Cough is a very common symptom in children. Certainly, we need to consider that an ominous cause may be lurking (Asthma, Occult Aspirated Foreign Body, Croup, Sinusitis, Pneumonia, Acute Chest Syndrome, etc.). Most often, though, the cough is due to a…
Injuries to the face are commonly encountered when caring for children. We have previously reviewed several facial injury topics (see, Mandibular Fractures, Dental Trauma, Tongue Lacerations, and Eyelid Lacerations). Eye injuries can sometimes be under appreciated, especially when there are other associated injuries. One…
One of the refreshing aspects of taking care of children is that, generally, they don’t have a mile long list of medications or an extensive known past medical history, unlike their adult counterparts. Unfortunately, this generality can lead us to become…
With childhood obesity becoming ever more prominent leading to potential medical issues (ex, Cholelithiasis, Eating Disorders) it is wonderful to encourage all of our kids to be more active, but activity and sports have their own potential issues as well.…
There are many conditions that are rarely encountered, but warrant great concern due to the level of morbidity and mortality associated with them. HSV comes to mind. RMSF is another good example. Some of these conditions were once more common,…
Caring for children in the ED can be challenging for certain. Managing the critically ill child requires a lot of skill and action (ex, Can’t Intubate, Can’t Ventilate and Hypercyanotic Spell). Remaining vigilant for the subtly sick takes a lot of…
Certainly, pediatric rashes can be a challenge (and we have discussed my “Approach to the Pediatric Rash” previously). One “rash,” however, deserves particular attention as it is not a Rash at all: it is a Burn! Let’s remain vigilant for…
Many conditions may present subtly in children (ex, Inborn Errors of Metabolism, HUS, Pneumonia), but the subtle presentations of cardiac disease are often the most attention grabbing. We have previously discussed Subtle Signs of Heart Failure and Myocarditis. Let us take a…
Caring for patients is very humbling. I once described the EM Mindset as being one that requires Humble Arrogance (See EMDocs.net) – requiring humility to know you can’t know it all and arrogance to believe that your skills can make a…
Certainly, one of the most common procedures in the Ped ED is the lumbar puncture. We have discussed efforts to ensure that our first attempt is our best attempt: good positioning and analgesia are critical. We have also discussed how to deal with the…
