Like Sisyphus, you may feel that you are continually pushing a diagnostic boulder up a mountain only to watch it roll back down. Certainly, some diagnoses offer less of an incline to overcome; however, others, like Chronic Recurrent Abdominal Pain (CRAP),…
As you know, a common theme of the Ped EM Morsels is Vigilance: many potentially severe conditions present similarly to benign illnesses. Kawasaki Disease, Rhabdomyolysis, Crohn’s Disease, and Compartment Syndrome are conditions that come to mind; however, one that warrants special consideration…
Cerebral edema is the most feared emergent complication of pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. Fortunately, it is relatively rare, but the rarity can lead to some confusion when it comes to its management. We recently discussed the use of mannitol and…
In general, I try to do things that make my life easier. Selfish or Brilliant? I’ll let you decide. But on occasion, choices that we think should make things easier actually can be counterproductive. A great example of this is…
In the past we have discussed how prolonged fever in the Pediatric Patient should cause you to think “outside of the box.” Kawasaki Disease often comes to mind. Naturally malignancy should also be considered and a thorough history (any Back…
Obviously dehydration is a very significant condition, particularly in the pediatric population, so much so that several Morsels have been dedicated to the topic (ex, ORT, Vomiting vs Diarrhea, Probiotics, Alternatives to IV Fluids). Yet, often I still hear that…
We all know that abdominal pain is a common complaint that in the ED. The differential is vast and includes some terrible conditions (ex, Intussusception, Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Malrotation) as well as rather common…