Avoid the ‘Roids – Steroids for Lower Respiratory Infection
Oral steroids were of no benefit for non-asthmatic patients with bronchitis.
Does Peds Damage Control Transfusion Help?
A high plasma to PRBC transfusion ratio (>/= 1:2) was not beneficial in pediatric massive trauma transfusion. But this study was different than adult studies of damage control resuscitation in that these children did not receive platelets
Increased Mortality With Prehospital Intubation
Numerous observational studies have suggested that prehospital intubation (PHI) (in this case of trauma patients) was associated with greater mortality than when it was done in the ED, and this systematic review indicated the same thing.
How to Diagnose Pertussis at the Bedside
I couldn't state it better than the author's conclusion: "In adult patients, the presence of whooping or posttussive vomiting should rule in a possible diagnosis of pertussis, whereas the lack of a paroxysmal cough or the presence of fever should rule it out. In children, posttussive vomiting is much less helpful as a clinical diagnostic test."
Infusion vs IV Push Ketamine for Pain
A slow infusion of ketamine for pain control was as effective as IV push, with less sedation and far fewer patients having a feeling of unreality.
Is Racism Affecting Our Clinical Decisions?
Implicit racial bias is likely influencing us in the ED, but whether that translates into impacting clinical decision making remains to be seen.
Another Nail in the Coffin for Apneic Oxygenation?
Patients intubated in the Emergency Department with usual care (no apneic oxygenation) vs apneic oxygenation (≥15L/min via nasal cannula) did not have significant differences in lowest mean oxygen saturation.
Reported PCN Allergy Doesn’t Mean Real PCN Allergy
All children in the PED who were low risk for penicillin allergy on this questionnaire were confirmed to have no true penicillin allergy with skin testing.
Don’t Think Meningitis First in Status Epilepticus
Meningitis was a very rare cause of status epilepticus (SE) in this retrospective single-center review.
Small Abscesses Do Better With Antibiotics
Even small abscesses, <5cm, benefitted from antibiotics. This is contrary to some prior studies' findings that I&D alone was adequate for small abscesses.