Fortunately, the critically ill child is not as common in the Emergency Department as the critically ill adult. Unfortunately, when the critically ill child does arrive, it can be challenging to recognize him/her initially. This can lead to delays in…
We have discussed previously how poisonings (Childhood Injury) is one of the top leading causes of death in children. Obviously, knowing your friendly, neighborhood toxicologist or the number to the local Poison Control Center is very helpful when working in…
We have discussed pediatric trauma several times within the PedEM Morsels (Splenic Injury, Head Injury, Pneumothorax, etc), because it is often a source of trepidation, confusion and concern. This often leads to over-reliance on ionizing radiation to help alleviate concern. Naturally, this is…
Recently we discussed abusive occult abdominal injuries and how a high index of suspicion is often required as the physical exam can be misleading. The same is true with respect to accidental injuries, which are the leading cause of morbidity…
Patients’ families often present to us requesting “bloodwork” to make sure that the child is not “sick” or to tell them “what’s wrong.” While we all know that no lab can be used to proclaim complete certainty of a patient’s…
Numerous trauma related topics have been covered within the Morsels (ex, pneumothorax, c-spine injury, aortic trauma, head trauma), but, unfortunately, not all trauma that children suffer is accidental. Non-accidental Trauma / Child Abuse is a prevalent concern for us as we care…
Every so often you encounter a patient that has a finding that catches you by surprise. Like having air in places that should not have air in them. We have discussed spontaneous pneumothorax and traumatic pneumothorax in children as well as how to…