Pediatric emergency care
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jan 2017
Case ReportsRetropharyngeal Abscess and Mediastinitis in a Well-Appearing Infant With Prolonged Fever.
Fever is a common presenting chief complaint in the pediatric emergency department. We report the case of a well-appearing 11-month-old female with 2 weeks of daily fevers who was found to have an extensive retropharyngeal abscess with mediastinal and extrapleural extension. We review the literature on retropharyngeal abscesses and mediastinitis in children and note that this patient is unusual as she presented with such extensive disease with minimal symptoms. This case demonstrates the importance of a thorough history and broad differential diagnosis when evaluating children presenting prolonged fevers.
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jan 2017
Observational StudyImpact of an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit on Pediatric Emergency Mental Health Care.
Mental health complaints are a frequent presentation to the pediatric emergency department (PED). It is unclear if having an on-site inpatient pediatric psychiatric unit impacts pediatric mental health care in the acute setting. The objective of this study was to compare PED mental health care between a pediatric tertiary care center with an associated inpatient child psychiatric unit (PAPED) and one that does not (NOPED) with the hypothesis that children have longer lengths of stay (LOS) at the PED without an inpatient unit. ⋯ Mental health care in the PED seems to be affected by having an associated inpatient child psychiatric unit. Further research needs to address this growing problem and ways to utilize community resources to develop safe outpatient plans and divert admission if possible.