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BackgroundFever in infants under 90 days of age is highly likely to be caused by a severe bacterial infection (SBI) and it accounts for a large number of patients visiting the pediatric emergency room. In order to predict the bacterial infection and reduce unnecessary treatment, the classic classification system is based on white blood cell (WBC) count, urinalysis, and x-ray, and it is modified and applied at each center by incorporating recently studied biomarkers such as c-reactive protein (CRP) or procalcitonin (PCT). This study analyzed the usefulness of PCT in predicting SBI when applied along with the existing classification system, including CRP, among infants less than 90 days old who visited with a fever at a single institution pediatric emergency center.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients younger than 3 months of age who presented with fever at the Seoul Asan Medical Center pediatric emergency room between July 2017 and October 2018.ResultsA total of 317 patients were analyzed, and 61 were diagnosed with SBI, among which urinary tract infection (UTI) accounted for the largest proportion (55/61, 90.2%). There were differences in WBC, neutrophil proportion, CRP, and PCT between the SBI group and the non-SBI group, and the AUC values of WBC, CRP, and PCT were 0.651, 0.804, and 0.746, respectively. When using the cut-off values of CRP and PCTs as 2.0 mg/dL and 0.3 ng/mL, respectively, the sensitivity and specificity for SBI were 49.2/89.5, and 54.1/87.5, respectively. WBC, CRP, and PCT were statistically significant for predicting SBI in multivariate analysis (odds ratios 1.066, 1.377, and 1.291, respectively). When the subjects were classified using the existing classification criteria, WBC and CRP, the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 29.3 and 88.7%, respectively, and when PCT was added, the PPV and NPV were 30.7 and 92%, respectively, both increased.ConclusionPCT is useful for predicting SBI in children aged 3 months or less who visit the emergency room with a fever. It is useful as a single biomarker, and when used in conjunction with classic biomarkers, its diagnostic accuracy is further increased.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) in children remain unclear. We investigated the incidence of ketosis in CwG and whether this is related to seizures. METHODS This retrospective study included children aged from 6 months to 6 years who visited our emergency department and were diagnosed as CwG between June 2015 and December 2018. The clinical and laboratory data were analyzed for these cases. Ketosis and severe ketosis were defined as blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels of ≥0.6 and ≥4.5 mmol/L, respectively. RESULTS We enrolled 42 pediatric CwG patients aged 21.0±11.5 months (mean±SD) whose blood β-hydroxybutyrate level was 3.65±1.51 mmol/L. Ketosis was observed in 95.2% of these children, while 35.7% had severe ketosis. Compared to the non-severe-ketosis group (n=27), the severe-ketosis group (n=15) demonstrated significantly lower blood glucose levels (68.8 vs. 82.6 mg/dL, p=0.020) and sodium levels (134.2 vs. 135.6 mEq/L, p=0.018), and included a larger proportion of low-body-weight children (defined as adjusted weight

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) in the emergency department (ED). METHODS A retrospective study was conducted in infants aged younger than 90 days who were brought to the ED due to vomiting between January 2015 and December 2019. Of these, infants who were clinically suspected of having HPS and underwent ultrasound were included and categorized into 3 groups: POCUS only, POCUS followed by radiologist-performed ultrasound (RADUS), and RADUS only. All confirmative diagnoses of HPS were made by RADUS. The diagnostic performance of POCUS was analyzed, and the ED patient flow was compared between the POCUS-performed (POCUS only or POCUS followed by RADUS) and RADUS-only groups. RESULTS Overall, 171 patients with a median age of 34 days were included. Of these, 79 patients (46.2%) underwent POCUS only, and none had HPS; 50 patients (29.2%) underwent POCUS followed by RADUS; and 42 patients (24.5%) underwent RADUS only. Overall, 41 patients (24.0%) were diagnosed with HPS, and POCUS showed a sensitivity of 96.6% and specificity of 94.0%. In the total cohort, length of stay in the ED (EDLOS) was shorter in the POCUS-performed group than in the RADUS-only group (2.6 vs 3.8 hours, P = 0.015). Among non-HPS patients, time to disposition (1.8 vs 2.7 hours, P = 0.005) and EDLOS (2.0 vs 3.0 hours, P = 0.004) were shorter in the POCUS-performed group than in the RADUS-only group. Performing POCUS followed by RADUS did not significantly delay the treatment among HPS patients. CONCLUSIONS Point-of-care ultrasound is accurate and useful for diagnosing HPS and improved the ED patient flow by reducing EDLOS and door-to-disposition time in non-HPS patients.

This research explored the mediating effect of investment in education and training relating to the innovative culture and organizational performance of medical device companies. We used the Human Capital Corporate Panel data provided by the Korea Vocational Competency Development Institute. In the industrial classification system of panel data, the industries related to medical devices were extracted and conclusively analyzed for 8629 workers and 368 companies. The independent and dependent variables were innovative culture and corporation performance, respectively. Investment in training and education was a mediating variable between the independent and dependent variables. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software. A higher level of organizational satisfaction emerged in an innovative culture. Innovative culture positively affected organizational satisfaction. Further, investment in education and training to promote an innovative culture positively affected organizational satisfaction. Medical device companies should improve their performance by creating an innovative culture.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) changed the epidemiology of various diseases. The present study retrospectively investigated the epidemiologic and clinical changes of intussusception from before to after the COVID-19 outbreak, when communicable diseases other than COVID-19 have dramatically decreased due to social lockdown.Methods: The incidence of intussusception and the total monthly visits, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, aged ≤7 years, were investigated from February 2019 to January 2021 in a single pediatric emergency department of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital. The relationship between the incidence of communicable disease and intussusception was analyzed. The clinical characteristics of patients with intussusception were compared for the one-year periods before (February 2019–January 2020) and after (February 2020–January 2021) social lockdown due to COVID-19.Results: Incidence of communicable disease, non-communicable disease, and intussusception is decreased after COVID-19 outbreak (15,932 to 3,880 [24.4%], 12,994 to 8,050 [62.0%], and 87 to 27 [31.0%], respectively). The incidence of intussusception correlated significantly with the change in incidence of communicable diseases (Poisson log-linear regression, Odds ratio=2.15, 95% CI=1.08–4.26, P=0.029). Compared with non-pandemic period, patients of pandemic period showed higher proportions of pathologic leading point and hospitalization (14.8% vs. 2.3%, 18.5% vs. 4.6%, respectively), lower base excess (-4.8 mmol/L vs. -3.6 mmol/L), and higher lactate concentration (1.7 mmol/L vs. 1.5 mmol/L).Conclusions: The incidence of pediatric intussusception decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic. This reduced incidence may be related to the reduced incidence of communicable diseases. However, the proportions of more severe disease and PLPs were higher after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting serious bacterial infection (SBI) in febrile children aged 3 to 36 months with extreme leukocytosis (EL), defined as a peripheral white blood cell count of 25,000 to 49,999/mm. Methods The presence of SBI was reviewed in previously healthy children aged 3 to 36 months with a fever of 39°C or higher and EL, who visited a tertiary care hospital emergency department between September 2010 and August 2015. We measured cutoff values of CRP with corresponding likelihood ratios (LRs) and posttest probabilities (PPs). Results Of 9989 febrile children, 4252 (42.6%) underwent assays for white blood cell and CRP. Of 233 (5.5%) children with EL, 133 (3.1%) were enrolled, of whom 43 (32.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 25.0%-40.7%) had SBI, including 33 pyelonephritis, 5 deep abscesses, 3 lobar pneumonia, and 2 soft tissue infections. With the cutoff of 7.8 mg/dL, the sensitivity of CRP in predicting SBI was 81.4% (95% CI, 67.4%-90.3%); the specificity, 80.0% (95% CI, 70.6%-87.0%); the positive predictive value, 66.0% (95% CI, 52.6%-77.3%); the negative predictive value, 90.0% (95% CI, 81.5%-94.9%); the positive LR, 4.1; and the PP, 66.0% (95% CI, 55.6%-75.0%). A CRP concentration of 16.1 mg/dL or higher yielded an LR of 11.2 and a PP of 84.2% (95% CI, 62.1%-94.5%). A CRP concentration of lower than 3.4 mg/dL yielded an LR of 0.05 and a PP of 2.4% (95% CI, 0.3%-14.6%). Conclusions High concentration of CRP is strongly associated with the presence of SBI in febrile children with EL.

Background: To investigate the clinical features of coinfection due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae ), a common copathogen in influenza, in influenza pneumonia patients. Methods: We reviewed 4,465 patients with influenza who visited a tertiary care hospital emergency department in Seoul (Korea) from 2010 through 2016, and underwent immunoglobulin M (IgM) serology or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for M. pneumoniae . Influenza pneumonia was defined as laboratory-confirmed influenza plus radiographic pneumonia. Patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia or non-mycoplasma bacterial coinfection were excluded. Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings and outcomes of the influenza pneumonia patients with and without M. pneumoniae coinfection were compared. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the coinfection. Results: Of 244 influenza pneumonia patients, 41 (16.8%) had M. pneumoniae coinfection. These patients were younger with a higher frequency of age of 5–10 years, and had higher white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts; lower concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP). The coinfection had no association with specific radiographic findings and poor outcome. Multivariable analysis showed the age of 5–10 years (adjusted odds ratio, 18.83; 95% confidence interval, 5.899–60.08; P

Background Pediatric sedation in the emergency department (ED) is widely performed in Korea; thus exploring the trends of its use is necessary. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients and sedatives use in the ED and verify their changes over recent years. Methods A nationwide population-based retrospective study was conducted including pediatric patients aged ≤ 15 years who received sedative medication in the ED and were discharged during 2007–2018, using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Patient characteristics (age, sex, level of ED, and diagnosis) and type of sedative used were analyzed. Results Sedation was performed in total 468,221 visits during 2007–2018 (399,320 visits, at least 3.8% of overall ED visits during 2009–2018). Among these, 71.0% were children aged 1–3 years and 93.5% were sedated to support diagnosis of injury. An increase in total sedation was observed in patients aged 4–6 years during the study period (from 13.8% to 21.8%). A gradual decrease in the use of chloral hydrate (CH) compared with an increase in ketamine use was observed (CH, from 70.6% to 28.6%; ketamine, from 23.8% to 60.7%). Therefore, ketamine was the most used sedative since 2014. The most frequently used sedatives over the study period differed according to age groups (CH in, Graphical Abstract

BackgroundFever in infants under 90 days of age is highly likely to be caused by a severe bacterial infection (SBI) and it accounts for a large number of patients visiting the pediatric emergency room. In order to predict the bacterial infection and reduce unnecessary treatment, the classic classification system is based on white blood cell (WBC) count, urinalysis, and x-ray, and it is modified and applied at each center by incorporating recently studied biomarkers such as c-reactive protein (CRP) or procalcitonin (PCT). This study analyzed the usefulness of PCT in predicting SBI when applied along with the existing classification system, including CRP, among infants less than 90 days old who visited with a fever at a single institution pediatric emergency center.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients younger than 3 months of age who presented with fever at the Seoul Asan Medical Center pediatric emergency room between July 2017 and October 2018.ResultsA total of 317 patients were analyzed, and 61 were diagnosed with SBI, among which urinary tract infection (UTI) accounted for the largest proportion (55/61, 90.2%). There were differences in WBC, neutrophil proportion, CRP, and PCT between the SBI group and the non-SBI group, and the AUC values of WBC, CRP, and PCT were 0.651, 0.804, and 0.746, respectively. When using the cut-off values of CRP and PCTs as 2.0 mg/dL and 0.3 ng/mL, respectively, the sensitivity and specificity for SBI were 49.2/89.5, and 54.1/87.5, respectively. WBC, CRP, and PCT were statistically significant for predicting SBI in multivariate analysis (odds ratios 1.066, 1.377, and 1.291, respectively). When the subjects were classified using the existing classification criteria, WBC and CRP, the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 29.3% and 88.7%, respectively, and when PCT was added, the PPV and NPV were 30.7% and 92%, respectively, both increased.ConclusionPCT is useful for predicting SBI in children aged 3 months or less who visit the emergency room with a fever. It is useful as a single biomarker, and when used in conjunction with classic biomarkers, its diagnostic accuracy is further increased.

Background: Pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic tests in the pediatric emergency room are frequently sedated. Although efforts are made to prevent adverse events, no sedation protocol has specified the optimal regimen, dosage, and interval of medication to prevent adverse events. This study analyzed the safety and efficacy of sequential pediatric sedation protocols for pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic tests in the pediatric emergency room of a single tertiary medical center.Methods: The medical records of patients aged Results: Of the 289 included patients, 20 (6.9%) experienced adverse events, none serious, and nine (3.1%) failed to reach the depth of sedation required to complete the test. The regimen (P=0.622) and dosage (P=0.777) of the sedatives were unrelated to the occurrence of adverse events when sedation was performed according to protocol.Conclusion: The sedation protocol used in these patients, consisting of sequential administration of minimum dosages, achieved a sufficient depth of sedation with relatively few adverse events, indicating that this protocol can be used safely and effectively for painless sedation in pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic testing.

Background Intussusception decreases blood flow to the bowel, and tissue hypoperfusion results in increased lactic acid levels. We aimed to determine whether lactic acid levels are associated with pediatric intussusception outcomes. Methods The electronic medical records of our emergency department pediatric patients diagnosed with intussusception, between January 2015 and October 2018, were reviewed. An outcome was considered poor when intussusception recurred within 48 h of reduction or when surgical reduction was required due to air enema failure. Results A total of 249 patients were included in the study, including 39 who experienced intussusception recurrence and 11 who required surgical reductions; hence, 50 patients were included in the poor outcome group. The poor and good outcome groups showed significant differences in their respective blood gas analyses for pH (7.39 vs. 7.41, P = .001), lactic acid (1.70 vs. 1.30 mmol/L, P P = .036). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that pH and lactic acid levels were the two factors significantly associated with poor outcomes. When the lactic acid level cutoff values were ≥ 1.5, ≥2.0, ≥2.5, and ≥ 3.0 mmol/L, the positive predictive values for poor outcomes were 30.0, 34.6, 50.0, and 88.9%, respectively. Conclusion Lactic acid levels affect outcomes in pediatric patients with intussusception; higher lactic acid levels are associated with higher positive predictive values for poor outcomes.

Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality are common reasons for child and adolescent psychiatric emergencies. We aimed to investigate the incidence of pediatric emergency department (PED) utilization for psychiatric problems in children and adolescents and to identify demographic and clinical characteristics of youths who visited the PED for suicide attempt (SA) and/or NSSI. Methods The medical records of children and adolescents who visited the PED for psychiatric problems from January 2015 to November 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic and clinical variables including psychiatric disorders were collected. We compared the characteristics of youths who presented to the PED for SA and/or NSSI with those of youths without SA or NSSI. Student's t-test, χ2 test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results During 59 months of observation, 194 youths visited the PED and the number of total PED visits was 336. Among them, 46 youths (23.7%) visited the PED for SA and/or NSSI at least once, and the number of visits was 91 (27.1% of PED visits). Youths with SA and/or NSSI were older (P = 0.001) and more likely to be a girl (P = 0.005) and to report parental absence (P = 0.023). Bipolar and related disorders (P = 0.032) and depressive disorders (P = 0.004) were more common in youths with SA and/or NSSI, while schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (P = 0.030) and somatic symptom and related disorders (P = 0.007) were more common in those without SA and NSSI. After adjusting for age, sex, and parental marital status, bipolar and related disorders (odds ratio [OR], 6.72), depressive disorders (OR, 9.59), and somatic symptom and related disorders (OR, 0.12) were significantly associated with SA and/or NSSI. Youths with SA and/or NSSI also stayed longer in the PED (P = 0.007). Conclusion SA and NSSI are one of the main reasons for child and adolescent admittance to psychiatric services in the PED and are associated with psychiatric comorbidities. An appropriate risk assessment for suicidality and self-injury and proper management and referral to mental health services at the PED are of the utmost importance., Graphical Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and suggest ways to improve the same. Through this, we will improve the self-management practice of patients and promote the treatment of BPH in older patients. The 2015 Korea Health Panel Survey data were used in this study. A total of 422 BPH patients aged 65 or older were included. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors affecting the HRQOL of older patients with BPH. General characteristics of factors affecting older patients with BPH included income level and type of insurance. In addition, among medical-related characteristics and health behavior factors, subjective health status, unmet medical care needs, moderate physical activity, sitting time, and drinking influenced the HRQOL. Therefore, in order to improve the HRQOL of adult patients with BPH, it is necessary to improve medical accessibility by strengthening primary care. In addition, it is necessary to increase the amount of activity in daily life through healthcare medical devices.

Objectives The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for recurrent intussusception after a successful reduction by fluoroscopy-guided air enema, the time required for recurrence, and the association between delayed reduction and the recurrence. Methods Medical records of 479 consecutive children with intussusception who underwent fluoroscopy-guided air enema between January 2004 and September 2014 were reviewed. Recurrent intussusception was defined as a recurrence within 48 hours of a reduction. Symptom-to-door time was defined as the time from symptom onset to emergency department arrival. Door-to-reduction time was defined as the time from emergency department arrival to reduction. Time-to-recurrence was defined as the time required for recurrence from the first ultrasound diagnosis. Results Of the 360 eligible children, 32 had recurrent intussusceptions (8.9%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that age 2 years or older is an independent predictor of recurrent intussusception (odds ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-5.02; P = 0.02). Median time to recurrence was 25 hours (18.0-36.0 hours). Although symptom-to-door and door-to-reduction times tended to be longer in the recurrence group, these differences were not significant (12.5 vs 7.0 hours, P = 0.18; 154.0 vs 143.0 minutes, P = 0.67, respectively). Conclusions Our data suggest that provision for early recurrence and extended observation may be beneficial for children 2 years or older. Delayed reduction was not associated with recurrent intussusception, but further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to explain this issue.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) changed the epidemiology of various diseases. The present study retrospectively investigates the epidemiologic and clinical changes in pediatric intussusception for ages ≤ 7 years before (February 2019–January 2020) and after (February 2020–January 2021) the COVID-19 outbreak in a single pediatric emergency department of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital. The incidence of communicable diseases—defined as infectious diseases with the potential for human-to-human transmission via all methods, non-communicable diseases, and intussusception were decreased following the COVID-19 outbreak (15,932 to 3880 (24.4%), 12,994 to 8050 (62.0%), and 87 to 27 (31.0%), respectively). The incidence of intussusception correlated significantly with the change in incidence of communicable diseases (Poisson log-linear regression, odds ratio = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.08–4.26, and p = 0.029). Compared with the pre-pandemic period, patients of the pandemic period showed higher proportions of pathologic leading point (PLP) and hospitalization (14.8% vs. 2.3% and 18.5% vs. 4.6%, respectively), lower base excesses (−4.8 mmol/L vs. −3.6 mmol/L), and higher lactate concentrations (1.7 mmol/L vs. 1.5 mmol/L). The incidence of pediatric intussusception decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic. This reduced incidence may be related to the reduced incidence of communicable diseases. However, the proportions of more severe diseases and PLPs were higher after the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate the clinical features of coinfection due toWe reviewed 4,465 patients with influenza who visited a tertiary care hospital emergency department in Seoul (Korea) from 2010 through 2016, and underwent immunoglobulin M (IgM) serology or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) forOf 244 influenza pneumonia patients, 41 (16.8%) had

Background The aim of this study was to describe the structure, organization, management, and staffing of pediatric critical care (PCC) in Korea. Methods We directed a questionnaire survey for all Upper Grade General Hospitals (n = 43) in Korea in 2015. The first questionnaire was mainly about structure, organization, and staffing and responses were obtained from 32 hospitals. The second questionnaire was mainly about patients and management. Responses to second questionnaire were obtained from 18 hospitals. Results Twelve from 32 Upper Grade General Hospitals had pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and 11 of them had the PICU which was exclusive for children. Total number of PICU beds in Korea was 113. The ratio of the number of PICU beds to the number of children was 1:77,460 in Korea and this ratio is lower than that of other developed countries. The mean number of beds in the PICUs was 9.4 ± 9.3 (range, 2–30). There were 16 medical doctors who were assigned for PCC and only 5 of them were full time pediatric intensivists. In the 18 Upper Grade General Hospitals that responded to the second questionnaire survey, there were 97 patients in the PICUs with an average number of 5.7 ± 7.2 (range, 0–22) on the survey day. The mean age of the patients was 3.4 ± 5.6 years. The mean length of hospital stay was 82 ± 271 days. The mean Pediatric Risk of Mortality score III was 9.4 ± 7.8 at the time of admission to the PICUs. Conclusion There is a considerable shortage of PICU beds compared to those in developed countries. In addition, the proportion of PICUs with PCC specialists is much lower than those in the US and European countries., Graphical Abstract

OBJECTIVES The diagnosis and management of children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) admitted in the emergency department (ED) are challenging. The present study aimed at describing the initial characteristics of pediatric patients with HLH upon admission in the ED. Moreover, the clinical severity of the condition was assessed. METHODS We performed a retrospective study of patients who visited the pediatric ED and were newly diagnosed with HLH during hospitalization between February 2012 and January 2017. The patients were classified in the clinically unstable group if at least 1 of the following conditions was observed upon admission in the ED: hypoxia requiring oxygen supplementation, hypotension requiring inotropic support, coagulopathy with prothrombin time (international normalized ratio, ≥1.5), and seizures or altered consciousness. RESULTS We enrolled 31 pediatric patients with HLH, with a median age of 6.53 years (interquartile range, 1.35-13.24 years). Abdominal discomfort along with fever (74.2%) was the most common presenting symptom in patients admitted in the ED. Based on the HLH-2004 diagnostic criteria, fever (96.8%), hyperferritinemia (96.8%), splenomegaly (74.2%), hypertriglyceridemia and/or hypofibrinogenemia (67.7%), and bicytopenia (41.9%) were observed in the patients. However, only 8 patients (25.8%) met the criteria. Nineteen patients (61.3%) were included in the clinically unstable group. This group had lower albumin (2.3 vs 3.3 g/dL, P = 0.002) and fibrinogen levels and higher ferritin level and neutrophil count than the clinically stable group. Meanwhile, the number of clinical findings that met the diagnostic criteria was not different between the 2 groups. Lower albumin level was a significant risk factor in the clinically unstable group (odds ratio, 0.040; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients with HLH often have clinically unstable conditions upon admission in the ED. However, only few patients meet the HLH-2004 diagnostic criteria. Lower albumin level may be useful in assessing clinically unstable patients and preparing for possible deterioration.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in children who presented to the emergency department with acute nontraumatic visual disturbance and to study related clinical factors for discovering positive lesions on head MRI.We performed a retrospective study of 1-month to 15-year-old children who underwent head MRI as an evaluation for acute nontraumatic visual disturbance as a chief complaint in our pediatric emergency department between March 2010 and March 2015. The symptoms of visual disturbance were blurred vision, diplopia, loss of vision, and visual hallucination. Head MRI findings were considered positive when lesions could explain the symptoms.We identified 39 patients (25 with blurred vision, 9 with diplopia, 3 with loss of vision, and 2 with visual hallucination) with a mean age of 8.35 ± 4.06 years. Positive head MRI findings were identified in 13 patients (33.3%). Brain tumors were most common (53.8%), followed by optic nerve inflammations (23.1%), congenital brain lesions (15.4%), and hypertensive encephalopathy (7.7%). Compared with the negative head MRI group, the positive head MRI group showed significantly less transient visual disturbance (duration1 hour to complete recovery) (P = 0.001), more limited eye movement (P = 0.003), and more pupillary abnormalities (P = 0.030).We suggest performing urgent head MRI in children with acute nontraumatic visual disturbance if the symptoms last longer than 1 hour without complete recovery and are accompanied by limited eye movement or pupillary abnormality.

The risk factors and clinical implications of stress hyperglycemia in children with febrile seizure remain uncertain. Among 479 children with febrile seizure, the prevalence of the stress hyperglycemia (blood glucose concentration ≥ 150 mg/dL) was 10.0%. Stress hyperglycemia group included larger proportion of first-time febrile seizure, prolonged febrile seizure, and smaller proportion of short febrile seizure in comparison with the non–stress hyperglycemia group. Stress hyperglycemia group demonstrated a lower pH and higher lactate levels than the non–stress hyperglycemia group. Multivariate analysis revealed that first-time febrile seizure (aOR = 3.741, P = .004) and prolonged febrile seizure (aOR = 12.855, P < .001) were significant risk factors for stress hyperglycemia. The rate of early febrile seizure recurrence in the emergency department was not different between the groups. These findings suggest that children experiencing first-time or prolonged febrile seizure are prone to stress hyperglycemia, and this can be related to febrile seizure severity. However, stress hyperglycemia is not predictive of early febrile seizure recurrence in the emergency department.