Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2017
Review Case ReportsPoint-of-Care Ultrasound Use to Differentiate Hematoma and Sarcoma of the Thigh in the Pediatric Emergency Department.
Hematomas and soft tissue sarcomas can be difficult to differentiate clinically, even with the addition of traditional imaging modalities. There are several case reports of sarcomas being misdiagnosed as hematomas, most commonly with a history of mild trauma. ⋯ Key clinical features and sonographic findings that may assist clinicians using point-of-care ultrasound to correctly differentiate sarcomas from hematomas are reviewed. A soft tissue mass larger than 5 cm, with internal vascular Doppler flow, presenting without a clear mechanism of injury or with constitutional symptoms should be considered as suspicious for malignancy.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2017
Case ReportsSudden Collapse of a Preschool-Aged Child on the Playground.
Primary cardiac events are rare in children. There is little information in the literature regarding the most appropriate emergency department (ED) management of this type of pediatric patient, especially with regard to medication use. ⋯ Although primary cardiac events in children are rare, a high index of suspicion should be maintained especially with a history of prodromal symptoms or collapse during exertion. If cardiac etiology is suspected, deliberate management should be used to exclude a treatment that could be detrimental. This case report provides an initial assessment and recommendations for management of these patients.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2017
Review Case ReportsCardiac Tamponade Diagnosed by Point-of-Care Ultrasound.
We present a case involving a 12-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department and was diagnosed with a pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology by point-of-care ultrasound. The diagnosis resulted in prompt treatment and definitive therapy.
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Extraluminal air can occur through a wide variety of mechanisms. Often, the free air resides in isolated regions including the thorax, the peritoneum, or the mediastinum. We present a pediatric case where there was extensive extraluminal air simultaneously within several regions, one of which has never been reported in the literature.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2017
ReviewEthics in the Pediatric Emergency Department: When Mistakes Happen: An Approach to the Process, Evaluation, and Response to Medical Errors.
The emergency department (ED) is an environment that is conducive to medical errors. The ED is a time-pressured environment where physicians aim to rapidly evaluate and treat patients. Quick thinking and problem-based solutions are often used to assist in evaluation and diagnosis. ⋯ Apologizing for a significant medical error that may have caused a complication is even harder. Having a systematic way to go about apologizing makes the process easier, and helps assure that the right information is relayed to the patient and his or her family. This creates an environment of autonomy and shared decision making that is ultimately beneficial to all aspects of patient care.