Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Oct 2023
A Quest for Better Strategy in Pediatric Intraosseous Placement Using Radiographic Measurements in Patients Younger Than 2 Years.
Intraosseous (IO) needles are used to obtain vascular access in pediatric patients during emergent situations. Recent literature has raised concern about high rates of IO malposition in younger children. Despite the widespread use of IO access in the pediatric population, there is scarce evidence regarding the ideal needle length or optimal access site. ⋯ For subjects younger than 6 months, the 25-mm needle minimized malposition in the femur site with a 45.7% appropriate position rate, and the 15-mm needle minimized malposition in the tibia site with a 57.1% appropriate position rate. For the older age groups, we did not find a standard needle that would consistently minimize malposition in the femur site. For the tibia site, the 25-mm needle minimized malposition risk, with appropriate position rates of 81.0%, 87.5%, and 91.1% in the 6- to 12-month, 13- to 18-month, and 19- to 24-month groups, respectively.
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Pediatric emergency care · Oct 2023
Observational StudyLactate as a Screening Tool for Critical Illness in a Pediatric Emergency Department.
Lactate has in some pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) gained acceptance as a screening tool for critical illness, with cut-off values of 2.0 to 2.5 mmol/L. We aimed to investigate if lactate could predict the need of acute resuscitation in patients in a PED. ⋯ In children evaluated in a PED, lactate achieved a low AUC, suggesting a poor ability of predicting acute resuscitation. In children without need of acute resuscitation, the 95th percentile for lactate was 3.2 mmol/L, higher than the generally accepted cut-off values. This is important to recognize to avoid concern in otherwise clinically stable children. Our data did not support the use of lactate as a screening tool for early recognition of critical illness in a PED.
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Pediatric emergency care · Oct 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Effectiveness of the Buzzy Device in Reducing Pain in Children Undergoing Venipuncture: A Single-Center Experience.
Needle-related procedures are among the most important sources of pain in children in different health care settings. Our study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Buzzy (MMJ Labs, Atlanta, Ga.), a palm-sized bee/ladybug-shaped device combining vibration and cold, as a nonpharmacological strategy to manage needle-related pain in children. ⋯ The Buzzy device effectively reduces pain caused by percutaneous antecubital venipuncture in children in different age groups and represents a cheap and easy-to-use strategy to manage routine needle-related procedures.
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Pediatric emergency care · Oct 2023
Impact on Emergency Department Interventions After Implementing a Guideline Based on the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Prediction Rule for Identifying Low-Risk Febrile Infants 29 to 60 Days Old.
The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) prediction rule identifies febrile infants at low risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI). However, its impact on avoidable interventions in the emergency department remains unknown. ⋯ After implementation of a guideline based on the PECARN prediction rule, we observed a reduction of LPs and antibiotics in low-risk infants. Overall, a decrease in LPs was observed, whereas antibiotic use and admissions remained unchanged.
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Pediatric emergency care · Oct 2023
Case ReportsSuccessful Outcome of Manual Testicular Detorsion Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound Guidance: A Clinical Experience.
Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency. It obstructs the blood supply to the testes, leading to testicular ischemia and necrosis. It presents with a sudden onset of severe unilateral testicular pain associated with nausea/vomiting, swollen scrotum, and high-riding testicles with an absent cremasteric reflex and negative Prehn sign. ⋯ However, manual detorsion may fail because of patient discomfort, incomplete torsion, and rotation of the testicle in a less common direction. We report a case demonstrating ultrasound-guided detorsion in a 14-year-old boy with right testicular torsion. The present case highlights the importance of incorporating ultrasound guidance into manual detorsion, which can improve the success rate of the procedure.