PEMBlog began over three years ago as an extension of a Pediatric Emergency Medicine based Twitter trivia contest. Seriously, check out the bare bones original site here. Since then I’ve amassed a growing portfolio of posts on a myriad of topics in PEM. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my favorites from the past year.
Briefs: Parotitis
Seriously did not expect to see so much parotitis this year. Last winter and again now this fall we are seeing more cases than ever. In children it is generally viral, and most kids are well appearing.
A job within a job: Residency Rotation Director
This one was posted in conjunction with the excellent PEM Fellows Network Blog and describes what I do outside of my clinical time. Being the rotation director for the residents in the ED is a very rewarding job that gives me a sense of purpose outside of my clinical duties. Plus, I get to work with and teach some of the best residents in the country.
Are you pro procalcitonin?
Along with my recent post on lactate, this one was part of an effort to look a bit more deeply at tests we obtain in the ED.
A dissociative state of mind: Talking to parents about ketamine
This post was contributed by Lauren Riney, one of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. It details how to talk to parents about the titular procedural sedation agent.
Art of Medicine: Bringing angry parents back from the brink
Navigating challenging scenarios when communication has broken down in the PED is a regular part of our job. This post puts you in the shoes of the supervising physician and discusses ways to deal with a family that is so mad/perturbed/frustrated that it threatens the therapeutic alliance.
Post tonsillectomy hemorrhage
Post T&A bleeding is a very common presenting complaint in the ED – one of the most common issues that involve otolaryngologists. This post details one way to work up and treat this complication of an oft performed procedure.
Why we do what we do: Epinephrine for anaphylaxis
If you think the patient has anaphylaxis give IM Epi. It saves lives. It is that simple. Learn more about the evidence behind Epi in this edition of WWDWWD.
Why we do what we do: Benzodiazepines as first line therapy for status epilepticus
Benzodiazepines; What make them such a good choice? How are they best administered? When should we stop giving them? Read this post and find the answers to these questions and more.
Pediatric Supraventricular Tachycardia
In conjunction with TamingTheSRU, the excellent blog from the University of Cincinnati Department of Emergency Medicine, this post was a fantastic case presentation and Q&A (featuring real heart doctors Statile and Madueme).
