Category 2012 Morsels

Pyridoxine Dependent Seizures

We have recently discussed how neonatal seizures are often very subtle and, unfortunately, commonly related to significant pathology (infection, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopahty, intracranial hemorrhage, hypoglycemia, inborn errors of metabolism, etc). Once we determine that we are dealing with a seizure, we…

Immunodeficiency and Down Syndrome

Immunodeficiency and Down Syndrome We are all familiar with the major features of Down Syndrome (partially because they are distinctive and partially because tests love to have questions about them), but one that is commonly undervalued is the relative immunodeficiency…

Nitrous Oxide

    Nitrous Oxide – It’s Not Just for Dentists! We are all very aware that many of the necessary procedures that need to be done in the Emergency Department, particularly the Pediatric ED, are painful and often scary.  We…

Ketogenic Diet and Seizures

Ketogenic Diet and Pediatric Seizures During this holiday season many people are looking for the perfect diet to help them balance out all of the high caloric intake. What could be more perfect than trying to loose your excess holiday…

Spontaneous Pneumothorax

  Spontaneous Pneumothorax We all see a myriad of patients who complain of chest pain and/or shortness of breath.  We can rapidly develop the differential diagnosis and deftly sort through it without much effort; however, we often still end with…

Apparent Life-Threatening Event

Apparent Life-Threatening Event (ALTE) Being specialists of emergencies we are facile with managing events that have the potential to threaten a person’s life.  It is interesting, then, that when a child presents to the ED with an Apparent Life-Threatening Event…

Cholelithiasis

Pediatric Cholelithiasis After feeling the synapses in my brain start to misfire while contemplating the multitude of potential medical problems and drug interactions that my adult patients present with, I relish being able to evaluate a pediatric patient who has…