Arthrocentesis
INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Patients presenting with joint pain or swelling should receive a thorough examination to rule out the presence of joint disease. Periarticular diseases such as tendinitis, bursitis,…
PEDIATRICS
Vascular Access
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Many pediatric patients will need some form of vascular access during their initial evaluation or hospitalization. The child’s severity of illness or injury, type of infusion…
Phlebotomy
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Phlebotomy is the removal of blood through the puncture of a vein. The history of phlebotomy has its roots in bloodletting to cure multiple ailments. Today,…
Emergent Airway Management
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen There is no more important skill for a pediatric hospitalist than the ability to adequately manage an airway. Whether that is the placement of an emergent…
Intraosseous Catheters
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Intraosseous (IO) cannulation is an effective and reliable means of rapidly accessing the central circulation for the administration of fluids, medications, and blood products. The non-collapsible…
Bladder Catheterization
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Urinary bladder catheterization in children can serve as both a diagnostic and a therapeutic intervention. Catheterization is a simple, sterile procedure that can be performed at…
Arterial Blood Gas
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Arterial puncture or arterial blood gas sampling is a necessary procedure in the evaluation of any critically ill patient, especially those with significant respiratory distress or…
Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Assessment
BACKGROUND Print Section Listen Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt systems are used to treat hydrocephalus by draining excess CSF to an alternative location in the body. A shunt has three segments:…
Lumbar Puncture
INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Lumbar puncture (LP) is a frequently performed procedure by hospital-based physicians. Although its description may sound frightening to parents or other laypersons, in actuality, it is…
Procedural Sedation
SEDATION AND ANALGESIA Print Section Listen The goals of sedation and analgesia are to relieve pain and suffering and to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to proceed with comfort, safety,…
