Briefs: Beta Blocker Overdose
Kids get into a lot of stuff - sometimes they get into grandpa's medicine. If that medicine is a beta blocker then the kid can be sick. That's what this edition of PEMBlog Briefs is all about.
Briefs: Cyanide poisoning
Cyanide poisoning is rare in children - but it is critical to be suspicious of it in children with smoke exposure in a structure fire.
Oh No, CO! (Re-post)
Carbon monoxide poisoning mimics the flu. You will see cases of the flu. But you will also see CO poisoning if you know when to expect it. Read on for more.
Can Heroin + Fentanyl = death from rigid chest?
Could patients abusing heroin/fentanyl combinations be dying from acute rigid chest? One recent study says that this might be the case.
Toxicology Quick Hits
Courtesy of Steven Chan, one of the excellent Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows at CCHMC, are some highlights from a toxicology talk given to the residents on the ED rotation. Activated charcoal is part of decontamination, but it doesn't work well for drugs like Iron, and it should never be given to the obtunded patient. Remember to remove the clothes of the [...]
PEM Blog Shorts: Diphenhydramine Poisoning
Check out the newest edition of PEMBlog Shorts - the focused video series - which focuses on diphenhydramine poisoning.
Briefs: Ahhh! Spiders!
Happy Halloween everyone. I thought I'd "celebrate" by posting about some rare but still clinically important spider bites. The two that get the most press in United States are the black widow (Latrodectus mactans) and brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa). Fortunately, there are only approximately 500 bytes a year in the United States and deaths are very rare. Black Widow Spiders Black [...]
Briefs: Pumping Iron
Kids accidentally ingest medicines. In the Peds ED we are rightfully worried about opiates, BP meds, acetaminophen, and diabetes drugs (among many others) but we shouldn't overlook the potential dangers that come with iron ingestion. Let's take a look shall we? Why do humans need iron? Iron is a part of lots and lots of proteins and enzymes especially hemoglobin, [...]
Briefs: Acetaminophen vs Ibuprofen – who reigns supreme?
Cue the Michael Buffer intro... Yes, then age old question surfaces again. This is also probably something that most of us don't think about on a regular basis. many of our patients' parents may swear by on or the other (usually Ibuprofen) but is there any evidence to support the superiority of one agent over another? Let's take a look [...]
Oh No, CO!
Tis the season for flu-like symptoms. Many of you will see multiple members of the same family with the flu. But what if it isn't the flu? When should one be worried about carbon monoxide poisoning? Let's take a look at this colorless, odorless, potentially deadly gas. What exactly is CO poisoning? CO is a byproduct of the combustion of [...]
