Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2021
Treatment Outcomes of Pediatric Status Epilepticus in a Tertiary Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Status epilepticus is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality; thus, early diagnosis and proper treatment are crucial. We aimed to study the etiology, clinical features, and treatment among pediatric patients with convulsive status epilepticus. ⋯ Phenytoin is still one of the most efficient antiepileptic drugs. If the duration of status epilepticus can be shortened by prompt treatment, neurological complications may be prevented.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2021
Decreased Mortality After Establishing a Pediatric Emergency Unit at an Urban Referral Hospital in Ghana.
Emergently ill infants and children are often inadequately recognized and stabilized by health care facilities in low- and middle-income countries. Limited reports have shown that process improvements and prioritization of emergency care for children presenting to the hospital can improve pediatric hospital mortality. A dedicated pediatric emergency unit (PEU) was established for nontrauma emergencies at a busy teaching and referral hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, in response to high inpatient mortality early during hospitalization. ⋯ Relative risk values of mortality 1 year and 2 years immediately before and after implementation of the PEU were 0.70 (0.62-0.78) and 0.69 (0.64-0.74) respectively, representing a one-third reduction in mortality. The only other mortality improvements seen in the year-to-year analysis were between July 2004-June 2005 compared with July 2005-June 2006 with a relative risk of 0.86 (0.77-0.96). Prioritizing and redirecting limited resources toward pediatric emergency care in low- and middle-income country hospitals is associated with reductions in inpatient mortality that are both immediate and sustained.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2021
Identifying Risk Factors for Elbow Injury in Children Presenting to the Emergency Department With Distal Forearm Fractures.
Pediatric distal forearm fractures are one of the most common injuries seen in the emergency department. Orthopedic teaching instructs providers to radiograph the joint above and the joint below the fracture site for concurrent injury. Despite this teaching, there is little evidence to suggest that elbow injuries are common in children with distal forearm fractures. Similarly, there are few data that help the clinician predict which children are at higher risk for co-injury. ⋯ Children with distal forearm fractures very rarely have concurrent elbow injuries. These injuries are more likely in younger female children.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2021
Pediatric Malpractice Claims in the Emergency Department and Urgent Care Settings From 2001 to 2015.
This study aimed to provide an assessment of medical malpractice claims involving pediatric patients cared for in emergency department and urgent care settings. ⋯ Cardiac conditions, appendicitis, and disorder of the male genital organs are the most common medical conditions, and error in diagnosis is the most common chief medical factor in pediatric emergency care malpractice suits. It is important for providers practicing in these settings to be familiar with the common diagnoses and chief medical factors involved in these claims.