Patients with severe asthma exacerbations will get the proverbial "kitchen sink" thrown at them when it comes to treatment. First of all, that old idiomatic statement posits asthma treatment as a battle, which it shouldn't be. But you should be armed with a solid understanding of the evidence behind the treatments that we use when treating patients with this potentially fatal disease.
Early stylet removal is a technique that results in a greater success rate on lumbar punctures performed on infants.
3% hypertonic saline is a critical treatment for children with elevated intracranial pressure. Learn about how to administer this crucial medication with a focus on the evidence behind its use.
Benzodiazepines are the first line treatment in status epilepticus. Find out why, and how to use them for maximum seizure stopping action.
This edition of Why We Do What We Do focuses on the use of hypertonic saline to treat elevated intracranial pressure in children.
Benzodiazepines are the first line treatment in status epilepticus. Find out why, and how to use them for maximum seizure stopping action.
Epinephrine is the most important drug in the management of anaphylaxis. It is so important because it saves lives! This is no hyperbole. This edition of the Why we do what we do series focuses on the evidence behind the use of IM Epi in Anaphylaxis. What are the indications? You should rapidly administer IM Epi for anyone with anaphylaxis. [...]
Why we do what we do has returned - this time focusing on the use of ultrasound in appendicitis, which has become the test de rigeur these days in most Pediatric Emergency Departments. I won't belabor the point on how important it is to correctly diagnose appendicitis. It peaks between ages 9-12, and can lead to perforation within 36-72 hours. Missed [...]
So you've thrown the kitchen sink at a child with a moderate to severe asthma exacerbation. And despite the large hematoma on their forehead from the concussive effect of the faucet ricocheting off their skull they've not improved. What's a clinician to do? Give intravenous magnesium sulfate, that's what you should do. Interestingly we learned that it was valuable when [...]
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 [...]
