PEM Clinicians: If you find this kind of breakdown useful, HipPEMcrates delivers concise, evidence-based PEM insights and expert conversations – without oversimplifying the science. Go to HipPEMcrates.com/subscribe to get new posts directly to your inbox. Hot Off the Press! Last week, JAMA published a new study titled “Prediction of Bacteremia and Bacterial Meningitis Among Febrile […]
Hot Off the Press! This past Monday, JAMA published a new study titled “Prediction of Bacteremia and Bacterial Meningitis Among Febrile Infants Aged 28 Days or Younger.” The study evaluated whether the PECARN Febrile Infant Prediction Rule (you know the one – negative urine, serum procalcitonin ≤0.5 ng/mL, and ANC ≤4000/mm3) can be applied to
TEASER…The Study That Will Change Everything (for Febrile Infants) Read More »
Another year, another flu season! The ED will soon fill with feverish, coughing, miserable kids. Last flu season was rough, with the CDC reporting the highest number of pediatric deaths since tracking began in 2004 (excluding the H1N1 pandemic). Half had underlying conditions, and 89% were not fully vaccinated. We know that kids can get really
Flu Season Is Back! Do You Know Who to Test? Read More »
Every week, I save a stack of articles, papers, and posts that catch my eye – sometimes it’s cutting-edge PEM research, sometimes a great essay or think piece I stumble across mid-scroll. Instead of letting them live forever in my “read later” folder, I’m sharing a few highlights here. Each piece includes a TL;DR summary
What I’m Reading This Week Read More »
You are in the middle of a busy ED shift. Your acute gastroenteritis patient has passed their PO challenge with flying colors after one dose of Zofran. Parents are thrilled and want to have this magical cure at home – so as you are reviewing discharge instructions, they ask “can you send us home with
“Can you write me a prescription for Zofran?” Read More »
Ahh, the summer – BBQs, the beach, and the lull before respiratory season. Wait, what? My patient in room 3 has COVID? And the parents of the kid in room 8? Oh no, oh no! It can’t be! This isn’t supposed to happen. What is going on with the recent bump in COVID? Is it
The Summer COVID Spike No One Saw Coming Read More »
Welcome to the first edition of the HipPEMcrates Mailbag – where we answer common questions from the Pediatric ER. These are the questions you jot down during a shift to look up later, the clinical pearls you hear your colleagues share during signout, maybe even that one thing that your resident asked you that makes
HipPEMcrates Mailbag, Vol. 1: Rashes, Cold Babies, and Sore Throats Read More »
The Case A 3-month-old breastfed male is brought to the ED with: On exam: You pause. The baby’s floppy. He’s not febrile. He’s not actively seizing. But something is clearly wrong. Diagnosis: Infant Botulism This is classic: a floppy, constipated infant with descending paralysis. Pathophysiology: Key Clinical Clues PEM Pearl: A floppy, afebrile infant with
Clinical Scenario: The Floppy Infant with Constipation Read More »
This RSV season was different. Not because RSV disappeared—it didn’t. Not because the ED was quiet—it wasn’t. But for the first time, we had tools to protect babies before they got sick. And based on newly published CDC data, those tools worked. 📉 What Changed This Year? The CDC compared hospitalization data for kids <5
So… Did the RSV Vaccine Actually Help This Year? Read More »
Pediatric emergency departments often see children with a wide range of conditions, from mild illnesses to life-threatening diseases. It’s helpful when serious conditions like volvulus present with clear and obvious symptoms, such as bilious emesis in a newborn. However, the challenge—and anxiety—arises when an urgent or emergent condition mimics a more benign presentation. Two such
2 High-Stakes Misses in the Pediatric ED Read More »
