This episode of PEM Currents discusses ECPR (Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), an advanced procedure used in cases of cardiac arrest when traditional CPR fails. ECPR involves using ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) to take over heart and lung functions, offering a last-resort option that is becoming more common in large pediatric hospitals. While ECPR shows promise in […]

Syphilis has gone by many nicknames over the years including “The Great Pretender” and “The Great Imitator.” Emily Labudde, MD, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellow at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and recent pediatric residency graduate from Cincinnati Children’s discusses the various manifestations of this sexually transmitted infection, and how we can’t miss this very treatable, […]

Cervical Spine Injuries are fortunately rare in children. this episode is all about learning when to suspect them, how to immobilize the C-spine properly, and which imaging test to choose. It was inspired by a hot-off-the-presses publication from the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) focused on clinical decision rules for cervical spine imaging […]

Febrile Seizures are among the most common neurological problema in young children, occurring in 1 out of 50 children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years of age. This episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast is a Question and Answer style exploration of some of the most common learning points […]

This episode will help you better prepare for and manage children with inborn errors of metabolism in the Emergency Department. Consider it a supplement to what you remember from Biochemistry and the instructions on the family’s laminated care plan sheet. My special guest podcaster, Emily Groopman, is an actual Pediatric Geneticist in training and we […]

Newborn infants need intramuscular injections of Vitamin K in order to produce critical clotting factors. If they don’t get it they can have potentially life threatening bleeding. PEMBlog @PEMTweets on… sigh “X” (Twitter) My Instagram My Mastodon account @bradsobo References Transcript Note: This transcript was partially completed with the use of the Descript AI Welcome […]

This episode will help you recognize cellulitis and even differentiate it from erysipelas which is totally a different thing. You’ll also learn about treatment, whether or not a blood culture is necessary, and a whole lot more! PEMBlog @PEMTweets on… sigh “X” (Twitter) My Instagram My Mastodon account @bradsobo References Chen AE, Carroll KC, Diener-West […]

Laryngomalacia, is the most common cause of infant stridor. Early diagnosis is crucial as it can impact a child’s growth and development. Most infants get better on their own, but those with severe symptoms need surgical interventions like supraglottoplasty. Learn all about diagnosis and management of this common problem in this brief podcast episode. PEMBlog […]

Meckel diverticulum is a congenital anomaly of the small intestine that can present with various clinical manifestations, including rectal bleeding and obstruction. Recognizing the characteristic features and understanding the differential diagnosis is crucial in managing patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. This episode will help you recognize and diagnose this surgical condition that you probably remember […]

Just because you can test for dozens of viruses with a single swab should you? Is this actually measuring a current infection, or a recent virus from which the child has since recovered. And what about the cost? Are these tests expensive (spoiler alert: They are!). Learn about the situations when we should get these […]