Let’s have a heart to heart. We have talked previously about pediatric myocarditis and recognizing the subtle signs of pediatric heart failure. We have even discussed some of the complications that children can get after the final stage of single ventricle…
Like Homer, I have thinning hair and really enjoy a cool CAR! Unlike Homer, I always wear my seatbelt and know a CAR can be hazardous! Oh… and yeah,… I also have learned that not all cars have 8 cylinders…
Evaluating patients and developing a differential diagnosis list can be a slippery slope. Multiple cognitive errors (ex, premature closure, confirmation bias) are potentially just waiting to push you down that slope in the wrong direction. One region that can be…
One of the greatest challenges (and also most stimulating) aspects of our profession is staying current with the evolving literature and recommendations. Yes, it can be frustrating, but it is also rewarding to be in a career that will never…
Syncope is a common presentation in the Pediatric ED. While often it will be due to a benign etiology (ex, Hair Grooming Syncope), we know that there are many concerning conditions that we must consider. In the course of our…
Children occasionally deal with “adult” medical problems (ex, Pulmonary Embolism, Cholecystitis, Renal Stones, DVTs) and, hence, may require medications that we don’t typically encounter in the pediatric patient populations. One of my least favorite medications seen on the adult and…
Ok, so I know that we are in the middle of a Pandemic of COVID-19, but we still need to stay vigilant for all the other treacherous and challenging conditions. With all of the anxiety that is surrounding the pandemic,…
2020! What a great year to focus on good clinical vision! Obviously, in children, what we most often see is, fortunately, the benign conditions; however, it takes our vigilant vision to spot the unusual to help us avoid the life…
We are often drawn to new techniques and methods. While we may become enamored with exotic management strategies (ex, ECMO in the ED, Delayed Sequence Intubation), focusing on the basics is vitally important to the successful management of even the…
Pediatric ECGs are useful screening tools that we like to use for cases of Syncope or Chest Pain. While we may be actively looking for signs of Prolonged QTc, Brugada Sign, WPW, or Pulmonary Embolism, what we may find, instead,…
Cardiac arrhythmias and conditions in children certainly warrant our concern. The entire clinical spectrum is challenging to evaluate and manage; from the subtle presentation of heart failure or overt shock. Additionally, management may also warrant concern for other important diagnoses…
We have discussed, previously, how the unique anatomic and physiologic differences kids have may make conditions more subtle and challenging to detect and diagnose. Additionally, the rarity of some dangerous conditions makes it difficult to easily consider these conditions. One…
