Unexpected Complication of Blunt Trauma: Evisceration

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia with evisceration is an uncommon injury secondary to blunt abdominal trauma in all age groups. Bicycle handlebar injuries among children are significant causes of blunt abdominal trauma such as penetrating trauma. We present a case of evisceration in a 14-year-old child after blunt injury with handle bar. We assume that early management and prompt abdominal exploration and surgical repair provide good clinical outcome without complication

Does Providing Clinical Care for Trauma Patients have a Positive Effect on Physicians’ Perspective on Child Passenger Safety?

Introduction: Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of the mortality in the pediatric population. Preventive strategies are the best approach to reduce mortality and morbidity due to motor vehicle crashes. Since parents mostly refer to them for guidance, doctors should have a high level of knowledge and awareness to increase the usage of car safety seats. We thought that providing care for trauma patients could have a positive effect on the physicians’ awareness and knowledge level. Based on this, we aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of pediatricians and emergency physicians and trauma doctors. Methods: An electronic survey consisting of 23 questions was prepared. Demographic features, awareness and knowledge level of the physicians were assessed on three sections. Five suggestions in the guideline of the American Academy of Pediatrics were used to assess physicians’ knowledge level. The respondents were grouped as those providing clinical care for trauma patients and those do not. Results: The questionnaires were sent to 641 physicians and 323 who completed the questionnaire were included in the study. One hundred and fourteen (35.3%) of the respondents were providing clinical care for trauma patients. One hundred ninety (59.2%) respondents had children. Majority of the physicians had a satisfactory level of knowledge about car safety seat (CSS). The number of respondents reported having adequate self-awareness was found statistically significantly higher in the groups of doctors who have children and provide clinical care for trauma patients (p0.05). Interestingly, the knowledge level in physicians who had children was statistically significantly lower than in those with no children (p<0.01). Conclusion: Our survey revealed that physicians who provide clinical care for trauma patients think they have a high level of knowledge about CSS. Unfortunately, their knowledge level was low as other physicians in the study group

Hypoglycemia after albuterol overdose in a pediatric patient

Albuterol overdose can lead to tachycardia, hypotension, tremor, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia in children. Hypoglycemia had been previously reported in only one child. We describe a 3-year-old boy who ingested high-dose albuterol in this report. On arrival to the emergency department, the child was agitated and had noticeable restlessness, sinus tachycardia, mild hypokalemia (3.2 mEq/L), and hyperglycemia (187 mg/dL). Activated charcoal and intravenous hydration were given, and electrocardiogram monitoring was performed. Sinus tachycardia resolved within 4 to 6 hours. Hypoglycemia (45 mg/dL) was identified 4 hours after admission. The child recovered uneventfully within 24 hours with glucose replacement. This case suggests that hypoglycemia could be a late complication of acute albuterol overdose; thus, the period of observation should be extended in these cases

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Characteristics of Emergency Department Visits in a Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital in Türkiye: Descriptive Study

Objective: To reveal how the coronavirus disease2019 pandemic has affected the characteristics of patient visits by comparing profiles in a pediatric emergency department (ED). Material and Methods: The period between March 11, 2020, and June 1, 2020, and the same timeframe in 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. For each day, the total number of ED visits was calculated. Patient gender, age, time of ED visit, triage priority, arrival characteristics, diagnostic codes, and hospital admissions for each day’s visits were recorded and the proportion was calculated for each parameter. Results: During the study period, ED visits declined by 80.8% in comparison to the previous year. In terms of diagnoses, in 2020, there was a decrease in the mean daily number and proportion of patients diagnosed with infectious diseases (p<0.05). In terms of traumatic injuries, there was a decrease in the number of visits in 2020, but the overall rate had increased, being 14.7% in 2019 and 18.4% in 2020. There was a decrease in the rate of visitors with green codes (p<0.001), but there was an increase in yellow codes (p<0.001) and no difference in red codes (p= 0.980). The proportion of hospitalizations also increased while the total number declined (p<0.05). Conclusion: During the pandemic period, our pediatric ED experienced a significantly decreased volume of visitors presenting with low-acuity conditions. Understanding the frequency and distribution of ED visits can help shape public health preparedness policies such as healthcare planning to ensure the availability of resources