Prompt, accurate assessment of the severity of injury and early initiation
of appropriate critical care — including adequate oxygenation,
ventilation and correction of hypotension — is of crucial importance
in preventing deaths in children with severe trauma. This article reviews
the critical aspects of airway assessment and management in the pediatric
trauma patient.
Most cases of thrombocytopenia seen in the emergency department (ED) are expected. Patients are known to have hematological disease or are receiving chemotherapy. At times, however, the ED physician is confronted with an unexpected laboratory finding in an assymptomatic patient, or with a patient who is bleeding. The challenge, as usual, is to determine the need for acute treatment and the appropriate disposition.
How many of your patients have a CT scan during their ED evaluation? Many hospitals report rates of 20% or more. A significant number of these scans are of the abdomen and pelvis. It is important for the emergency physician to have the knowledge to view and interpret these images.
