141-160 of 547 results with category "Pediatrics"
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Question
A 15 y.o. female presents to your emergency department with sudden onset hip pain after winding up to kick a soccer ball during her game today. You see a well-developed female in obvious discomfort, with tenderness to palpation over her lateral hip and pain with passive ROM at the hip. You obtain this x-ray. What is your diagnosis?
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Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) is the second most common ambulatory surgery performed in the US. Children younger than 3 years, children with craniofacial disorders or sleep apnea are typically admitted overnight as studies have shown an increase rate of airway or respiratory complications in this population.
The most common late complications include bleeding and dehydration. Other complications include nausea, respiratory issues and pain.
Post-operatively, the overall 30-day emergency department return rate is up to 13.3%. Children ages 2 and younger were more likely to present to the ED. There is significantly higher risk of dehydration for children under 4 years. Children over the age of 6 had significantly higher bleeding risk and need for reoperation for hemorrhage control.
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Urinary retention in pediatrics is defined as the inability to void for more than 12 hours in the presence of a palpable bladder or a urine volume greater than expected for age.
Maximum urine volume calculation for age: (age in years + 2) x 30ml.
Causes of urinary retention include mechanical obstruction, infection, fecal impaction, neurological disorders, gynecological disorders and behavioral problems.
The distribution is bimodal occurring between 3 and 5 years and 10 to 13 years.
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Antibiotic stewardship has led various organizations such as the AAP, AAFP, and IDSA to introduce two different approaches to the treatment of acute otitis media (AOM):
- Immediate treatment with antibiotics versus
- initial observation for 48-72 hours without antibiotics.
Immediate treatment with antibiotics should always include the following patients:
- Children <6 months old
- Toxic appearing
- Severe signs/symptoms: otorhea, persistent pain, fever>39C, bilateral ear disease
The observation approach can be considered in the following very slect patient group:
- Otherwise healthy children >2 years of age
- Non-severe illness
- Unilateral ear disease
- Access to follow up within 48-72 hours
- Parental comfort / Shared decision making
Often the issue with pediatric AOM isn't necessarily the overprescribing of antibiotics, but the inaccurate/inappropriate over diagnosis of acute otitis media. An erythematous tympanic membrane does not equal AOM. Crying and fever can result in a red TM. Fluid seen behind the TM, is often just serous otitis media, which isn't AOM.
When antibiotics are warranted, first-line treatment is with high dose amoxicillin, 90 mg/kg per day divided into two doses; unless the child has received beta-lactam antibiotics in the previous 90 days and/or also has puruent conjunctivitis mandating amoxicillin-clavulanate instead. In the later case, prescribing the Augment ES, 600 mg/5mL formlation with a lower clavulanic concentration lessening GI upset and diarrhea is prefered.
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Streptococcal pharyngitis is common in the pediatric population however in children younger than 3 years, group A streptococcus (GAS) is a rare cause of sore throat and sequela including acute rheumatic fever are very rare. Inappropriate testing leads to increased healthcare and unnecessary exposure to antibiotics.
The national guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America do NOT recommend GAS testing in children less than the age of 3 years unless the patient meets clinical criteria and has a home contact with documented GAS.
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- Resuscitation with crystalloid fluid is a cornerstone of pediatric septic shock treatment.
- Recent publication from the adult literature have suggested that balance crystalloid solutions may be better than 0.9% normal saline (NS) for select conditions.
- Lactated Ringer's (LR) is a common balance crystalloid solution often used for fluid resuscitation and critically ill patients.
- However whether resuscitation with balance fluids is associated with improved outcomes compared to NS in pediatric sepsis is unclear.
- A matched retrospective cohort study of 12,529 pediatric patient with severe sepsis/septic shock at 382 US hospitals compared outcomes with versus without LR as a part of the initial resuscitation.
- Outcomes includesd: 30-day hospital mortality, acute kidney injury, new dialysis, and length of stay.
- After matching, mortality was not different between LR and NS groups. There were no differences in secondary outcomes except longer hospital length of stay in the LR groups.
- The PRoMPT BOLUS randomized control trial pilot was a feasibility study designed to study the comparative effectiveness of LR versus NS fluid resuscitation for pediatic septic shock. Completion of a more robust study may help provide answers to these ongoing questions.
Bottom line: Balance fluid resuscitation with LR was not associated with improved outcomes compared to NS and pediatric sepsis. Selective LR use necessitates a prospective trial to definitively determine comparative effects among crystalloids.
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- Tibial tubercle avulsion fractures are rare and pediatrics, accounting for less than 3% of all epiphyseal injuries in children ages 11-17 years.
- The typical mechanism is a sudden forceful quadriceps contraction. Patients present with sudden pain after sprinting or jumping with pain, bruising, deformity or swelling over the tibial tubercle and with a decrease ability to extend the leg.
- 10 to 20% of cases result in anterior compartment syndrome related to the rupture of the anterior tibial recurrent artery.
- Although directly measured intra-compartmental pressures can facilitate the diagnosis of compartment syndrome, interpretation of these values can be challenging with healthy children having higher average lower leg compartment pressures than adults. Treatment of subsequent compartment syndrome is often based on a high index of suspicion.
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Question: In febrile children younger than 2 years, what combination of clinical and laboratory variables best predicts the probability of a urinary tract infection?
Given that urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common source of serious or invasive bacterial infections in young febrile infants, early identification and treatment has the potential to reduce poor outcomes. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easy way to identify patients at highest risk?
Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh formulated a calculator (UTICalc) that first estimates the probability of urinary tract infection (UTI) based on clinical variables and then updates that probability based on laboratory results.
- The nested case-control study of 2,070 children aged 2 to 23 months with a documented temperature of 38°C or higher
- In contrast with the American Academy of Pediatrics algorithm, the clinical model in UTICalc reduced testing by 8.1% (95% CI, 4.2%-12.0%) AND decreased the number of missed UTIs.
Bottom line:
The UTICalc calculator can be used to guide to tailor testing and treatment in children with suspected urinary tract infection with the hope of improving outcomes for children with UTI by reducing the number of treatment delays.
Go ahead and give it a click!! https://uticalc.pitt.edu/
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There is no standardized national reporting of dog bites in the US. Based on the reported figures, it is estimated that 2% of Americans are bitten annually, and children are affected disproportionately. With kids, it's usually the family dog, and occurs at home.
To avoid infection, usually from Pasturella species, many of us were taught never to primarily repair dog bites by suturing, and to always prescribe prophylactic antibiotic coverage with amoxicillin-clavulanate. However, the literature recommends otherwise in certain cases.
Bite wounds to the face and hands should have special considerations. In general, face wounds heal with lower rates of infection, but provide the greatest concern for cosmetic appearance. Hand wounds have notoriously higher rates of infection.
The latest recommendations for dog bites are as follows:
1. All dog bites should be copiously irrigated under high pressure.
2. Dog bites to the face should be primarily repaired when <8 hours old, as infection rates are not significantly different and cosmesis is greatly improved.
3. Injuries to the hands should be left open, unless function is in jeopardy or there are neurovascular concerns.
4. Prophylactic antibiotics do not always have to be prescribed, especially in low risk patients. Examples of high risk patients include, but are not limited to: primarily repaired bites, injuries in the hand, >8 hours old, deep or macerated or multiple bites, and the immunocompromised.
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- The assessment of peripheral nerves in children with upper limb injuries can be challenging.
- Neurovascular deficit was not documented in 25% of children presenting with upper extremity injury
- BOAST (British Orthopedic Association Standards for Trauma) guidelines state that each of the Median, Ulnar, Radial, Anterior Interosseous Nerve exams must be individually documented in any supracondylar fracture
- Dawson described an easy way to test and document your exam. Have the child play “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Ok”
- Rock: tests the Median nerve
- Paper: tests the Radial nerve
- Scissors: tests the Ulnar nerve
- Ok: tests the Anterior Interosseous nerve
- This method increased proper documentation and reduced missed nerve injuries in upper extremity fractures.
- Dr. Sarah Edwards and Dr. Hannah Lock created an easy infographic in the link below and found near 100% increase in NV documentation in their ED. Their poster won the prize for best infographic at the 2018 Emergency Medicine Educators' Conference (EMEC)
- https://www.peminfographics.com/infographics/rock-paper-scissors-ok
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Gunshot injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. The Pediatric Trauma Society supports the use of tourniquets in severe extremity trauma. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) that is commonly used in adults has not been prospectively tested in children. This study used 60 children ages 6 through 16 years and applied a CAT to the upper arm and thigh while monitoring the peripheral pulse pressure by Doppler. The CAT was successful in occluding arterial blood flow in all of the upper extremities and in 93% of the lower extremities.
Bottom line: The combat application tourniquet can stop arterial bleeding in the school aged child.
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-Benzodiazepines alone are effective in terminating status epilepticus in 40 to 60% of pediatric patients
-The guidelines for second line agents are based on observational studies and expert opinion
-Adverse effects of phenytoin include hepatotoxicity, pancytopenia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, extravasation injuries, hypotension and arrhythmias
- Levetiracetam has a reduced risk of serious adverse events, greater compatibility with IV fluids and can be given in 5 minutes versus 20 minutes for phenytoin.
Bottom line: In a recent randomized control trial they found that levetiracetam was not superior to phenytoin as a second line agent for management of convulsive status epilepticus in children. There was no difference between efficacy or safety outcomes between the two groups.
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Presentation:
- Prepubertal females are especially susceptible to urethral prolapse
- Can present incidentally is a painless mass found during bathing or on exam
- More commonly presents as urogenital bleeding, dysuria, or (rarely) urinary retention
Evaluation:
- Appears as a partial or circumferential "donut" of bright red, often friable prolapsed mucosa
- Typically occurs in the setting of UTI, cough, or constipation
- Need to rule out complications: UTI, urethral necrosis, and urinary retention
Treatment:
- Medical management start with sitz baths twice daily and addressing causative factors (treatment constipation, UTI, etc.)
- Can add either topical corticosteroid (hydrocortisone) or estrogen (Estrace or Premarin 0.01% twice daily)
- Urology follow-up necessary as many will require surgical resection of prolapsed mucosa
Washington state was one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana use. Toxicology call center data was collected on patient's 9 years old and younger with marijuana exposure between July 2010 and July 2016. There were 161 cases during that time frame and of those 130 occurred after the legalization of recreational marijuana (over a 2.5 year period). The median age range was 2 years old. There were increasing cases noted after recreational marijuana was legalized and again after marijuana shops became legal.
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Measles outbreaks have been reported all over the globe, with the incidence increasing due to low immunization rates. Italy experienced 5000 cases in 2017. This study was a retrospective multicenter observational study of children less than 18 years hospitalized for clinically and laboratory confirmed measles over a year and a half period from 2016-2017.
There were 263 cases of measles that required hospitalization during this time and 82% developed a complication with 7% having a severe clinical outcome defined by a permanent organ damage need for ICU care or death. A CRP value of greater than 2 mg/dL was associated with a 2-4 fold increased risk of developing complications. 23% developed pneumonia and 9.6% developed respiratory failure. Hematologic involvement was seen in 48% of patients. 1.2% of hospitalized patients died.
Bottom line: Consider CRP, lipase and CBC at a minimum in your patients with suspected measles who require hospitalization.
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Over 630,000 children visit the ED every year with a diagnosis of concussion
Predictors of persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS):
- female sex
- age over 13 years
- previous concussive symptoms lasting over 1 week
- headache
- sensistivity to noise
- fatigue
- slow response to questions.
Appromixately 1/3 of pediatric patients will have PPCS lasting over 2 weeks
Likelihood of PPCS increases to >50% in those with risk factors identified in the ED
Every state has a youth concussion law. The basic tenants are a) immediate removal from play b) written clearance from health professional to return to play c) education for athlete, parents, coaches.