Point-of-care ultrasound can be used to screen for malrotation with and without volvulus in the newborn with bilious vomiting, as well as children with unexplained intermittent abdominal pain. We discuss cases where infants and children presenting to pediatric emergency departments with bilious vomiting and/or intermittent abdominal pain were initially screened for small bowel pathology with point-of-care ultrasound. Bedside findings suggestive of midgut volvulus were confirmed with radiology-performed ultrasound or upper gastrointestinal fluoroscopy. In all cases, operative findings were consistent with malrotation of the small bowel with or without evidence of midgut volvulus.

Background: An Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes (ECHO) provides the opportunity for specialists at academic medical centers (AMCs) and frontline community generalists to engage in bidirectional learning. Specialists provide generalists with the current best evidence, and generalists share the local challenges applying this evidence to their practice. All ECHO participants strategize how to navigate these challenges together. Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) may benefit from this knowledge translation strategy because most children seek emergency care from generalists in community emergency departments (CEDs) where variations in care between the AMC and the CED have been reported.Methods: Our objective was to use ECHO to cultivate a PEM community of practice that facilitated knowledge translation and generated future CED pediatric improvement initiatives. As such, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a PEM ECHO. We conducted general and targeted needs assessments to inform our curriculum and formatted the sessions to generate bidirectional learning. A postparticipation evaluation collected self-reported perceptions about knowledge translation, planned provider practice changes, and perceptions of the formation of a community of practice. Additionally, we solicited information on the implementation of any pediatric improvement activities attributed to the PEM ECHO.Results: Thirteen 1-hour sessions covered the chosen PEM topics. Participants represented diverse CEDs, with varied experience and roles in caring for children. All respondents (13/13) appreciated the ECHO learning format, reported improved PEM knowledge, and perceived the cultivation of a community of practice. Nine (85%) individuals attributed implementation of new pediatric improvement activities to the PEM ECHO.Conclusions: Our PEM ECHO was associated with improved perceptions of PEM knowledge, cultivated a community of practice, and facilitated the implementation of CED pediatric improvement activities. The PEM ECHO's bidirectional learning format generated new initiatives and partnerships aiming to improve the emergency care of children.

Members of an emergency department (ED) staff need to be prepared for mass casualty incidents (MCIs) at all times. Didactic sessions, drills, and functional exercises have shown to be effective, but it is challenging to find time and resources for appropriate training. We conducted brief, task-specific drills (deemed “disaster huddles”) in a pediatric ED (PED) to examine if such an approach could be an alternative or supplement to traditional MCI training paradigms. Over the course of the study, we observed an improving trend in the overall score for administrative disaster preparedness. Disaster huddles may be an effective way to improve administrative disaster preparedness in the PED. Low-effort, low-time commitment education could be an attractive way for further disaster preparedness efforts. Further studies are indicated to show a potential impact on lasting behavior and patient outcomes.

Objectives: Needle decompression is potentially life-saving in cases of tension pneumothorax. Although Advanced Trauma Life Support recommends an 8-cm needle for decompression for adults, no detailed pediatric guidelines exist, specifically regarding needle length or site of decompression.Methods: Point-of-care ultrasound was used to measure chest wall thickness (CWT), the distance between skin and pleural line, bilaterally at the second intercostal midclavicular line and the fourth intercostal anterior axillary line in children of various ages and sizes. Patients were grouped based on Broselow tape weight categories. Measurements were compared between left versus right sides at the 2 anatomic sites. Interclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess for interrater reliability.Results: A convenience sample of 163 patients from our emergency department was enrolled. For patients who fit into Broselow tape categories, CWT at the second intercostal midclavicular line ranged from 1.11 to 1.91 cm and at the fourth intercostal anterior axillary line ranged from 1.13 to 1.92 cm. In patients larger than the largest Broselow category, 77% had a CWT less than the length of a standard 1.25-in (3.175 cm) catheter. There were no significant differences in the measurements of CWT based on laterality nor anatomic site. Conclusions:The standard 1.25-in (3.175 cm) catheters are sufficient to treat most tension pneumothoraces in pediatric patients.

Point-of-care ultrasound can be used as an assessment tool during the evaluation of children with renal colic. We discuss the case of a 7-year-old girl presenting to the pediatric emergency department with left flank pain, vomiting, and urinary incontinence status post–left renal stent placement. Renal ultrasound revealed ureteral obstruction caused by renal stent displacement. Point-of-care ultrasound performed by pediatric emergency department physicians was used to assess renal stent location, repositioning, and confirmation of the new location by the urology team. We discuss the role of transabdominal point-of-care ultrasound for the evaluation and treatment of the symptomatic child with recent ureter stent placement.