Debora Porter

To evaluate the effects of pre- and intra- procedural opioids on adverse events in children undergoing procedural sedation with ketamine in the emergency department (ED). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01176-8/fulltext?rss=yes

With pharmacy shelves filled with over-the-counter cold and cough medications marketed for children, it is sometimes surprising for parents to learn that pediatricians seldom recommend using these products in their patients. One reason why is many OTCs are not terribly effective in providing symptomatic relief in kids. Other than an occasional dose of a fever-reducer/pain-reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, there isn’t really a good reason to give children OTCs. Another reason why pediatricians typically avoid OTCs for their patients is the possibility of unintended and potentially severe side effects in children. Every pediatrician can tell the story of a patient (and parents!) kept awake and cranky all night long after being given a decongestant, wiped out after taking a dose of an antihistamine, or splattered purple by their sick child upchucking some grape-flavored elixir. Giving the proper dose of a liquid medication, a chewable tablet, or a capsule can be a challenge for ...

  As we come up on the second anniversary of COVID-19 — on December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus subsequently identified as SARS-CoV-2 — it’s now clear that humans will be battling the virus for many years to come. Part of the reason is that the virus is constantly changing, mutating to form new versions of itself faster than scientists and public health authorities can react. Another explanation for COVID-19’s staying power is that the vaccine — available everywhere in the United States at no cost to its citizens — has barely penetrated populations in developing countries. Ultimately, we know that coronavirus won’t be defeated here until it is defeated everywhere. Even with widely available vaccines, many people are still reluctant to get it for a variety of reasons: political ideology, religious beliefs, distrust of science and institutions, inconvenience, and other personal excuses that often ...

Recognizing the importance of hypertension, in 1977 the first comprehensive report on evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of elevated blood pressure (BP) in children was published.(1) Since then, four updates have been published with the latest Clinical Practice Guidelines for pediatric high BP released in 2017.(2) All these recommendations have provided detailed information on almost all aspects of management of BP in children including specific steps on BP measurement and appropriate evaluation in case high BP is found during the initial and follow up visits. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01175-6/fulltext?rss=yes

For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston ( GoComics.com )           source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/12/12/sunday-funnies-484/

How to Ace Your Pediatrics Residency Interview from Dr. Glaucomflecken on YouTube. You must be able to swaddle at a moments notice.     source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/12/11/cool-video-of-the-week-484/

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on December 10, 2020.   Cool Water For Burns     Forget about the ice, the butter, the aloe vera cream, or the toothpaste. When a child suffers a burn, those old-fashioned folk remedies won’t help. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician,  reviews a study  that shows us what will: New research, published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine , reveals that cooling a child’s burn with running water is the best initial treatment. Researchers found that cool running water can minimize the extent or depth of the burn, speed up healing and reduce the chance that a child may need admission to a burn unit requiring burn excision and skin grafting.   Most of the children involved in the study suffered scalds (hot liquid or steam burns). These types of burns are common, accounting for approximately 75% of burns in youngsters. (20% of pediatric burns are contact burns from touching hot objects.) Most ...