Severe abrupt (thunderclap) non-traumatic headache at the pediatric emergency department – a retrospective study

Cephalalgia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 033310242110146
Author(s):  
Yoel Levinsky ◽  
Yehezkel Waisman ◽  
Tal Eidlitz-Markus
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Primary Headache ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pain Scale ◽  
Thunderclap Headache ◽  
Secondary Headache ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Extensive Evaluation

Background Adult abrupt severe non-traumatic headache (thunderclap) is often related to serious underlying etiologies such as subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, data are sparse regarding thunderclap headache in the pediatric population. Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, characteristics and causes of thunderclap headache in the pediatric and adolescent population, aged 6–18 years, presenting to a pediatric emergency department. Methods The electronic database of a tertiary care pediatric emergency department was searched for children presenting with acute headache during 2016–2018. Headache severity was defined by pain scales, either a visual analogue scale or by the Faces Pain Scale–Revised. Results Thunderclap headache was diagnosed in 19/2290 (0.8%) of the included patients, all of them with a pain score of 10/10. All the patients had a benign course. Primary headache was diagnosed in 15/19 (78.9%), six patients had migraine and eight were diagnosed with primary thunderclap headache. Four of the 19 patients were diagnosed with secondary headache: three with infectious causes and one with malignant hypertension. Conclusions Thunderclap headache is rare among children and adolescents presenting to the emergency department. This headache is generally of a primary origin. Extensive evaluation is still needed to rule out severe diagnosis problems.

Headache in the pediatric emergency department: A 5-year retrospective study

Cephalalgia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1765-1772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Rossi ◽  
Antonia Versace ◽  
Barbara Lauria ◽  
Giulia Grasso ◽  
Emanuele Castagno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Cranial Nerves ◽  
Primary Headache ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Secondary Headache ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Red Flags ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Headache Centre ◽  
Chi Squared

Aim To determine the red flags for serious organic causes of headache in children, to analyze if the management of headache in the Pediatric Emergency Department is appropriate, and whether the follow-up may limit repeated visits to the Emergency Department. Methods All the patients ≤ 18 years referred to our pediatric Emergency Department for non-traumatic headache over 5 years were retrospectively reviewed. The patients followed up by the Pediatric Headache Centre were also screened. Statistical analysis was undertaken using the Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test and multivariate analysis; significance at p < 0.05. Results 1833 patients (54.6% males) accessed our Emergency Department 2086 times; 62.1% had primary headache, 30.0% had secondary headache, 7.8% received inconsistent diagnosis. Among those with secondary headache, 24 (1.1% of total visits) were diagnosed with serious disorders. The clinical red flags for “serious headache” were: Cranial nerves palsy, strabismus, and drowsiness. One hundred and eighty four patients (8.8 %) underwent neuroimaging (rate of pathological findings: 7.1 %); 37.2 % of the patients received analgesic therapy. One hundred and fifteen patients (6.2 %) returned within three months; 24 of these were referred to the Headache Centre, with only one accessing the Emergency Department again. Conclusions The vast majority of headaches referred to the Pediatric Emergency Department are benign, and primary forms prevail. “Serious headache” is rare and shows typical clinical features and abnormal neurologic evaluation; specific clinical red flags, along with suggestive personal history, should lead the pediatrician to prescribe only appropriate neuroimaging. Pain relief is still insufficient in the Pediatric Emergency Department despite appropriate guidelines. Last, the collaboration with the Headache Centre is crucial to limit repeated visits.

Foreign Body Ingestions in Children: Risk of Complication Varies With Site of Initial Health Care Contact

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald I. Paul ◽  
Katherine Kaufer Christoffel ◽  
Helen J. Binns ◽  
David M. Jaffe ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Foreign Body ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Parent Supervision ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospitals ◽  
Patient Enrollment

Current recommendations for the management of pediatric foreign body ingestions are based on studies of patients cared for at tertiary care hospitals; they call for aggressive evaluation because of a high incidence of complications. Two hundred forty-four children with suspected foreign body ingestions were prospectively followed to analyze adverse outcomes, ie, procedures, complications, and hospitalizations. Patient enrollment into the study was from three sources: (1) patients who referred themselves to a tertiary pediatric emergency department, (2) patients referred to the same tertiary pediatric emergency department after an initial evaluation by another hospital or physician, and (3) Patients who reported their foreign body ingestions to a private pediatric practitioner participating in the study. Most children were well toddlers in normal circumstances, under parent supervision at the time of ingestion. Coins were the most common item ingested (46%). Procedures were done in 53 (24%) of 221 patients and complications occurred in 48 (22%) of 221. Complications were higher in patients referred to the emergency department (63%) than in emergency department self-referred patients (13%) or private practice patients (7%) (x2, P &lt; .01). These findings demonstrate the risk of drawing conclusions regarding a universal standard of care from studies involving only hospital-based patients.

Trends in the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis in a tertiary care pediatric emergency department

2018 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neta Cohen ◽  
Tali Capua ◽  
Dikla Pivko ◽  
Moshe Ben-Shoshan ◽  
Shira Benor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Diagnosis And Management

scholarly journals P016: Low risk ankle rule, high reward-a quality improvement initiative to reduce ankle x-rays in the pediatric emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S83 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Al-Sani ◽  
M. Ben-Yakov ◽  
G. Harvey ◽  
J. Gantz ◽  
D. Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Ankle Injuries ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Return Visits ◽  
Unnecessary Testing

Introduction: Our tertiary care institution embarked on the Choosing Wisely campaign to reduce unnecessary testing, and selected the reduction of ankle x-rays as part of its top five priority initiatives. The Low Risk Ankle Rule (LRAR), an evidence-based decision rule, has been derived and validated to clinically evaluate ankle injuries which do not require radiography. The LRAR, is cost-effective, has 100% sensitivity for clinically important ankle injuries and reduces ankle imaging rates by 30-60% in both academic and community setting. Our objective was to significantly reduce the proportion of ankle x-rays ordered for acute ankle injuries presenting to our pediatric Emergency Department (ED). Methods: Medical records were reviewed for all patients presenting to our tertiary care pediatric ED (ages 3- 18 years) with an isolated acute ankle injury from Jan 1, 2016-Sept 30, 2016. Children with outside imaging, an injury that occurred &gt;72 hours prior, or those who had a repeat ED visit for same injury were excluded. Quality improvement (QI) initiatives included multidisciplinary staff education about the LRAR, posters placed within the ED highlighting the LRAR, development of a new diagnostic imaging requisition for ankle x-rays requiring use of the LRAR and collaboration with the Division of Radiology to ensure compliance with new requisition. The proportion of patients presenting to the ED with acute ankle injuries who received x-rays was measured. ED length of stay (LOS), return visits to the ED and orthopedic referrals were collected as balancing measures. Results: At baseline 88% of patients with acute ankle injuries received x-rays. Following our multiple interventions, the proportion of x-rays decreased significantly to 54%, (p&lt;0.001). This decrease in x-ray rate was not associated with an increase in ED LOS, ED return visits or orthopedic referrals. There was an increase uptake of the dedicated x-ray requisition over time to 71%. Conclusion: This QI initiative to increase uptake of the LRAR, resulted in a significant reduction of ankle x-rays rates for children presenting with acute ankle injuries in our pediatric ED without increasing LOS, return visits or need for orthopedic referrals for missed injuries. Just as in the derivation and validation studies, the reductions have been sustained and reduced unnecessary testing and ionizing radiation.

53: MRI Utilization Trends In a Large Tertiary Care Pediatric Emergency Department

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. S18-S19 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ramirez ◽  
J. Thundiyil ◽  
K.J. Cramm-Morgan ◽  
L. Papa ◽  
C. Dobleman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Large Tertiary Care

scholarly journals Trends in use in a Canadian pediatric emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (05) ◽  
pp. 405-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quynh Doan ◽  
Emerson D. Genuis ◽  
Alvis Yu
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Ed Overcrowding ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Ed Crowding

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Emergency department (ED) crowding is a significant problem in Canada and has been associated with decreased quality of care in general and pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Although boarding of admitted patients in the ED is the main contributor to adult ED overcrowding, factors involved in PED crowding may be different. The objective of this study was to report the trend in PED services use and to document the degree of overcrowding experienced in a Canadian PED.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative data from a tertiary care PED from 2002 to 2011. The primary outcome was PED use (total volume of visits and case severity per triage levels using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale [CTAS] score and admissions). Secondary outcomes included measures of PED overcrowding, such as rates of patients leaving without being seen (LWBS) and length of stay (LOS).Results:Total volumes increased by 30% over the 10-year study period, whereas hospitalizations remained stable at approximately 10%. Trends in CTAS levels did not indicate meaningful changes in the severity of cases treated at our PED. LWBS proportions among CTAS 3, CTAS 4, and CTAS 5 groups and LOS for all CTAS groups progressively and statistically increased from year to year.Conclusions:Over the course of the study period, there was a substantial increase in PED visits,which likely contributed to the worsening markers of PED flow outcomes. Further study into the effects of PED crowding on patient outcomes is warranted.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on a tertiary care pediatric emergency department

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Liguoro ◽  
Chiara Pilotto ◽  
Michela Vergine ◽  
Anna Pusiol ◽  
Enrico Vidal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Point-of-care ultrasound for evaluating intra-abdominal calcification in the pediatric emergency department: case series and review of literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vigil James ◽  
John Samuel ◽  
Chor Yek Kee ◽  
Gene Yong-Kwang Ong
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Acute Abdominal Pain ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Wall Calcification

Abstract Background The presence of intra-abdominal calcification in the pediatric population can be due to a wide range of conditions. Calcification in the abdomen can be seen in normal or abnormal anatomical structures. In some patients, abnormal calcification points towards the pathology; whereas in others, calcification itself is the pathology. After a thorough history and clinical examination, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) would complement the assessment of acute abdominal pain, based on the list of differentials generated as per the abdominal region. The main objective of this article is to review commonly encountered causes of intra-abdominal calcifications in the pediatric population and help in clinical decision-making in a Pediatric Emergency Department. Case presentation We describe a series of pediatric patients who presented to the Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain, in whom point-of-care ultrasound helped expedite the diagnosis by identifying varying types of calcification and associated sonological findings. For children who present to the Pediatric Emergency Department with significant abdominal pain, a rapid distinction between emergencies and non-emergencies is vital to decrease morbidity and mortality. Conclusions In a child presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department with abdominal pain, POCUS and the findings of calcifications can narrow or expand the differential diagnosis when integrated with history and physical exam, to a specific anatomic structure. Integrating these findings with additional sonological findings of an underlying pathology might raise sufficient concerns in the emergency physicians to warrant further investigations for the patient in the form of a formal radiological ultrasound and assist in the patient's early disposition. The use of POCUS might also help to categorize the type of calcification to one of the four main categories of intra-abdominal calcifications, namely concretions, conduit wall calcification, cyst wall calcification, and solid mass-type calcification. POCUS used thoughtfully can give a diagnosis and expand differential diagnosis, reduce cognitive bias, and reduce physician mental load. By integrating the use of POCUS with the history and clinical findings, it will be possible to expedite the management in children who present to the Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain.

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