Promoting Compassionate Emergency Care for Children with Autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder often face heightened challenges in the ED due to sensory sensitivities, communication barriers, and difficulties with transitions. Without appropriate accommodations, care can become distressing and ineffective. Stakeholders emphasized the urgent need for ASD-focused preparation, tailored communication strategies, and staff training to deliver compassionate, individualized emergency care.

Podcast Episode: The Unvaccinated Child with Fever

This episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast focuses on the approach to unvaccinated or undervaccinated children aged 3–36 months presenting to the ED with fever. Host Brad Sobolewski reviews differences in immune response, risk for serious and invasive bacterial infections, and outlines evaluation strategies including labs, imaging, and empiric antibiotics. He highlights data showing increased interventions in this population and calls for local guideline development. The episode emphasizes thoughtful, individualized care in the context of rising vaccine hesitancy and declining immunization rates.

By |2025-04-30T12:30:52-04:00April 4th, 2025|Infectious Diseases, Podcasts|
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