up of febrile seizures. Current evidence indicates that neuroimaging is not indicated in an otherwise healthy child who presents with complex febrile seizure if the patient is well appearing and has no evidence of focal neurological deficit on examination. As this case demonstrates, however, serious conditions such as meningitis and brain abscess (though rare) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of complex febrile seizure and physicians should remain aware that the need for neuroimaging and/or lumbar puncture may arise in the appropriate clinical setting.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2015
Review Case ReportsGoing Out on a Limb: Do Not Delay Diagnosis of Necrotizing Fasciitis in Varicella Infection.
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare complication of varicella zoster (chicken pox) infection. Its diagnosis can be delayed or missed, which increases mortality and morbidity, because it initially presents similarly to cellulitis. We present the case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with a swollen leg, the difficulties in the diagnosis of NF, and a review of the literature. ⋯ The association of NF with chicken pox is discussed along with the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment options. Necrotizing fasciitis is a surgical emergency and should be considered by all emergency department acute care practitioners in cases of varicella in which fever is enduring and swelling or pain is disproportionate. Because of the difficulty in diagnosis, senior opinion should be sought early.