Should we be prescribing probiotics for gastroenteritis?
Learn about two recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine that called into question the use of specific probiotic formulations in children with gastroenteritis.
A podcast on bloody baby barf
Check out the latest episode of PEMCurrents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast.
PEM Currents podcast on swallowed foreign bodies
Kids eat stuff they're not supposed to. Most of the time foreign bodies pass harmlessly through the GI tract. Occasionally they will get stuck. It is your job to figure out who has an impacted foreign body, and how to diagnose and manage it. Listen to this podcast to learn more.
You don’t need an X-Ray to diagnose constipation! (Re-post)
Go ahead and diagnose constipation based on your history and physical exam. Don't order an X-Ray if you don't need one. Read on for more in this PEMBlog exposé.
Podcast Time! Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeds
PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast returns today with an episode focusing on upper GI bleeds. Serious UGI bleeds - you know, the ones with shock, massive transfusions and more - are fortunately rare in the Pediatric Emergency Department. However, there is a growing population of patients with chronic diseases that can lead to portal hypertension, varies and other [...]
Ondansetron again? You bet! A PEM Currents companion podcast
This edition of PEMCurrents echoes the recent post here on the PEMBlog and reviews the use of ondansetron in acute gastroenteritis. Specifically highlighting the reduction in risk of further episodes of emesis, need for intravenous fluids and immediate admission to the hospital. No matter how you like to learn I aim to please. Check out the podcast via: iTunes Or, via the [...]
You don’t need an X-Ray to diagnose constipation!
I'm not really going out on a limb when I say that constipation is a common diagnosis in the pediatric emergency department. Now, that being said, not all patients that have a diagnosis of constipation are actually constipated. I have certainly seen scenarios where parents have been told that their child is constipated as an explanation for belly pain when [...]
Why we do what we do: Ondansetron for acute gastroenteritis associated vomiting
Chances are you will be seeing a patient with vomiting during your next shift in the ED. That vomiting may very well be caused by a case of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). You've probably written for, and also prescribed ondansetron (Zofran) - perhaps in a reflexive fashion. As with many therapies that have become accepted into routine practice I think that it important [...]
Briefs: My baby threw up blood!
Hematemesis in the newborn period can be alarming for parents and doctors. In this edition of Briefs we are going to look specifically at bloody emesis only in the neonatal period - age less than 4 weeks. Obviously the initial questions should focus on the quantity and character of the vomiting. Was it spontaneous? After feeds? Streaks of red versus [...]
