In pediatric trauma, shared decision-making is essential. This PECARN study shows strong interrater reliability between Emergency Medicine and surgical providers when assessing cervical spine injury risk, reinforcing the prediction rule’s reliability. Agreement on exam findings may help reduce unnecessary imaging while preserving safety in cervical spine clearance.
Penetrating neck injuries in children are rare—but when they happen, the stakes are high. In this episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast, we explore the clinical pearls behind “no-zone” management, how to distinguish hard and soft signs, when to image versus operate, and why airway always comes first. Get ready for a focused, evidence-based deep dive into pediatric neck trauma.
This 31-center study examined when children treated with epinephrine for anaphylaxis can be safely discharged. Most did not require additional epinephrine beyond 2 hours. For those with cardiovascular involvement, 4 hours may be sufficient. These findings support shorter, risk-based ED observation periods without compromising patient safety.
Hypertensive emergencies in children require rapid recognition and careful management. In this post, Lizzie Walton reviews how to identify end-organ damage, why blood pressure should be lowered gradually, and which IV medications to use. Learn why renal disease is a common culprit, and why ICU care is essential for all cases.
Children with SLE can present to the Emergency Department with rapidly evolving, life-threatening complications. This post reviews high-risk lupus emergencies—including nephritis, MAS, neuropsychiatric disease, and more—with a focus on ED-relevant signs, diagnostic strategies, and treatment considerations for clinicians caring for acutely ill pediatric patients with lupus.
A new multinational PERN study developed a pragmatic clinical prediction model to assess pediatric pneumonia severity in the ED. Using eight bedside variables, the model accurately distinguishes mild from moderate or severe disease, supporting better disposition decisions and resource use. It performed well across diverse global emergency care settings.
In this episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast, Brad Sobolewski interviews Dr. Jennifer Marin from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. They discuss evidence-based strategies for using advanced imaging—ultrasound, CT, and MRI—in the pediatric ED, including how to reduce low-value imaging, improve communication with families, and ensure every scan is the right scan.
Watch this recorded session for answers to questions such as, “why is my division making everyone learn how to do ultrasound? and “how did they make the decisions on what scans we have to learn and how many do we need to have?” and even “won’t Radiology get mad if we take their money?"
Parvovirus B19 is back on your differential. Best known for causing fifth disease, this common pediatric virus can also trigger aplastic crises, fetal complications, and chronic anemia in immunocompromised patients. In this episode of PEM Currents, we explore its clinical spectrum, diagnostic nuances, and management strategies—plus a reminder on when kids are (and aren’t) contagious.
This is the only non-medical post I make every year. The annual Anniversary Video that I plan, film, edit, and produce for my wife. I've been sharing them with her every year since our third anniversary. This is number 18.
