Use and Cost Analysis of Comprehensive Respiratory Panel Testing in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Objectives: Fever and respiratory infections are among the leading causes of pediatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Although typically self-resolving, clinicians may perform diagnostic tests to determine microbial etiologies of these illnesses. Although comprehensive respiratory viral panels can quickly identify causative organisms, cost to the hospital and patient may be significant.

Saving Time Under Pressure: Effectiveness of Standardizing Pediatric Resuscitation Carts.

Background: Resuscitation situations are high risk and high stress, and delays in care can have significant influences on outcomes. Standardization of care protocols and equipment is postulated to decrease some of the stress and risk. The objective of this study was to document increased efficiency in finding resuscitation equipment in a standardized resuscitation cart.

A guideline for the inpatient care of children with pyelonephritis.

Background And Objectives: Febrile urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis are common in children and frequently lead to hospitalization for management, especially in the child who appears toxic. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) practice parameter on the diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of the initial urinary tract infection in febrile infants and young children provides experience and evidence-based guidelines for the practitioner caring for children between the ages of 2 months to 2 years. No established guideline exists for older children and the AAP guideline does not specifically focus on inpatient care.

Balamuthia mandrillaris meningoencephalitis: survival of a pediatric patient.

Balamuthia mandrillaris infections are rare and almost always fatal. This ameba is a naturally occurring soil inhabitant that can cause disease in immunocompetent hosts, with early diagnosis typically proving difficult. We recently cared for a previously healthy 2-year-old boy who was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis secondary to B mandrillaris relatively early in his presentation, which enabled us to initiate targeted antimicrobial therapy.

Benign pneumatosis intestinalis in a child with cavopulmonary shunt and immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

We present the case of a nine-year-old boy with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and immune thrombocytopenic purpura who subsequently developed pneumatosis intestinails with a benign clinical examination. While benign pneumatosis intestinails is a well-known clinical entity, the alarming radiographic findings set off a cascade of clinical angst among many providers. This case reminds physicians to correlate the ancillary study results with the patient's clinical presentation and stability.