Toxic Alcohols
Key Points Print Section Listen Consider toxic alcohol poisoning in cases of an unexplained anion gap acidosis or an elevated osmol gap. Focus your initial treatment on the early inhibition…
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Acetaminophen Toxicity
Key Points Print Section Listen Acetaminophen is the most popular over-the-counter analgesic in the United States and is widely prescribed in combination form with alternative pain relievers, resulting in frequent…
Otitis Media
Key Points Print Section Listen Distinguish between acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME), both of which present with a middle ear effusion. Clinical findings most suggestive…
Respiratory Distress
Key Points Print Section Listen Respiratory disorders are potentially life-threatening and must be identified and treated rapidly. Certain physiologic differences make pediatric patients more at risk of respiratory failure than…
The Poisoned Patient
Key Points Print Section Listen A thorough history of present illness including information gathered from available friends, family, and emergency medical service personnel can be invaluable in the management of…
Abdominal Pain
Key Points Print Section Listen Currant jelly stool is a late finding in intussusception. In appendicitis, young children have a very high rate of rupture on presentation. If bilious vomiting…
Dehydration
Key Points Print Section Listen Dehydration is not a disease; the underlying cause must be identified and treated. Severity of dehydration can be classified using clinical assessment. Management priorities in…
Pediatric Fever
Key Points Print Section Listen Regardless of age, all toxic-appearing infants and children with fever require a full septic work-up, urgent treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and admission. Initial management of…
The Pediatric Patient
Key Points Print Section Listen Inherent differences exist between pediatric and adult patients. Physicians have to treat both the parent and the child. The older the child, the more reliable…
Penile Disorders
Key Points Print Section Listen Priapism and paraphimosis are urologic emergencies. Prolonged priapism (>6 hours) may result in impotence. Paraphimosis may lead to glans ischemia and necrosis. Corpus cavernosum aspiration…
