Background Spinal motion restriction (SMR) has been a cornerstone of prehospital trauma care for decades, based on the premise that immobilization prevents secondary spinal cord injury. However, a new PECARN study published in Prehospital Emergency Care reveals a striking disconnect between SMR application and actual cervical spine injury (CSI) rates in children—raising important questions about […]
Background Researchers have discovered that artificial intelligence systems called large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT and Claude, can effectively analyze patient and community feedback in emergency research settings. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, investigators evaluated how well these AI tools could assess community perspectives within the Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) process, […]
Background Pediatric asthma exacerbations represent a significant burden on emergency departments, with over 1.2 million ED visits and 110,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States. While many treatment options exist for the emergency care of asthma (such as albuterol, ipratropium bromide, and corticosteroids), some children continue to have persistent symptoms and require hospitalization despite these […]
Introduction Vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs) remain the primary cause of morbidity in sickle cell disease (SCD), with management heavily reliant on opioid analgesics. Early literature suggests that VOEs may be related to an arginine deficiency. Arginine produces nitric oxide (a potent vasodilator), improves mitochondrial function, and decreases oxidative stress. It is also the precursor for kyotorphin, […]
Background With adolescent suicide rates increasing by 50% since 2001 and approximately 10% of U.S. high school students reporting a suicide attempt within a 12-month period, identifying imminent warning signs is crucial. This PECARN study addresses a critical knowledge gap by examining the 24-hour warning signs preceding adolescent suicide attempts [1]. Study Question What warning […]
Febrile infants aged 60 days and younger present unique challenges for emergency physicians, with serious bacterial infections (SBI) posing a significant risk. Among the various potential infections, pneumonia is a critical concern, with prevalence ranging from 0.1% to 8% in these young infants. Current diagnostic practices, primarily relying on clinical evaluation, struggle to identify pneumonia […]
Introduction Acute gastroenteritis affects millions of children in the U.S. every year, leading to emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), have been commonly used as a treatment, but evidence supporting their effectiveness has been limited [1-3]. A new study conducted by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) aimed […]
Introduction Each year, more than 8 million children in the U.S. are evaluated in emergency departments (EDs) following blunt trauma, but less than 1% are diagnosed with cervical spine injuries (CSI). Computed tomography (CT) scans are often used to evaluate for CSIs. This exposes children to ionizing radiation increasing their lifetime risk of cancer. A […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cervical spine injuries in children are relatively rare but can have serious consequences, like paralysis. The standard method for detecting these injuries involves X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, which expose children to radiation and may pose long-term health risks. In a study published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, researchers […]
Introduction Children with sickle cell anemia often present to the emergency department with vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE), also referred to as pain crisis. In these patients, pain develops when red blood cells become sickle shaped, causing them to not be able to pass through the smaller blood vessels in joints and bones. This leads to severe […]
