Pem Currents

Constipation is an incredibly common problem in the Pediatric Emergency Department and amongst children who visit the Emergency Department with complaints of abdominal pain. This episode of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast features an interview with Danny Mallon, a Gastroenterologist from Cincinnati Children’s @dannymallon24 who is an expert in managing pediatric constipation. Our discussion … Continue reading "Constipation"

You will no doubt see a child with anaphylaxis in the Emergency Department. Recognition, management and disposition are all key questions that feel incredibly fluid at this juncture. I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Dribin, an Emergency Medicine Attending from Cincinnati Children’s who recently published a paper in PLUS ONE focusing on admissions for … Continue reading "Anaphylaxis: Admit or Discharge?"

Did you know that up to 9% of URIs are eventually complicated by acute sinusitis in children? This episode of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast focuses on making the diagnosis of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis clinically and when to pull the antibiotic prescription trigger. PEMBlog.com @PEMTweets References Chow AW, Benninger MS, Brook I, Brozek … Continue reading "Sinusitis"

Acute testicular pain is a common presenting complaint in the Pediatric Emergency Department. In this episode of PEM Currents you will learn about testicular torsion, epididymitis, torsion of the appendix testis and appendix epididymis, inguinal hernias and more. And remember, first and foremost, time is testicle! PEMBlog.com @PEMTweets References Jefferies MT, Cox AC, Gupta A, … Continue reading "Testicular Pain"

This episode of PEM Currents features an in-depth interview with the lead author on the recent New England Journal paper on the use of probiotics in gastroenteritis. David Schnadower was kind enough to sit down with me and James Gray, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow from Cincinnati Children’s to talk about the study and its … Continue reading "Probiotics for Gastroenteritis"

I am delighted to bring you this special episode of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast. It’s all about intranasal ketamine and its use for acute pain management in the Pediatric Emergency Department. I had the pleasure of interviewing Theresa Frey, Assistant Professor from the Division of Emergency Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s. Theresa is … Continue reading "Intranasal Ketamine"

Pop goes the apophysis! In teenage athletes the apophyseal cartilage is the weak point along the pelvic rim. Learn about these common injuries in this edition of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast. Find more great educational content at PEMBlog Follow me on Twitter @PEMTweets References Kocher MS, Tucker R. Pediatric athlete hip disorders. R.Clin Sports … Continue reading "Pelvic Avulsion Fractures"

Acute Flaccid Myelitis is a rare but serious disease characterized by rapid onset of muscle weakness. Diagnosis also requires an MRI with lesions in multiple spinal levels or CSF pleocytosis. cases have been reported over the past several years and though a specific cause is unknown strains of enterovirus are suspected culprits. Check out more … Continue reading "Acute Flaccid Myelitis"

With summer pool season in full swing allow me to freestyle a little on a common topic that many Emergency Departments and Urgent Cares seem to be swimming in every summer. This episode of PEM Currents dives right into Otitis  Externa – AKA Swimmer’s Ear and reviews diagnosis and treatment. If you were treading water … Continue reading "Otitis Externa"

Kawasaki Disease, AKA Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome, is one of the most common vasculitides of childhood. The hallmark is fever ≥5 days plus 4/5 of the following; mucous membrane changes, conjunctivitis, polymorphous rash, extremity changes and lymph node enlargement. It can also lead to coronary artery aneurysms, which is why its so important to make … Continue reading "Kawasaki Disease"

OK, so this is the least exciting topic in Pediatric Emergency Medicine… With that being said, you will all see it. And we need to be good at looking at ears, diagnosing acute otitis media, and appropriately choosing when and which antibiotic to prescribe. Follow @PEMTweets on Twitter References Karma PH, et al., Pneumatic otoscopy … Continue reading "Acute Otitis Media"

To tell you the tooth you’ll probably see quite a few kids with dental related complaints in the Pediatric Emergency Department. This can range from cavities to invasive infections. Brush up on all things dental infections in this episode of PEM Currents. And yes, those puns were intentional. I must’ve flossed my mind! PEMBlog Briefs: … Continue reading "Dental Infections"

You don’t need a flu test to diagnose the flu! But there are situations where rapid antigen testing or PCR is valuable. Listen to this episode of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast, to learn more about the test characteristics of common assays and when to obtain testing when prevalence rates for the flu … Continue reading "Testing for Influenza"

Hyperkalemia is more than just peaked T-waves on an EKG. Learn why an elevated serum potassium level can put patients in the danger zone and how to acutely manage patients in a goal directed manner. Check out more great educational content on PEMBlog.com Follow me on Twitter @PEMTweets

I’m sure that you’ll probably see a case of bronchiolitis this winter. Call it a hunch. In this episode of PEM Currents you’ll learn why suctioning and ensuring hydration are still the mainstays of therapy, and why albuterol, racemic epinephrine, steroids and more don’t have a place in routine cases. And if you read any … Continue reading "Bronchiolitis"

This episode of PEM Currents, featuring Preston Dean – @prestonndean on Twitter, a senior Pediatric Resident at Cincinnati Children’s, is about all things Rapid Sequence Intubation. You’ll learn about equipment, techniques, drugs and more! PEMBlog.com

Fever, tachypnea and rales – it must be a community acquired pneumonia… right? Learn more about the diagnosis and management of this common problem in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Essential Reading Bradley JS, Byington CL, Shah SS, Alverson B, Carter ER, Harrison C, Kaplan SL, Mace SE, McCracken GH Jr, Moore MR, St Peter SD, … Continue reading "Community Acquired Pneumonia"

Ventricular CSF shunts are very common – many kids have them. The most common complications are malfunction and infection. This episode of PEM Currents reviews the basics and how you can assess for complications in CSF shunts in kids. PEMBlog.com Boyle, Kimia, Nigrovic. Validating a Clinical Prediction Rule for Ventricular Shunt Malfunction. Pediatric Emergency Care, 2017. … Continue reading "CSF Shunt Complications"

Vocal cord dysfunction, AKA paradoxical vocal fold motion is more common than you might think. Patients often present to the Emergency Department in respiratory distress and “wheezing.” Learn about the diagnosis itself, different phenotypes and what treatment options are out there. References Christopher KL, Wood RP 2nd, Eckert RC, Blager FB, Raney RA, Souhrada JF. Vocal-cord dysfunction … Continue reading "Vocal Cord Dysfunction"

Get ahead of your peers and listen to this episode of PEM Currents, the Pediatric Emergency Medicine podcast where you’ll learn all about the management of acutely elevated intracranial pressure. You’ll learn about common maneuvers such as optimizing the ABCs, Keeping the head elevated and midline as well as thermoregulation. I also discuss osmotic therapies … Continue reading "Management of Elevated ICP"