Happy Medical New Year’s Day 2020
July 1st is kind of an "unofficial" hospital in the medical world isn't it? Especially with everything going on in the world right now I wanted to deliver an encouraging message to all of you.
Pro Tips: Answering the phone
This is the first post in the Pro Tips series. These are posts, focused on practical ways to help us all do our jobs a little bit better. So, let's look at how we answer the phone in the hospital.
Does early and aggressive administration of crystalloid fluids harm injured children?
It's high time that we carefully consider aggressively resuscitating injured children with multiple crystalloid boluses. A recent multicenter study provides a powerful reminder to go to blood sooner.
A deliriously educational podcast… about delirium
This episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast focuses on dealing with delirium and is part of a collaboration with the POPCoRN Network.
Briefs: Tongue lacerations – sew or let go
File this one under "Do I need to take my kid to the ED for this during a global pandemic?" This post details why most tongue lacerations don't need to be sutured.
A podcast on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children with COVID-19
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is an evolving clinical entity that is occurring, possibly in association with or following a COVID-19 infection. This episode of PEM Currents expands upon a recent PEMBlog post, as well as includes information from two studies published in The LANCET as well as included in a recent CDC webinar. This episode also provides recommendations on lab workup and the evolving criteria for diagnosis and the current case definition from the CDC.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and COVID-19
This is obviously still an evolving issue, but here is a summary of initial data, along with some preliminary recommendations on the "Kawasaki-like" illness in COVID-19 children. AKA - Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.
PE POPCoRN Podcast
Pulmonary emboli happen in kids too - but for those of you tasked with caring for adults during the COVID-19 pandemic (and beyond) I bring you this podcast episode in collaboration with the POPCoRN Network on PE diagnosis and management.
Submissions for the 2020 PEMPix competition are now open!
You can now submit your case for the 2020 PEMPix competition and presentation which is scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at the AAP National Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, California. Everything you need to submit, including a convenient, secure online form is found at PEMPix.com. Cases can include photographs, radiographic images, videos and more! I have also posted video versions of recent PEMPix presentations on the site as well. The deadline is Sunday June 14th, 2020.
A vasopressor focused podcast interview with a PICU attending
Vasopressor use in the Pediatric Emergency Department has been a moving target for my entire career. Back when I was a resident and fellow we used Dopamine. Then we went to epinephrine because it can be given through a peripheral IV because norepinephrine was too dangerous to run peripherally. But maybe that's not entirely true. I talked about initial pressor choice and more in a recent recorded Zoom conference call with Critical Care Attending Matt Zackoff from Cincinnati Children's. I hope you find his thoughts on vasopressor selection, pitfalls, and the emerging therapies as illuminating as I did.