Optic nerve sheath diameter measurement for the paediatric patient with an acute deterioration in consciousness.

Ocular Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) is emerging as a valuable utility within emergency medicine. Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been demonstrated to correlate closely with intracranial pressure (ICP) and an elevated measurement can detect raised ICP readily, where fundoscopy may not, owing to both technical challenges and insufficient clinical skills. A previously fit and well 10-year-old girl presented to the paediatric emergency department with worsening headache, fever and lethargy. On examination, her left pupil was large, and not reactive to light. Initially, her GCS was 15 but suddenly dropped to 8/15. Her blood tests showed raised inflammatory markers. A CT head was reported as possible pansinusitis and MRI of her brain was initially reported as showing evidence of meningeal irritation only. Due to her drop in GCS PoCUS of optic nerve sheath was conducted which showed evidence of increased ICP with increased optic nerve sheath diameter of 6.8mm. This led to a reassessment of the MRI imaging by the neurosurgical team who felt there was evidence of subdural empyema. The patient was transferred to the tertiary neurosurgical centre, where an emergency evacuation of subdural empyema was carried out. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes were grown from pus samples. Early detection of raised ICP is of paramount importance in terms of being able to instigate neuroprotective measures and prevent adverse neurological outcomes. PoCUS is a readily available, non-irradiating, easily repeatable, well-tolerated and readily teachable ultrasound modality and a useful tool which should be employed in paediatric and adult emergency departments.

Use Of POCUS for the Paediatric Patient with an Undifferentiated Upper Limb Injury.

A 2-year-old girl presented to the Paediatric Emergency Department following an unwitnessed injury to her left arm while playing at nursery limiting further examination. On assessment she was reluctant to use her left arm and further examination was difficult. In cases of unwitnessed and undifferentiated elbow injuries point of care ultrasound (POCUS) can be used to evaluate for elbow joint effusion, fracture, or radial head subluxation, also known as nursemaid's elbow. Pulled elbow is a commonly encountered paediatric injury but based on the history and examination findings it may not always be obvious. We present an approach to the child with an undifferentiated elbow injury incorporating POCUS as a means of increasing the reliability of findings on clinical examination.

Impact of COVID-19 vaccinations on emergency department presentations.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to describe the burden of patients presenting to the ED with symptoms occurring after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study performed over a 4-month period across two EDs. Participants were eligible for inclusion if it was documented in the ED triage record that their ED attendance was associated with the receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination. Data regarding the type of vaccine (Comirnaty or ChAdOx1) were subsequently extracted from their electronic medical record. Primary outcome was ED length of stay (LOS) and secondary outcomes included requests for imaging and ED disposition destination. RESULTS: During the study period of 22 February 2021 to 21 June 2021, 632 patients were identified for inclusion in the present study, of which 543 (85.9%) had received the ChAdOx1 vaccination. The highest proportion of COVID-19 vaccine-related attendances occurred in June 2021 and accounted for 21 (8%) of 262 total daily ED attendances. Patients who had an ED presentation related to ChAdOx1 had a longer median ED LOS (253 vs 180 min, P < 0.001) compared to Comirnaty and a higher proportion had haematology tests and imaging requested in the ED. Most patients (n = 588, 88.8%) were discharged home from the ED. CONCLUSION: There was a notable proportion of ED attendances related to recent COVID-19 vaccination administration, many of which were associated with lengthy ED stays and had multiple investigations. In the majority of cases, the patients were able to be discharged home from the ED.

Randomised controlled trial in cadavers investigating methods for intubation via a supraglottic airway device: Comparison of flexible airway scope guided versus a retrograde technique.

OBJECTIVE: A supraglottic airway device (SAD) may be utilised for rescue re-oxygenation following a failed attempt at endotracheal intubation with direct or video laryngoscopy. However, the choice of subsequent method to secure a definitive airway is not clearly established. The aim of the present study was to compare two techniques for securing a definitive airway via the in-situ SAD. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial was undertaken. The population studied was emergency physicians (EPs) attending a cadaveric airway course. The intervention was intubation through a SAD using a retrograde intubation technique (RIT). The comparison was intubation through a SAD guided by a flexible airway scope (FAS). The primary outcome was time to intubation. The trial was registered with ANZCTR.org.au (ACTRN12621000995875). RESULTS: Four EPs completed intubations using both methods on four cadavers for a total of 32 experiments. The mean time to intubation was 18.2 s (standard deviation 8.8) in the FAS group compared with 52.9 s (standard deviation 11.7) in the RIT group; a difference of 34.7 s (95% confidence interval 27.1-42.3, P < 0.001). All intubations were completed within 2 min and there were no equipment failures or evidence of airway trauma. CONCLUSION: Successful tracheal intubation of cadavers by EPs is achievable, without iatrogenic airway trauma, via a SAD using either a FAS or RIT, but was 35 s quicker with the FAS.

A Rare Cause of Neck Lump in an Infant.

A 5 month old girl presented to the Paediatric Emergency Department with a rapidly growing neck mass over 24 hours. She was systemically well and otherwise asymptomatic. On examination she had a mobile, soft and non-tender 5 cm x 5 cm neck mass. Blood tests were unremarkable with normal inflammatory markers. Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) was done which showed a solid left sided neck mass with increased vascularity but no evidence of collection or abscess. Given the atypical presentation and rapid growth the patient was commenced on empirical antibiotics and was discussed with both tertiary ENT and Oncology teams. An MRI was performed which was indeterminate. Biopsy of the neck mass was positive for Ewing Sarcoma. This is a rare case of Ewing Sarcoma in an infant. POCUS can be used to rule out common pathology and abnormal lymph nodes, aiding in ongoing investigation and management in neck lumps.

Something hazy drifting in the air .

-A 7-year-old boy with a background of autism presented to the paediatric emergency department with his left arm 'feeling strange' then became difficult to rouse. On examination, he was found to have left arm weakness and a left-sided facial droop without forehead muscle involvement. Three hours later, his symptoms had completely resolved and he was suspected to have had a first seizure. He was admitted for observation and an electroencephalography which showed slower rhythms in the right posterior quadrant, which was reported as within normal appearances for his age. He was discharged home the following day. Three days later he became lethargic and vomited. His parents reported dysphasia with use of single-word phrases only, he also appeared confused. He re-presented to the paediatric emergency department, where he was found to have increased tone in the left arm, ankle clonus and an upgoing plantar reflex on the left hand side.