Category Critical Care

Neonatal Leukemia

We have discussed numerous common neonatal issues (ex, Analgesia, Umbilical Granuloma, Neonatal Tooth, Hyperbilirubinemia).  Many of us have learned that neonates are challenging and demand respect.  Even the most proficient practitioner will be apprehensive of the sick neonate, given that there are…

Optimize Chest Compressions

  On occasion, I get the honor of being to “asked” to help with my daughter’s homework. It isn’t common, fortunately, as I don’t recall middle school algebra that well, but recently I was emphasizing the fact that you cannot expect…

Intussusception & Altered Mental Status

Evaluating the child with altered mental status can be very challenging.  As with adults, there are a myriad of potential etiologies and it can be difficult to prioritize the order of the evaluation.  Does this patient have an intracranial process…

Palpation of Pulse for Cardiac Arrest

One of my personal goals is to make my life easier.  Yes, that is easier said than done; particularly given my proclivity for working in the Emergency Department.  The ED is not an easy place to work many times, particularly when…

Catecholaminergic Polymorphic VTach

Honestly, one of the best aspects of writing the Ped EM Morsels weekly is that I benefit from learning (or re-learning) something each week. This week is a great example of that phenomenon. We do not often have to care…

Delayed Diagnosis of Aspirated Foreign Body

We all know kids love to get objects stuck in areas where no foreign body should be. We have discussed this several times (the Nasal Foreign Body, the Ear Foreign Body, and the Ingested Foreign Body), but the Aspirated Foreign…

ALTE in Neonate

Something that is certainly unique about the practice of emergency medicine is the approach to problems from the “worst first” perspective.  Now, generally, I would consider myself as someone who minimizes testing and prefers to spend a few extra minutes…