Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2024
ReviewPediatric Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries: Approach and Management.
The low incidence of blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) reported in pediatric studies (<1%) might be related to an underreporting due to both the absence of current screening guidelines and the use of inadequate imaging techniques. This research is a review of the literature limited to the last 5 years (2017-2022) about the approach and management of BCVI in pediatrics. The strongest predictors for BCVI were the presence of basal skull fracture, cervical spine fracture, intracranial hemorrhage, Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 8, mandible fracture, and injury severity score more than 15. ⋯ Overall, CTA was found to have a high specificity but low sensitivity for BCVI. The role of antithrombotic as well as the type and duration of therapy remain controversial. Studies suggest that systemic heparinization and antiplatelet therapy are equally effective.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2024
Emergency Department Arrival Modes: Time for Mandatory Pediatric Readiness.
Because small children can be transported by private vehicles, many children seek emergency care outside of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Such transports may access the closest emergency departments (EDs) without knowledge of their pediatric competence. This study quantifies this practice and the concept of mandatory pediatric readiness. ⋯ Pediatric patients seeking ED care overwhelmingly arrive through a private mode regardless of the severity of their problem or type of ED in which treated. Emergency Medical Services programs and state hospital regulatory agencies need to recognize this practice and assure the pediatric competence of every ED within their system.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2024
Documented Penicillin Allergies on Antibiotic Selection at Pediatric Emergency Department Visits.
Penicillin or amoxicillin are the recommended treatments for the most common pediatric bacterial illnesses. Allergies to penicillin are commonly reported among children but rarely true. We evaluated the impact of reported penicillin allergies on broad-spectrum antibiotic use overall and for the treatment of common respiratory infections among treat-and-release pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. ⋯ Antibiotic stewardship efforts in pediatric EDs may consider the delabeling of penicillin allergies particularly among children receiving antibiotics for an acute respiratory infection as a target for intervention.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2024
Multicenter StudyCharacteristics of Transport of Ill Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department: A Latin America Multicenter Prospective Study.
The aim was to describe the characteristics of the transport system of critically ill pediatric patients in the emergency departments (EDs) in Latin America (LA). ⋯ In LA, there is great variability in personnel training, equipment for pediatric transport, team composition, and characterization of critical care transport systems. Continued efforts to improve conditions in our countries may help reduce patient morbidity and mortality.