Pediatric emergency care
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Carbon monoxide toxicity in infants and children, like adults, produce nonspecific symptoms with normal vital signs necessitating the serum measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). In infants, the COHb may be falsely elevated. ⋯ Carboxyhemoglobin serum level, in infants, may be falsely elevated due to the fetal hemoglobin interfering with standard methods of analysis. Knowledge of the false elevation using standard spectrophotometric methods of COHb in clinically well-appearing infants can decrease unnecessary oxygen therapy and monitoring time in the ED.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2011
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyFamily presence during invasive procedures at the emergency department: what is the opinion of Spanish medical staff?
Family presence (FP) during invasive procedures (IPs) in children remains controversial among pediatric emergency department (PED) staff. The authors aimed to determine health care providers' attitudes toward FP during IPs in Spain, to learn whether parents are given the option of being present during different IPs, and to study which factors influence the providers' opinions. ⋯ The PED staff tend to prefer parents not to be present during IPs as the level of invasiveness increases. Family presence is not common in Spanish PEDs. Older physicians are more likely to support FP than nurses.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyLow-risk criteria for pelvic radiography in pediatric blunt trauma patients.
The American College of Surgeons recommends that any patient with blunt trauma undergoes radiographic evaluation, including a radiograph of the pelvis. Studies have questioned the use of such routine pelvic radiographs (PXR) in pediatrics. Selective elimination of PXR would save time, money and unshielded radiation exposure to the gonads. ⋯ Using the clinical findings of (1) lack of lower extremity injury, (2) lack of an abnormal physical examination of the pelvis, and (3) no need for abdominopelvic CT, pelvic fracture can be reliably excluded. Pelvic radiography can be eliminated in the evaluation of these patients, potentially decreasing time expenditure, radiation exposure, and cost.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2011
Case ReportsAlice in Wonderland syndrome in H1N1 influenza: case report.
The different aspects of the global H1N1 influenza and its complications are currently of great interest. Neurological complications of the disease and its frequency are still unknown. ⋯ This unique clinical syndrome was previously described in other diseases. The clinician's awareness of the existence of this syndrome in H1N1 influenza might save the child from undergoing extensive diagnostic procedures.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2011
Improving parent-provider communication in the pediatric emergency department: results from the clear and concise communication campaign.
We implemented and evaluated a quality improvement initiative targeting parents' communication with clinicians in a pediatric emergency department (ED). ⋯ The 3C initiative succeeded in improving parents' communication experience with emergency providers during the intervention period.