Newborn emergencies: the first 30 days of life.

The evaluation and appropriate management of the critically ill neonate requires knowledge of the physiologic changes and life-threatening pathologies that may present during this time period. A broad systematic approach to evaluating the neonate is necessary to provide a comprehensive yet specific differential diagnosis for a presenting complaint or symptom. Efficient recognition and prompt management of illness in the neonatal period may be life saving.

Vitamin K deficiency mimicking child abuse.

Supplemental vitamin K is required for normal hemostasis in infancy. Infants born outside the hospital may not receive prophylactic vitamin K. They may suffer from bleeding into various tissues and are likely to present to the emergency department.

Acute esophageal coin ingestions: is immediate removal necessary?

Aims: Coins are the most commonly encountered foreign body ingestions presenting to the emergency department (ED). The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate a new institutional protocol implemented in 1998, in which healthy patients with acute (less than 24 h) coin ingestions located below the thoracic inlet, were observed at home with next-day follow-up. If repeat radiographs revealed a persistent esophageal foreign body, then the coin was removed.