Adult Chest Pain in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Treatment and Timeliness From Door In To Door Out.

Objectives: The American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association guidelines for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) recommend immediate aspirin (ASA) administration, an electrocardiogram (ECG) in less than 10 minutes, and a door-in to door-out (DIDO) time less than 30 minutes for interfacility transfer. We sought to determine if compliance is hindered when adults with suspected ACS present to pediatric facilities.

Methods: Visits to the 2 tertiary care emergency departments of a pediatric healthcare system using an adult chest pain protocol were examined from October 2006 to September 2012.

Going viral: adapting to pediatric surge during the H1N1 pandemic.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess hospital and emergency department (ED) pediatric surge strategies utilized during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic as well as compliance with national guidelines.

Methods: Electronic survey was sent to a convenience sample of emergency physicians and nurses from US EDs with a pediatric volume of more than 10,000 annually. Survey questions assessed the participant's hospital baseline pandemic and surge preparedness, as well as strategies for ED surge and compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for health care personal protection, patient testing, and treatment.

Rare-earth magnet ingestion: a childhood danger reaches adolescence.

Ingestion of multiple magnets may cause serious gastrointestinal morbidity, such as pressure necrosis, perforation, fistula formation, or intestinal obstruction due to forceful attraction across bowel wall. Although the consequences of multiple magnet ingestion are well documented in young children, the current popularity of small, powerful rare-earth magnets marketed as "desk toys" has heightened this safety concern in all pediatric age groups. A recent US Consumer Product Safety Commission product-wide warning additionally reports the adolescent practice of using toy high-powered, ball-bearing magnets to simulate tongue and lip piercings, a behavior that may increase risk of inadvertent ingestion.

Adverse effects of oral nonstimulant psychotropic medications in young children reported to a regional poison center.

Background: Use of nonstimulant psychotropic medications other than antidepressants in young children is reported to be increasing. The patient safety ramifications of this remain unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of calls to a regional poison center reporting adverse drug effects and the level of medical attention required in young children who are receiving oral nonstimulant psychotropic medications.

Pandemic H1N1 influenza in the pediatric emergency department: a comparison with previous seasonal influenza outbreaks.

Study Objective: We compare the acuity of pediatric emergency department (ED) patients between the ongoing H1N1 influenza pandemic and previous seasonal influenza outbreaks.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional analysis of patient visits at 2 pediatric tertiary care EDs was made for the following periods: (1) regional fall 2009 H1N1 influenza surge (August 17 to September 20, 2009), and (2) combined regional 2007 to 2009 early peak influenza seasons (January 28 to March 2, 2008, and February 2 to March 8, 2009). Proportions of admissions, return visits, and return visits resulting in admission were compared between the 2 periods.