The answer appears to be ... it depends.
Early Oseltamivir Treatment in Influenza in Children1-3 Years of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial
A study in 2010 out of Finland by Heinonen, et al showed that if given in the first 12 hours of symptom onset to otherwise healthy pediatric patients between the age of 1-3 years:
- decrease incidence of acute otitis media by 85%
- no difference if given within 24 hours
Among children with influenza A, oseltamivir started within 24 hours of symptom onset
- shortened medium time to resolution of illness by 3.5 days (3.0 versus 6.5) in all children
- shortened median time to resolution of illness by 4.0 days in UNvaccinated children
- Reduced parental work absenteeism by 3 days
* no differences were seen in children with influenza B *
Limitations***
- Single Center study in Finland
- The authors received support from the drug manufacturer
- The sample size of children with confirmed influenza cases with small (influenza A: 79, influenza B: 19)
Takeaway:
If you have a patient between the age of 1-3 years with very early symptoms concerning for flu, a positive rapid influenza A test could allow you to cut her symptoms by 3 days, prevent complications, and allow parents to go back to work sooner.
Every year in the U.S., preventable poisonings in children result in more than 60,000 ED visits and around 1 million calls to poison centers. Calls relating specifically to pet medication exposure and children have been on the rise.
A recent study in Pediatrics was the first was kind to characterize the epidemiology of such exposures.
This study is a call to arms for an increased effort on the part of public health officials, pharmacists, veterinarians, and physicians to improve patient education to prevent these exposures from occurring.
Summary of major findings:
Most commonly Implicated exposures:
Key contributors to exposure risk:
Take home point: Make sure your pet's medications are appropriately stored for safety!
Bottom line: Do not prescribe codeine or tramadol for cough or pain in children and breastfeeding moms.
Sepsis remains the most common cause of death in infants and children worldwide, with pneumonia being the most common cause of pediatric sepsis overall.
Strikingly, however, the mortality rate in pediatric sepsis is significant lower in children (10-20%) as compared to adults (35-50%).
The management of pediatric sepsis has been largely influenced by and extrapolated from studies performed in adults, in part due to difficulties performing clinical trial data in children with critical illness, including sepsis.
A major difference in management of children vs. adults with refractory septic shock with or without refractory hypoxemia from severe respiratory infection is the dramatic survival advantage of children when ECMO rescue therapy is used as compared to adults.
Bottom line: Consider ECMO for refractory pediatric septic shock with respiratory failure – in kids, survival is improved dramatically – consider it early!
As a follow up to Dr. Winter’s Pearl on Anaphylaxis on 1/24/2017, here’s a handy pearl for pediatric anaphylaxis (part 1).
Anaphylaxis: rapid and potentially life-threatening involvement of at least 2 systems following exposure to an antigen.
Medications (max: adult doses)
Get it?!?! Easy right? Instead of fumbling through an app or reference card during your next case of pediatric anaphylaxis, be a rock star "EM DR" by remembering the “Rule of 2’s”.
(Can't help it...ya'll know I love my mnemonics!!)
In pediatrics, providers typically prescribe 10 mg/kg (max 500 mg) and 5 mg/kg daily x 4 (max 250 mg) for treatment of pneumonia, but this dosing regimen is NOT recommended for all azithromycin usage. There are other dosing regimens that are important to keep in mind during the respiratory season:
1) Pharyngitis/ tonsillitis (ages 2-15 yr): 12 mg/kg daily x 5 days (max 500 mg/ 24 hr)
2) Pertussis
3) Acute sinusitis >/= 6 months: 10 mg/kg daily x 3 days
Which first-line vasoactive drug is the best choice for children with fluid-refractory septic shock? A prospective, randomized, blinded study of 120 children compared dopamine versus epinephrine in attempts to answer this debated question in the current guidelines for pediatric sepsis.
Bottom line: Dopamine was associated with an increased risk of death and healthcare–associated infection. Early administration of peripheral or intraosseous epinephrine was associated with increased survival in this population.
Typically, empiric treatment for lobar community acquire pneumonia (CAP) in immunized < 5 year olds (preschool) is amoxicillin (45mg/kg BID or 30 mg/kg TID for resistant S. pneumoniae) for outpatient and ampicillin or ceftriaxone for inpatient. Additional coverage with azithromycin is typically recommended for school age and adolescent patients (>= 5 years), but not necessarily for younger children unless there is a particular clinical suspicion for atypical pneumonia with history, xray findings, or sick contacts.
However, in sickle cell patient with suspicion for acute chest syndrome, azithromycin is recommended for all ages groups, as atypical bacteria such as Mycoplasma are a common cause of acute chest syndrome in patients of all ages with sickle cell disease even young children. In a prospective series of 598 children with acute chest syndrome, 12% of the 112 cases in children less than 5 had positive serologic testing of M. pneumoniae (9% of all cases had M. pneumoniae) (Neumayr et al, 2003).
A 12 year old male who recently started middle school presents to the ED with a rash in the periumbilical region that has been developing over the last few weeks. The rash is scaly, somewhat itchy, but otherwise benign appearing. The patient has no known medical conditions other than eczema, and is otherwise well. What is the diagnosis?
Picture courtesy of Mara Haseltine, MD
The pediatric epiglottis is more "U" shaped, often overlies the glottic opening, and is "less in line with the trachea."1 Because of this, it has traditionally been taught that a Miller blade is the ideal laryngoscope.
Varghese et al compared the efficacy of the Macintosh blade and the Miller blade when placed in the vallecula of children between the ages of 1 and 24 months. The blades provided similar views and suffered similar failure rates. When the opposite blade was used as a backup, it had a similar success rate as the opposing blade.2 Passi et al also compared these two blades, this time placing the Miller blade over the epiglottis. Again, similar views were achieved.3
Neonatal jaundice- Incidence ~85% of term newborns
Bili levels are EXPECTED to rise during first 5 days of life
Be aware of CONJUGATED hyperbilirubinemias (biliary atresia, infection)
Majority of cases due to increase in unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin 2/2 residual fHgb breakdown and insufficient capacity of hepatic conjugation
Severe hyperbilirubinemia (Tbili >20mg/dL) <2% of term infants
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Acute bilirubin encephalopathy(ABE)- Hypertonia, arching, opisthotonos, fever, high pitched cry
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Kernicterus (5% of ABE)-CP, MR, auditory dysfunction, upward gaze palsy
When to refer for phototherapy/exchange transfusion
Perianal Group A Strep is an infectious dermatitis seen in the perianal region that is caused by Group A beta-hemolytic Strep. Children will have a characteristic rash with a sharply-demarcated area of redness, swelling, and irritation around the perianal region. There may be associated swelling and irritation of the vulva and vagina (in girls) and penis in boys. Patients can have bleeding or itching during bowel movements.
The age range is often <10 years of age. There is often an absence of fever or other systemic symptoms.The diagnosis can be confirmed by obtaining a Rapid Strep swab from the area of interest. You can also collect a bacterial culture of the area.
Treatment requires a 14 day course of penicillin. Amoxicillin (40 mg/kg/day divided TID) and clarithromycin are alternative treatments. The additional of topical bactroban (mupirocin) can be effective, but it should not be used as monotherapy. Re-occurrence is common, so close follow-up is key.
Fever is the most common presenting symptoms to pediatric emergency departments 10-20%
Making the wee patient pee – a non invasive urinary collection technique in the newborn
Obtaining a urinary sample in a neonate can be challenging and time consuming. The most commonly used non-invasive technique is urine collection using a sterile bag. This technique is limited by patient discomfort and contamination of the urinary sample. Catheterisation and needle aspiration are other options, but are more invasive.
A prospective feasibility and safety study enrolled 90 admitted infants aged under 30 days who needed a urine sample into the study [1]. They performed the following stimulation technique.
1. Feed the baby through breast-feeding or an appropriate amount of formula for their age and weight.
2. Wait twenty-five minutes. After twenty-five minutes clean the infant’s genitals thoroughly with warm water and soap. Dry with sterile gauze.
3. Have an assistant hold a sterile urine container near the infant
4. Hold the baby under their armpits with their legs dangling (if short handed, parents can do this)
5. Gently tap the suprapubic area at a frequency of 100 taps or blows per minute for 30 seconds
6. Massage the lumbar paravertebral zone lightly for 30 seconds
7. Repeat both techniques until micturition starts. Collect midstream urine in the sterile container
In the study, success was defined as obtaining a midstream urinary sample within 5 minutes after initiation of the stimulation procedure. There was a 86% success rate (n=69/80). Mean time to sample collection was 57 seconds. There were no complications, but controlled crying occurred in 100% of infants. The study was limited by the lack of a control group. Previous studies have described longer collection times with traditional non invasive techniques, up to over an hour [2].
Conclusion
Consider the above mentioned stimulation technique to obtain a urinary sample in the neonate.
Post- streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is an inflammatory reaction of the kidneys following infection with group A strep, and can occur sub clinically or have a severe presentation requiring admission, Nephrology consult, and careful management.
This diagnosis should be considered in any child between ages 2-12, or adults over 60, presenting with sudden unexplained hematuria or brown urine. Patients may also present with generalized edema secondary to urinary protein loss, hypertension, and acute kidney injury. Since kidney involvement usually trails the throat injection by 2-3 weeks or more, the patient and their family may not relate the two symptoms. A previous or current diagnosis of strep throat is not necessary to consider a patient for PSGN, since they may test negative by throat culture at the time of urinary and renal symptoms
When considering this diagnosis, the EM physician should order the following lab tests:
- Urinalysis (for casts and protein)
- Creatinine
- ASO Titer (or full streptozyme assay of 5 tests including ASO)
- Complement C3, C4, C50
Treatment is primarily supportive, and many cases will be mild enough to discharge home with pediatrician or Nephrology follow up. However, some cases may warrant admission for AKI, pulmonary edema, or cerebral edema. Edema can be managed with sodium restriction and loop diuretics. Hypertension can be managed with anti hypertension medications.
Renal biopsy can confirm the diagnosis with the presence of epithelial crescents in the glomeruli, but this is only necessary in severe cases where it is important to determine the etiology of the nephritis.
ISPAD (International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes) Updated their Guidelines for Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) in 2014
Fluids:
· Begin fluid repletion with 10-20ml/kg of 0.9% NS over 1-2 hours
· Estimate losses (mild DKA <5%, moderate 5-7%, severe ~10%) and replete evenly over 48 hours
o Use NS, Ringers or Plasmalyte for 4-6 hours
o Afterwards use any crystalloid, tonicity at least 0.45% NaCl
· Add 5% glucose to IV fluid when glucose falls below 250-300mg/dL
Insulin
· No bolus
· Low dose 0.05 - 0.1U/kg/hr AFTER initiating fluid therapy
o higher incidence of cerebral edema in patients given insulin in 1st hour
· Short acting subQ insulin lispro or aspart can be substituted for drip in uncomplicated mild DKA
· Give long acting subQ insulin at least 2 hours before stopping infusion to prevent rebound
Potassium
· If K low (< 3.3): add 40mmol/L with bolus IV fluids (20mmol/L if rate > 10ml/kg/hr)
· if K normal (3.3-5): add 40mmol/L when insulin is started
· If K high (> 5): add 40mEq/L after urine output is documented
Bicarb
· No role for bicarbonate in treatment of Pediatric DKA
o No benefit, possibility of harm (paradoxical CNS acidosis)
Cyanotic (right to left shunt) Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) lesions can be easily remembered with the 1,2,3,4,5 method.
1- Truncus Arteriosis (ONE trunk)
2- Transposition of the Great Vessels (TWO vessels flipped)
3- TRIcuspid Atresia
4-TETRAlogy of Fallot
5- Total Anomolous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR=5 words/letters)
A few other important DUCTAL-DEPENDENT lesions: Coarctation of the Aorta, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and Pulmonary Atresia.
Patients present to the emergency department within the first week of life in severe distress, including hypoxia, tachypnea, and hypotension. The above cyanotic CHD all reflect DUCTAL-DEPENDENT lesions, meaning they need a widely open PDA (which closes in the first week of life) to maintain sufficient oxygenation for viability.
These patients will not survive without timely intervention with prostaglandin (PGE1), so be sure to initiate this life-saving medication as soon as possible! Side effects include apnea…be prepared to intubate your neonate!
