We all know that caring for children can be tricky. Being a parent is certainly tricky… but trying to decipher the subtle clues a child presents with to ensure that nothing ominous is lurking underneath the non-specific complaints is unquestionably…
We know well by now that we should never say “It’s just a virus” as a way to assuage parental concerns. There are just too many viral infections that can prove to be problematic and won’t necessarily merely “go away”…
Sometimes our medical training may steer us astray. Fortunately through our continued education and experience (and maybe a Morsel or seven) we can overcome these shortcomings and detect some of the covert dangerous conditions. Retropharyngeal abscess is a good example:…
We have discussed “Adult Problems” presenting in children previously (ex, Cholecystitis, PE, Endometriosis), but this time let’s look at a pediatric problem that has an adult sounding name – Arthritis. While arthritis certainly affects adults for a variety of reasons,…
Caring for patients is extremely rewarding… but it can also be rather Stressful. There are many complex math problems to solve and risk-benefit ratios to balance. Even the seemingly elementary problems can mentally taxing, especially in children who are prone…
We have previously discussed how saying “It’s JUST a virus,” is not comforting to families and may undermine your credibility. For one, this phrase minimizes the family’s concern… and secondly, viruses can be quite problematic (ex, Influenza, Varicella, HSV, Reye’s…
Measles was discussed in the PedEM Morsels in 2011 and again in 2015. Sadly, measles is even more important today for us to review. While we refresh our memories about what measles may look like and can cause, let us…
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is terrible, and we are well versed in many of the common presentations. Pain and fever complaints dominate the majority of the encounters in the ED; however, let us not overlook the potential impact SCD has…
It often seems that we are on the search for the omnipresent Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in the Pediatric ED. “You have fever? Let’s check the urine.” “You have belly pain? Let’s check the urine.” “You think your urine smells funny?…
When I was young, Chicken Pox Parties were all the rage! Yup… a party to expose kids to illness (well, I guess it’s not the only illness associated with “parties” – ex, STDs), but the possible complications of Chicken Pox…
