Pediatric Ingestions: Emergency Department Management.
Pediatric ingestions present a common challenge for emergency clinicians. Each year, more than 50,000 children aged less than 5 years present to emergency departments with concern for unintentional medication exposure, and nearly half of all calls to poison centers are for children aged less than 6 years. Ingestion of magnetic objects and button batteries has also become an increasing source of morbidity and mortality. Although fatal pediatric ingestions are rare, the prescription medications most responsible for injury and fatality in children include opioids, sedative/hypnotics, and cardiovascular drugs. Evidence regarding the evaluation and management of common pediatric ingestions is comprised largely of case reports and retrospective studies. This issue provides a review of these studies as well as consensus guidelines addressing the initial resuscitation, diagnosis, and treatment of common pediatric ingestions. Also discussed are current recommendations for decontamination, administration of antidotes for specific toxins, and management of ingested foreign bodies.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital, Spokane, WA.
Stacy M
SM
Tarango Md
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, USC Keck School of Medicine, Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
Deborah R
DR
Liu Md
D000931:Antidotes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064419:Chemically-Induced Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019468:Disease Management; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D055416:Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000145:classification; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
D000931:Antidotes; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations