Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice Acute Gastroenteritis — An Update

Singh, Amandeep MD
Fleurat, Michelle MD
Kwon, Kenneth T. MD, FAAP, FACEP
Whiteman, Paula MD, FACEP, FAAP

¹Authors
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Highland General Hospital, Oakland, CA; Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
³Resident Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Alameda County Medical Center - Highland General Hospital, Oakland, CA
⁴Peer Reviewers
⁵Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA; Director, Pediatric Emergency Services, Mission Hospital/Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission, Mission Viejo, CA
⁶Attending Physician, Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA; Director of Pediatric Emergency Services, Providence Tarzana Medical Center, Tarzana, CA

Date of original release: July 1, 2010

Date of most recent review: June10, 2010

Termination date: July 1, 2013

Medium: Print and Online

Method of participation: Print or online answer form and evaluation

Prior to beginning this activity, see “Physician CME Information” on page 23.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice 7(7):p 1-20, July 2010.

You are nearing the end of a busy shift when a nurse comes up to you and says that there is a family with 3 kids in the next room who are all complaining of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. As you enter the room, you note an 8-month-old who is being held in her mom's arms and her 2 older siblings, ages 5 and 7, none of whom appear toxic. Before you begin, the mom interrupts and states that she has just seen her children's pediatrician and that her doctor sent her to the ED for blood-work and IV fluid rehydration. You briefly contemplate telling the mom that you are the emergency medicine doctor and you will make the decisions in the ED, but you decide that it would be better to first gain her trust by performing an appropriate history and physical examination and then discussing treatment options regarding rehydration.