An update on the evaluation and management of plantar puncture wounds and Pseudomonas osteomyelitis.

The management of children who present to the ED with plantar puncture wounds is dependent upon the nature of the injury, the examination of the puncture site, and the potential risk of a retained foreign body. Not all patients will require wound enlargement and a search for a retained foreign body. Close follow-up of all children who are being treated as outpatients is of vital importance in detecting an early development of an infectious complication.

Correlation of pulmonary signs and symptoms with chest radiographs in the pediatric age group.

One hundred twenty-five pediatric emergency department patients were studied prospectively to determine whether any findings on the physical examination were predictive of abnormalities seen on chest radiograph. We attempted to find possible correlations between such clinical examination findings, recorded prior to radiographic examination, and three subgroups of radiographic findings: pneumonia, any major radiographic abnormality, and any radiographic abnormality whatsoever. The best screen for pneumonia was presence of fever (temperature greater than two standard deviations above age-related norms), with a sensitivity of 94% and a negative predictive value of 97%.