Pediatric emergency care
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The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of fractures in young infants attended at the pediatric emergency department (PED). ⋯ Fractures in young infants are uncommon at the PED, the skull fracture being the most common. Pediatricians should alert caretakers of the risks in normal development to prevent these injuries. Fractures caused by child abuse should always be discarded.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2019
Presenting Signs and Symptoms of Pericardial Effusions in the Pediatric Emergency Department.
The primary objective of this study was to describe the frequency of the most common presenting signs and symptoms of pericardial effusions, particularly with relation to the size of the effusion. The secondary objective was to review the final etiology of the pericardial effusion in those patients who had presented to a tertiary care pediatric emergency department. ⋯ This study suggests that the presence of certain symptoms should be associated with a high index of suspicion for pericardial effusion for the pediatric emergency care physician.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2019
Pediatric Trauma Experience After Transition to a Freestanding Children's Hospital.
Transition of pediatrics services to freestanding children's hospitals is a common trend over the past 3 decades, yet there is no published information on the effect of these moves on the pediatric emergency department (ED). We looked at the effect on trauma volume and severity presenting to the ED after transitioning to a freestanding children's hospital at a location previously without dedicated pediatrics services. ⋯ New characteristics and location of the freestanding children's hospital may suggest that easy access to the new location, parental preferences for specialized pediatrics services, and emergency medical service preferences may have positively impacted trauma volume without affecting the severity of trauma seen in our department. This study provides a unique single-center experience in understanding ED patient flow after a major department transition.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2019
Case ReportsAcute Unilateral Vision Loss in a Female Adolescent Due to Ocular Bartonellosis.
Acute worsening of visual acuity with optic disc edema is commonly assumed to be due to idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Bartonella henselae is an unusual cause to abrupt vision loss that is associated with optic disc edema and exudative macular stars seen on examination. It is an important cause to be aware of because it responds very well to antibiotic treatment. We present a case of a female adolescent with unilateral vision loss cause by cat-scratch neuroretinitis.
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Electrical injuries in swimming pools are an important pediatric public health concern. We sought to (1) improve our understanding of the clinical presentation and outcomes following and (2) describe the epidemiology of swimming pool electrical injuries in the United States. ⋯ Electrical injuries occurring in and around swimming pools remain an important source of morbidity and mortality. Although NEISS monitors sentinel events, current efforts at preventing such cases are less than adequate. All electrical outlets near swimming pools should be properly wired with ground fault circuit interrupter devices. Possible approaches to increasing safe electrical device installation are through strengthening public awareness and education of the potential for injury, as well as changes to current inspection regulations.