Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2007
Clinical TrialUrine specific gravity and other urinary indices: inaccurate tests for dehydration.
Urine output, specific gravity, and ketones (urinary indices) are commonly used as an objective means to assess for dehydration and gastroenteritis severity; however, their utility has not been established. The study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of urinary indices as diagnostic tests to identify acute dehydration. ⋯ Urinary indices are not useful diagnostic tests to identify the presence of dehydration during the initial assessment of children with gastroenteritis.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2007
Immunization histories given by adult caregivers accompanying children 3-36 months to the emergency department: are their histories valid for the Haemophilus influenzae B and pneumococcal vaccines?
To obtain immunization histories from adult caregivers accompanying children to the emergency department (ED), to determine the accuracy of the caregiver's report for the Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib)and 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7). ⋯ Caregiver report was determined to be inaccurate for Hib and PCV7. Despite 91.5% of caregivers stating that shots were up-to-date, only 66.0% were correct that their child was up-to-date with these 2 vaccines. The ED physician should use caution in making clinical decisions based on the history given by a caregiver regarding their child's immunization status.
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Pediatric emergency care · May 2007
Job market survey of recent pediatric emergency medicine fellowship graduates.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Emergency Medicine's Subcommittee on Administration developed a survey tool targeting recent pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship graduates to assess the current PEM job market in a variety of areas including (1) the new positions accepted, (2) perspectives of fellowship training, and (3) the relationship between PEM and general emergency medicine practice. ⋯ Recent PEM fellowship graduates felt that job availability was good and were satisfied with their new positions. Respondents perceived better fellowship training in clinical and teaching aspects than in research and administration. New positions were heavily clinical and matched career goals.
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Pediatric emergency care · Apr 2007
ReviewAlternative airway devices for use in children requiring prehospital airway management: update and case discussion.
This manuscript reviews the latest literature on alternative airways for use in children requiring prehospital airway management. Case discussions serve as a springboard for discussion of alternatives to bag-mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation for management of ventilation in infants and children in the prehospital setting. Few airway procedures have been studied with any rigor in this setting, and most of the data that are available are extrapolated from adults. Laryngeal mask airway may be the best alternative airway with the most promise to add to the armamentarium of the prehospital provider, but no controlled trial to date has been conducted.