A standardized withdrawal-of-life-support order form was viewed as helpful by physicians and nurses and changed medication delivery in a positive manner.
With the media currently focused on vaccine shortages, the emergency physician must be prepared to rationally and scientifically explain diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in children with influenza. The author of this article prepares the ED physician to confidently face the 2004-2005 influenza season.
Although diabetes mellitus is second only to asthma as the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood, the literature has very few comprehensive reviews of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), the most frequent cause of death in children with diabetes. The importance of an early diagnosis and appropriate management should not be underestimated. The authors provide a focused review for the ED physician for recognition and management of a child with DKA, with special attention to potentially serious complications.
The authors review the classic course of common pediatric diseases associated with rashes, including varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex virus (HSV), roseola, and rubella. Understanding the classic patterns, disease progression, high-risk populations, and potential complications allow the ED physician to avoid unnecessary testing in low-risk patients with a classic presentation, and aggressively approach potentially significant rashes in high-risk populations (e.g., neonatal HSV). This article also is designed to increase ED physicians awareness of treatment strategies associated with common viral exanthems.