Brown Emergency Medicine Blog — BROWN EMERGENCY MEDICINE BLOG

Pediatric Diarrhea: History is the Primary Diagnostic Tool

A 5 year-old healthy male presented to the emergency department with his father with a chief complaint of fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. Fever was his first symptom. It started one week prior to presentation and was persistent over the course of the week. His highest temperature was 103.7 °F. Fevers occurred daily despite treatment with antipyretics. After his fever developed, he started having 4-5 daily episodes of watery diarrhea. Dad noted blood in the diarrhea only once. He complained of generalized abdominal pain when having bowel movements…

Infectious Disease, PediatricsFrederick VaroneOctober 12, 2020Diarrhea, Pediatrics, SalmonellaComment

The Febrile Seizure

Despite how frequently emergency physicians encounter children who have had a febrile seizure, there tends to be great variation in the diagnostic evaluation of these patients. The algorithm below was created to provide a more simplified approach to the patient presenting with a febrile seizure. The algorithm draws from the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Febrile Seizure as well as the clinical pathways published by Seattle Children’s Hospital…

Pediatrics, NeurologyAlexander DaytonOctober 2, 2020Febrile Seizure, pediatrics, seizure, algorithm, best practiceComment

Kawa-shocky

The patient is a 5-year-old female with a past medical history significant only for torticollis who presented to the emergency department with fever, emesis, diarrhea, fatigue, and rash. The patient began having fevers to 102 degrees Fahrenheit five days prior to arrival. The patient’s mother reported that four days ago, the patient began having diarrhea and non-bloody, non-bilious emesis. Two days ago, she began having decreased PO intake, continued fevers and emesis, anuria, and bilateral neck pain. The morning of arrival, the patient’s mother noted a rash on the patient’s back and bilateral conjunctival injection. She brought the patient to her pediatrician’s office, who sent her to the ED for further evaluation and management…

Pediatrics, Cardiology, Critical Care, ResuscitationLindsay MillerSeptember 28, 2020Kawasaki, Rash, Shock, PediatricsComment

Metabolic Crisis - The ED Doc’s Approach

A 6-year-old female presents with emesis and fatigue. The patient’s mother reports her daughter has a history of Maple Syrup Urine Disease. The day before presentation, on routine urine check, the patient had 2+ ketones in her urine. The patient consumed a protein restricted diet, which initially cleared the ketones. However, on the morning of presentation, the patient began vomiting, appeared more lethargic and had 4+ ketones in her urine. On arrival, she was tachycardic and tachypneic. Her exam was significant for a tired appearing female with dry mucous membranes and poor skin turgor.

Pediatrics, ResuscitationMegan PerrySeptember 14, 2020Metabolic Disorders, Maple Syrup Urine Disease, PediatricsComment

A Case of Abnormal Movements in an Infant

Austin Quinn, MD, and Meghan Beucher, MD

CASE:

The patient is a 4 month-old ex-full term fully vaccinated otherwise healthy male who presented to the ED with one week of abnormal movements. The patient's mother stated that over the past week he had had increasingly frequent clusters of 5 or 6 episodes of flexing his hips and arms in toward his trunk, accompanied by abnormal eye movements with upward deviation and head drop. She sent videos to the PCP who felt it was from gas pain and started the patient on simethicone, without improvement in symptoms. Mother commented that they appeared to happen more often before sleep, but could happen when the patient was wide awake. He appeared to remain conscious throughout the episodes and would often cry afterwards.

Pediatrics, NeurologyAustin QuinnSeptember 4, 2020pediatrics, pediatric neurology, neurology, seizure, abnormal movement, spasmsComment

CASE:

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