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Biomedical subjects

E L Liebelt

Publications and source records attributed to E L Liebelt.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Toxicity of over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications are marketed widely for relief of common cold symptoms, and yet studies have failed to demonstrate a benefit of these medications for young children. In addition, OTC medications can be associated with significant morbidity and even mortality in both acute overdoses and when administered in correct doses for chronic periods of time. Physicians often do not inquire about OTC medication use, and parents (or other caregivers) often do not perceive OTCs as medications. We present 3 cases of adverse outcomes over a 13-month period-including 1 death-as a result of OTC cough and cold medication use. We explore the toxicities of OTC cough and cold medications, discuss mechanisms of dosing errors, and suggest why physicians should be more vigilant in specifically inquiring about OTCs when evaluating an ill child.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic testing for serious bacterial infections in infants aged 90 days or younger with bronchiolitis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the different laboratory tests that are performed on young infants aged 90 days or younger with bronchiolitis and to identify historical and clinical predictors of infants on whom laboratory tests are performed. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study whereby information was obtained by retrospective review of medical records from November through March 1992 to 1995 of all infants with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis. SETTING: Urban pediatric emergency department. PATIENTS: Two hundred eleven consecutive infants aged 90 days or younger (median age, 54 days) with 216 episodes of bronchiolitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Historical and clinical data on each infant in addition to laboratory data that included a white blood cell count, urinalysis, and blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid cultures. RESULTS: Two or more laboratory tests (not including chest radiographs) were obtained in 48% of all infants and 78% of febrile infants. Of the 91 infants with a history of a temperature of 38.0 degrees C or more or temperature on presentation of 38.0 degrees C or more, white blood cell counts were obtained in 77%, blood cultures in 75%, urinalyses in 53%, urine cultures in 60%, and analyses-cultures of cerebrospinal fluid in 47%. Febrile infants were 10 times more likely to get at least 2 laboratory tests than afebrile infants (P<.01). All 6 studies were done in 42 (58%) of 72 febrile infants compared with 7 (16%) of 43 afebrile infants (P<.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified a history of a temperature of 38.0 degrees C or more or temperature on presentation of 38.0 degrees C or more (odds ratio [OR] 10.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.8%-21.0%; P<.001), oxygen saturation less than 92% on presentation (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.9%-12.1%; P<.01), and history of apnea (OR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.02-0.35; P<.001) as significant clinical predictors of whether laboratory studies were obtained. History of preterm gestation, aged younger than 28 days, previous antibiotic use, and presence of otitis media were not associated with obtainment of laboratory studies. No cases of bacteremia, urinary tract infection, or meningitis were found among all infants with bronchiolitis who had blood, urine, and/or cerebrospinal fluid cultures. CONCLUSION: There is wide variability in the diagnostic testing of infants aged 90 days or younger with bronchiolitis. The risks of bacteremia, urinary tract infection, and meningitis in infants with bronchiolitis seems to be low. History or a documented temperature of 38.0 degrees C or more; oxygen saturation of less than 92%, and history of apnea were associated with laboratory testing for bacterial infections.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1999

Elevated blood lead levels in children are associated with lower erythropoietin concentrations.

Eighty-six children (mean age, 34 months) were studied to determine whether elevated blood lead levels in children are associated with lower erythropoietin concentrations. The median erythropoietin concentration was 5.9 mIU/mL (range, 2.3 to 11.5 mIU/mL), and the median blood lead level was 0.87 micromol/L (18 microg/dL; range, 2 to 84 microg/dL). Blood lead concentration was inversely and independently related to erythropoietin concentration.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in childhood carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the administration of 100% oxygen at pressures two to three times ambient pressure, and it significantly increases dissolved oxygen content. Although it has been used successfully to treat decompression illness and arterial air embolism, its role in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning remains somewhat controversial. Published evidence and guidelines for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in carbon monoxide-poisoned infants and children are scarce compared with those available for carbon monoxide-poisoned adults. Because of their higher metabolic rates and developing nervous systems, infants and children may be more susceptible to the effects of carbon monoxide and also may warrant special considerations. This review focuses on the unique aspects of carbon monoxide poisoning and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the fetus, the newborn, the infant, and the child. In addition, it discusses general indications for and special and practical considerations in the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Clinical and laboratory evaluation and management of children with vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.

Dehydration is responsible for the morbidity and, rarely, mortality secondary to vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis. Despite the abundance of literature in the last 20 to 30 years focused on the treatment of dehydration with oral rehydration therapy, few studies have focused on the actual clinical diagnosis of dehydration. Conventional classification systems for assessing dehydration have not been subjected to rigorous prospective validation until recently. This article reviews the recent clinical evidence that validates the use of clinical signs and symptoms in assessing dehydration in children. The utility and limitations of measuring capillary refill time as a sign are also reviewed. In addition, the scant literature examining the utility of laboratory studies in evaluating dehydration is summarized. Oral rehydration therapy for the management of dehydration in children is reviewed. Finally, recent literature examining the effectiveness and advantages of rapid intravenous rehydration in the outpatient setting is discussed.

Blood Urea Nitrogen↗
PubMed1997

Serial electrocardiogram changes in acute tricyclic antidepressant overdoses.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the changes over time of the QRS interval and terminal 40-msec QRS frontal axis (T40-ms) in patients with acute tricyclic antidepressant poisoning, to identify clinical factors and treatment associated with these changes, and to determine if patients with tricyclic antidepressant-related complications (seizures and/or arrhythmias) had differences in such serial electrocardiogram (ECG) changes when compared with patients without complications. DESIGN: Prospective, observational, cohort study. SETTING: Emergency departments of community and university-based hospitals in Massachusetts that consulted a large regional poison center. PATIENTS: Thirty-six patients who presented with an acute ingestion (< 24 hrs) of a tricyclic antidepressant, who had at least three electrocardiograms in the first 8 hrs and serial ECGs until discharge, and who had a peak tricyclic antidepressant concentration of > 300 ng/mL. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The maximal limb-lead QRS interval and T40-ms axis were measured manually in all ECGs. The maximum recorded QRS interval occurred at the time of presentation for 24(80%) of 30 patients whose QRS was > or = 100 msecs and a median time of 3 hrs (range 1 to 9) for the other six patients. The maximum recorded T40-ms axis occurred at the time of presentation for 31(86%) of 36 patients and at a median time of 3 hrs (range 1 to 5) for the remaining five patients. The minimum QRS interval observed remained > or = 100 msecs in 15 patients (range 100 to 140 msecs) and decreased to < 100 msecs in 15 patients. The median time from presentation to the first ECG with a QRS < 100 msecs was 20 hrs (range 1 to 153) in those 15 patients. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics and treatment (including sodium bicarbonate therapy) between the two groups. The minimum recorded T40-ms remained > or = 120 degrees in 30 patients and decreased to < 120 degrees in six patients. The median time from presentation until the first ECG with a T40-ms axis < 120 degrees was 13 hrs (range 2 to 30) for the six patients. All ECG measurements were greater and remained abnormal for a significantly longer duration in those patients who developed seizures and/or ventricular arrhythmias. These two ECG parameters demonstrated ongoing changes and persistent abnormalities despite clinical improvement in all patients except one. CONCLUSIONS: The conduction abnormalities seen in severe tricyclic antidepressant toxicity vary widely in the time observed for resolution of these abnormalities and sometimes remain persistently abnormal. All ECG parameters were significantly more abnormal in those patients who developed seizures and/or arrhythmias. Clinical improvement occurred both before and during these ECG changes.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Current concepts in laceration repair.

Lacerations account for a significant number of emergency department and urgent care clinic visits for pediatric patients. Children represent a unique challenge in repairing lacerations because of their developmental and behavioral characteristics, making rapidity, ease of performance, and minimal pain particularly desirable. This review focuses on three concepts in laceration repair where there have been significant advances in the past several years in terms of new techniques and drugs. New pharmacologic modalities such as the fentanyl oralet for sedation of children are discussed as well as important nonpharmacological techniques such as parental presence. Topical administration of anesthetics such as tetracaine, adrenaline, and cocaine and lidocaine, epinephrine, and tetracaine offers the advantage of replacing lidocaine infiltration and provides an effective, safe, and painless alternative for local anesthesia. Finally, the introduction of cyanoacrylate tissues adhesives such as Histoacryl Blue (Trihawk International, Montreal, Canada) and Dermabond (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) appear to be an ideal technique for laceration closure in children because they are easy and rapid to apply, are relatively painless, eliminate the need for suture removal, and provide an acceptable cosmetic result.

Procedural Sedation↗
PubMed1996

Reducing pain during procedures.

There is an increasing focus on the recognition, assessment, and management of pain in children. Children undergo many painful procedures in different clinical environments and are frequently undertreated for their pain. The pediatrician should be familiar with general concepts about the perception of pain in children. Many pain-assessment tools have been developed and restructured to provide the clinician with valid and reliable scales to assess pain in children and assess the effect of interventions. New pharmacologic agents for conscious sedation are being used with increasing frequency in the pediatric outpatient setting for reducing pain and anxiety. Also there has been increasing use of regional anesthetic techniques for procedures once requiring general anesthesia. There has been an increase in the development of topical anesthetics as well as modifying injectable local anesthetic to decrease the pain of local infiltration. Nonpharmacologic methods of pain management are being tested, developed, and used alone or as adjuncts to pharmacologic therapy for children undergoing painful procedures. It is imperative that clinicians keep themselves informed about new advances pertaining to pain treatment and incorporate them into their practices.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1995

ECG lead aVR versus QRS interval in predicting seizures and arrhythmias in acute tricyclic antidepressant toxicity.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the value of ECG measurements from lead aVR with the QRS-interval duration in predicting seizures and ventricular arrhythmias due to acute tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) toxicity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort series of referral cells from hospitals to a regional poison control center. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-nine patients (mean age, 30 +/- 15 years) who presented within 24 hours of ingestion. Seizures occurred in 16 patients (20%) and ventricular arrhythmias in 5 (6%). INTERVENTIONS: The amplitude of the terminal R wave in lead aVR (RaVR), the R-wave/S-wave ratio in lead aVR (R/SaVR), and the maximal limb-lead QRS interval were measured on the initial ECG. RESULTS: RaVR was greater in those patients who had seizures or arrhythmias than in those who did not (4.4 versus 1.8 mm, P < .001), as was R/SaVR (1.4 versus .5, P < .001). The sensitivity of an RaVR of 3 mm or more was 81% and that of an R/SaVR of .7 or more was 75%, compared with 82% for QRS intervals greater than 100 milliseconds. The positive predictive value (PPV) of an RaVR of 3 mm or more was 43% and that of the R/SaVR of .7 or more 46%, compared with a PPV for QRS interval of 100 milliseconds or more of 35%. Multiple logistic-regression analysis demonstrated that an RaVR of 3 mm or more was the only ECG variable that significantly predicted seizures and arrhythmias (OR, 6.9 [95% CI, 1.2 to 40], P = .03). CONCLUSION: RaVR and R/SaVR were greater in patients in whom seizures or arrhythmias developed after an acute TCA overdose. RaVR of 3 mm or more was the only ECG variable that significantly predicted these adverse outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of oral meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid therapy for low-level childhood plumbism.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the response to oral meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) treatment in children with an initial blood lead (BPb) concentration less than versus more than 2.17 mumol/L (45 micrograms/dl). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Regional referral lead treatment program in an urban children's hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty consecutive children, median age 34 months (range, 5 to 161 months), with an initial BPb concentration 0.97 to 2.90 mumol/L (20 to 60 micrograms/dl) selected for DMSA use. Reasons for DMSA use included BPb concentration > 2.17 mumol/L (11 children), complications with penicillamine therapy (11), chronic renal failure (1), and compassionate use (7). All patients received required environmental hazard reductions before drug administration. RESULTS: Group 1 (n = 23) had a mean BPb concentration of 1.50 mumol/L (31 micrograms/dl), and group 2 (n = 7) had a mean BPb concentration of 2.41 (51 micrograms/dl). Sixteen patients (70%) in group 1 and five patients (71%) in group 2 had had previous chelation therapy (p value not significant). No significant difference was found in the mean percentage of the reduction of BPb concentration during treatment of group 1 (60%) versus group 2 (58%). The mean BPb concentration in group 1 rebounded to 70% of pretreatment values by mean day 41; the BPb concentration in group 2 rebounded to 69% by day 37 (p value not significant). Prior chelation therapy did not result in a significant difference in either the percentage reduction of BPb concentration or the percentage of rebound BPb. CONCLUSION: DMSA is equally effective in acutely lowering BPb concentration in children with BPb concentrations less than and greater than 2.17 mumol/L.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Small doses, big problems: a selected review of highly toxic common medications.

Many commonly used medications have serious toxicity in children when ingested in small doses. The toxicologic characteristics of methyl salicylate, camphor, topical imidazolines, benzocaine, and diphenoxylate-atropine are striking examples. All of these medications except Lomotil are over-the-counter and therefore, are often perceived as minimally harmful when ingested. For all of these substances, however, doses as little as 1/4 teaspoon or 1/2 tablet can have serious or fatal consequences. Thus, referral to an emergency department is prudent for ingestions involving these products. Options for initial gastrointestinal (GI) decontamination are variable, depending on the estimated amount and time of the ingestion. Induction of emesis is contraindicated for significant camphor, topical imidazoline, and Lomotil ingestions. Activated charcoal should be administered in all cases. Finally, the emergency physician must recognize the potential seriousness of these ingestions, as well as their clinical presentations to provide expeditious evaluation and treatment.

Atropine↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of pediatric training by the alumni of a residency program.

An evaluation of a large pediatric residency program by its alumni was undertaken to determine whether the program is providing quality education and relevant training for pediatricians. A questionnaire was mailed to physicians who began their training at Children's Hospital Medical Center in July 1974 or later and finished prior to July 1990. Of the 372 questionnaires sent, 274 were returned (74% response rate). Current positions included primary care physicians (41%), academic pediatricians (33%), and other (26%). Fifty-seven percent pursued fellowship training. Overall, 94% of the responders believed that their pediatric training was adequate in preparing them for their current position. The variety of patients seen, the inpatient experience, resident camaraderie, and neonatology training were rated the highest quality, means 4.38 to 4.75 (1 = poor, 3 = average, 5 = excellent quality). Behavioral/developmental pediatrics, adolescent medicine, well-child care/continuity clinic, the outpatient experience, and pediatric surgery were rated the poorest quality, means 2.66 to 3.08, and judged to have too little quantity of training relative to the other aspects of training, means 1.93 to 2.42 (1 = too little, 3 = just enough, 5 = too much quantity). The quantity of neonatology training, the volume of patients, on-call experience, subspecialty inpatient services, such as bone marrow transplantation, and overall inpatient experience were considered too high relative to other components, means 3.51 to 4.08. There were no significant differences in responses by whether the alumni were in academic or primary care positions nor by year of training, and few differences by whether or not the training was considered adequate preparation for their current position.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗