An informal survey of 65 pediatric emergency department leaders in North America-from 30 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces-revealed changes in operations, infrastructure, staffing, and clinical care that were undertaken as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes identified by the survey respondents were driven by reductions in pediatric patient volumes, a surge of adult patients, clinical considerations related to containment of infection, and financial factors. Survey respondents also reported effects of the pandemic on academic training programs and provider wellness. This report uses the survey responses to provide a snapshot of the adaptability of pediatric emergency medicine departments and clinicians during a public health emergency.
Burns are a significant cause of injury-induced morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. The spectrum of management for pediatric burn victims is vast and relies heavily on both the classification of the burn and the body systems involved. The immediate focus of management includes resuscitation and stabilization, fluid management, and pain control. Additional focus includes decreasing the risk of infection as well as improving healing and cosmetic outcomes. Discharge care and appropriate follow-up instructions need to be communicated carefully in order to avoid long-standing complications. This supplement reviews methods for accurate classification and management of the full range of burns seen in pediatric patients.
Although there is still much that is not understood, experience with previous coronavirus outbreaks and available data on COVID-19 indicate a reduced propensity to affect children. Nonetheless, serious complications—although rare—are being seen in pediatric patients. This review, written with the emergency medicine clinician in mind, describes the epidemiology, clinical features, and management implications for COVID-19 in pediatric patients. It includes a discussion of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19, as well as other aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic that are affecting children and families, such as poisonings, childhood immunizations, mental health, nonaccidental trauma, and neglect.
Neonatal seizures are associated with high morbidity and mortality, but they can be difficult to diagnose because they often present with subtle signs and symptoms. Initial management goals in the emergency department include patient stabilization, seizure cessation, and determination of the etiology; identification of life-threatening treatable causes of the seizures should be prioritized. Further management depends on the history and physical examination findings, laboratory testing results, and imaging studies. This issue reviews common presentations and causes of neonatal seizures, considerations for emergency department management, and the evidence regarding antiepileptic medications for neonates.
The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and its infection, COVID-19, has quickly become a worldwide threat to health, travel, and commerce. It is essential for emergency clinicians to learn as much as possible about this pandemic to manage the unprecedented burdens on healthcare providers and hospital systems. This review analyzes information from worldwide research and experience on the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19, and offers links to the most reliable and trustworthy resources to help equip healthcare professionals in managing this public health challenge. As the pandemic sweeps the United States, lessons learned from early centers of infection, notably New York and Northern Italy, can help localities to prepare.