Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2014
Case ReportsRapid Evaluation of an Inguinal Mass in a Female Infant Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound.
A 35-day-old female infant presents to the pediatric emergency department with increased crying and persistent fullness in the right groin. On examination, the infant was noted to have increased fullness and a nonreducible mass in the right mons pubis. Point-of-care ultrasound was used to help diagnose an incarcerated ovary, allowing for expedited care while waiting for confirmatory imaging. The infant underwent surgery with salvage of the ovary.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2014
Fluoroscopy Screen Time During Contrast Enema for the Evaluation and Treatment of Intussusception.
The objective of this study was to describe fluoroscopy screen time (FST) for children undergoing contrast enema (CE) for suspected intussusception. ⋯ Fluoroscopy screen time for the evaluation and diagnosis of intussusception is shorter than that previously described. When an initial screening ultrasound is not available or nondiagnostic and the suspicion is high, further evaluation with a CE may be warranted because the radiation exposure is likely lower than that previously reported.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2014
Pediatric Syncope: Is Detailed Medical History the Key Point for Differential Diagnosis?
Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness as a result of global cerebral hypoperfusion. It is generally benign but may be a sign of pathology. The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency of syncope due to cardiac, neurocardiogenic, neurologic, situational, psychiatric, and other causes and make a differential diagnosis of syncope types according to detailed medical history and further investigations. ⋯ An electrocardiogram and a medical history including the details of the event, chronic diseases, and familial diseases are among the most important steps for the right diagnosis and prognosis. Instead of a routine procedure, further diagnostic workup should be directed according to medical history for high yield. Convulsive movements may be defined in all types of syncope related with cerebral hypoxia, and this may lead to a misdiagnosis of seizure by the clinician.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2014
Case ReportsFracture of the anterior arch of atlas after minor trauma of the immature spine postlaminectomy.
Torticollis is a common complaint in the pediatric emergency department. Here, we report what we believe to be the first example in a young child of a fracture of the anterior arch of the atlas associated with an acquired, postsurgical defect of the posterior arch. ⋯ Atlas laminectomy may predispose patients to isolated atlas fractures even with minor trauma. Those fractures, however, are stable and treated by hard cervical orthosis.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2014
Emergency Department Visits in the Neonatal Period in the United States.
This study aimed to estimate the incidence of emergency department (ED) visits in the neonatal period in a nationally representative sample and to examine variation by race. ⋯ In this first nationally representative study of neonatal visits to the ED, visits were common, with the highest rates in non-Hispanic blacks. Hispanic and black neonates were more commonly seen in safety-net hospitals. Reasons for high visit rates deserve further study to determine whether hospital discharge practices and/or access to primary care are contributing factors.