Latest in Pediatric Emergency Care Journals

Emergency Medicine Infectious Disease Pediatric Emergency

Febrile Neonates Under 28 Days – Is PECARN Rule Safe?
January 14, 2026January 17, 2026

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In a large international cohort of well-appearing febrile infants ≤28 days old, the updated PECARN rule had high sensitivity and negative predictive value for invasive bacterial infection, with no missed cases of bacterial meningitis, supporting selective avoidance of routine lumbar puncture in low-risk neonates.

Don’t miss Dr. Josh Belfer’s interview with lead author Dr. Burstein and senior author Dr. Kuppermann on his blog HipPEMcrates.com.

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Prediction of Bacteremia and Bacterial Meningitis Among Febrile Infants Aged 28 Days or Younger. JAMA. 2025 Dec 8:e2521454. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.21454. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41359314; PMCID: PMC12687207.

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Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Pulmonary/Allergy

Eosinophil Count Determines Steroids or Not for Asthma?
January 13, 2026January 17, 2026

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In this trial, randomizing adult patients admitted for asthma exacerbation to shorter duration of steroids (3 days or 5 days) based on their peripheral eosinophil counts was non-inferior to the control group (5 days of steroids).

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Blood eosinophil-guided systemic corticosteroid duration in adults hospitalised for asthma exacerbation: a randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial. Thorax. 2025 Dec 3:thorax-2025-223961. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2025-223961. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41339088.

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Airway Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Pharmacy/Pharmacology

Hyperkalemia – Can We Use Succinylcholine for RSI?
January 12, 2026January 17, 2026

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This retrospective cohort study found no 24-hour mortality difference when intubating hyperkalemic patients (K > 5.5mmol/L) with succinylcholine versus rocuronium for RSI.

Source
Hyperkalemic emergency department patients intubated with rocuronium or succinylcholine: Retrospective study of clinical outcomes. Am J Emerg Med. 2025 Dec 2;100:154-164. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.11.030. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41380422.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Technology

Can AI Predict Pediatric Sepsis Before It Happens?
January 5, 2026January 17, 2026

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Using EHR data from the first 4 hours of ED care, machine learning models accurately predicted which children would develop sepsis within 48 hours—before organ dysfunction was present.

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Derivation and Validation of Predictive Models for Early Pediatric Sepsis. JAMA Pediatr. 2025 Dec 1;179(12):1318-1325. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.3892. PMID: 41082207; PMCID: PMC12519407.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency

Top Ten Most Viewed Posts in 2025
January 1, 2026January 2, 2026

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Here are the top ten most viewed JournalFeed posts in 2025 (from our Google Analytics data). I’ve dropped a comment on how each article has impacted me this year. Enjoy!

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Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Resuscitation

2025 New AHA NRP Updates
December 31, 2025January 3, 2026

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The updated AHA and AAP guidelines on neonatal life support provide the most current, evidence-based recommendations for recognizing and managing newborns who require resuscitation, a time-critical responsibility that has a major impact on survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Source
Part 5: Neonatal Resuscitation: 2025 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2025 Oct 21;152(16_suppl_2):S385-S423. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001367. Epub 2025 Oct 22. PMID: 41122887.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Social Drivers of Health

ANYONE, Anywhere, Anytime—Helping Spanish-Speaking Families
December 29, 2025December 30, 2025

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Implementing Spanish-language discharge instruction videos, interpreter-needed EMR icons, and standardized communication processes in a pediatric ED eliminated a 10% communication equity gap between Spanish- and English-speaking families without increasing length of stay or ED return visits.

Source
Advancing Equity in Emergency Department Discharge Communication for Spanish-Speaking Families. Pediatrics. 2025 Nov 1;156(5):e2024067346. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-067346. PMID: 41120116.

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Cardiology Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency

Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease—Spoon Feed Version
December 26, 2025December 27, 2025

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This article reviews the presentation, diagnostic workup, and treatment of critical cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) including the “five T’s” (truncus arteriosus, dextro-transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, tetralogy of Fallot, total anomalous pulmonary venous return) as well as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Ebstein’s anomaly, and critical pulmonary stenosis.

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High risk and low incidence diseases: Cyanotic critical congenital heart disease. Am J Emerg Med. 2025 Nov 5;100:6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.11.001. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41237673.

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Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency

ANDROMEDA-SHOCK-2 REDUX
December 25, 2025December 27, 2025
Spoon Feed —
The discussion around ANDROMEDA-2 has been lively – is this a positive or negative trial? Enclosed is a more in-depth distillation of my thoughts and interpretations. So, instead of your typical “Spoon Feed —,” grab your favorite pint of ice cream, sit down on the couch, and indulge in this longer than normal post. But first…

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- Personalized Hemodynamic Resuscitation Targeting Capillary Refill Time in Early Septic Shock: The ANDROMEDA-SHOCK-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025 Dec 9;334(22):1988-1999. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.20402. PMID: 41159835; PMCID: PMC12573117.
- Effect of a Resuscitation Strategy Targeting Peripheral Perfusion Status vs Serum Lactate Levels on 28-Day Mortality Among Patients With Septic Shock: The ANDROMEDA-SHOCK Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2019 Feb 19;321(7):654-664. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.0071. PMID: 30772908; PMCID: PMC6439620.
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Cardiology Critical Care Emergency Medicine Pediatric Emergency Resuscitation

New 2025 AHA PALS—Refining How We Resuscitate
December 24, 2025December 27, 2025

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The 2025 AHA/AAP Pediatric Advanced Life Support Guidelines refine several core elements of pediatric resuscitation, including shock dosing, airway management, rhythm identification, and post-ROSC care. The updates emphasize physiologic ventilation, minimizing interruption, using ECPR in select cases, and clearer termination guidance – all aimed at improving survival and neurologic outcomes.

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Part 8: Pediatric Advanced Life Support: 2025 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2025 Oct 21;152(16_suppl_2):S479-S537. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001368. Epub 2025 Oct 22. PMID: 41122885.

Read More New 2025 AHA PALS—Refining How We Resuscitate

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