Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2001
Review Case ReportsAcute hemorrhagic complication of diagnostic lumbar puncture.
To present a case of an epidural hematoma after lumbar puncture in a pediatric patient without known risk factors for such a complication and to review the literature regarding this complication. ⋯ Lumbar puncture is a frequently employed procedure. Known complications include epidural, subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, usually in the setting of abnormal coagulation. The case presented is unusual in that the patient is a child and lacks any known risk factors for a hemorrhagic complication. Such a complication appears to be rare; only five of the 64 cases discovered in the literature review occurred following this diagnostic procedure in patients without known risk factors.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2001
Case ReportsEmergency nursing care of pediatric sickle cell patients: meeting the challenge.
Emergency care of the pediatric sickle cell patient requires complex nursing care and interventions including patient assessment, pain management, infection control, and appropriate understanding of complex hematological and immunological issues. This article includes two case studies that will illustrate the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease in the context of the bedside emergency nursing of the pediatric patient.
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The needs of children in emergency situations differ from those of adults and require special attention, yet there has been no study of the ability of U.S. hospitals to care for emergently or critically ill children. ⋯ Emergent and critical care of infants and children may not be well integrated and regionalized within our health care system, suggesting that there is room for improvement in the quality of care for children encountering emergent illness and trauma.