Teaching Rounds

Grand Rounds-style Teaching Capstones by our amazing graduating PGY-3s during their Teaching Elective

Did we find the cause of SIDS?: A critical review of “Butyrylcholinesterase is a potential biomarker for SIDS”

Teaching Rounds / December 19, 2022

by Hawa Tunkara, MD (’23)
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Health Equity carries many definitions, but a central theme is: having equal opportunity to live a healthy life 12345.  Physicians often find themselves taking care of a patient whose health is a product of factors they cannot not exactly control. We can all likely think of a patient whose social circumstance created barriers in their treatment plan. We are trained to take care of the patient in front of us. However, if healthy equity aligns with our work where is our place to tackle the structures that make our patient’s sick?

On the road towards Health Equity: finding an intersection between public health and medicine

Brown Around Town: Community Advocacy, Teaching Rounds / December 19, 2022

by Hawa Tunkara, MD (’23)
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Health Equity carries many definitions, but a central theme is: having equal opportunity to live a healthy life 12345.  Physicians often find themselves taking care of a patient whose health is a product of factors they cannot not exactly control. We can all likely think of a patient whose social circumstance created barriers in their treatment plan. We are trained to take care of the patient in front of us. However, if healthy equity aligns with our work where is our place to tackle the structures that make our patient’s sick?

Childhood Obesity in COVID-19: Ways to Counsel

Teaching Rounds / January 10, 2022

by Leslia Gonzalez (’22)
reviewed by Celeste Corcoran
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Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for many years. The COVID pandemic has unfortunately exacerbated this. A study published in JAMA that utilized the Kaiser Permanente Southern California population found an increase in childhood obesity across all ages, with the largest being within the age group of 5-11 yo. There was an increase of approximately 9%. We have seen this trend amongst our patient population as well.

OUCH MY BACK! Spondylolysis in the Pediatric Population

Teaching Rounds / January 10, 2022

by Maya Spencer (’22)
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Spondylolysis is a stress fracture that occurs within the vertebrae, typically at the pars interarticularis. When the fracture occurs bilaterally and completes all the way through the bone this can progress to spondylolisthesis, where the vertebrae slides anteriorly over the bone below it. As children are becoming more active in sports at an earlier age with a higher intensity of practice this is becoming an increasingly common condition in the pediatric population.

BITE ME!…NOT: Management of Animal Bites

Teaching Rounds / August 2, 2021

by Bruna Olson, MD (’22)
Reviewed by Alison Heinly, MD
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Animal bites are a common complaint seen in the Emergency Department throughout the year. Questions regarding whether to manage the wounds through suturing or antibiotics are common and this article aims to clarify the indications for these different management options when appropriate. 

MAKING PAIN MANAGEMENT LESS PAINFUL: Opioid Use in Pediatrics

Teaching Rounds / August 2, 2021

by Sarah Harney, MD (’21)
reviewed by Angie Anderson, MD
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As pediatric residents spending a lot of time in the inpatient setting, we encounter opioid use fairly frequently. There is a great deal of concern about opioid use in society at large, given the current opioid crisis our country faces. However, opioids are an important tool in our pain management toolbox, and can be an excellent choice when used safely in the appropriate clinical context. Therefore, it is critical for pediatric trainees to feel comfortable with opioid prescribing. Opioids may be indicated in pediatric patients with moderate to severe acute pain, acute exacerbations of chronic pain, and cancer-related pain. Even for these patients, your pain management approach should always be multifactorial including non-pharmacologic pain control techniques and non-opioid analgesics.

LET’S PARDS OUT THE DETAILS: Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Teaching Rounds / August 2, 2021

by Carly Schmidt, MD (’21)
reviewed by Sarah Welsh, MD
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Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a disease process of severe hypoxemia with oxygenation and (often) ventilation failure, with lung inflammation and poor lung compliance (see Pathophysiology below). It is similar to the adult counterpart (ARDS) but carries slightly different definitions. PARDS is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric ICU, and awareness of degree of hypoxia is key, especially in patients who have not yet developed ventilatory failure.

IN TOO DEEP: Diving into Pediatric Drowning

Teaching Rounds / November 3, 2020

by Alli Georgadarellis, MD (’21)
reviewed by Meghan Beucher, MD
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While summertime usually brings decreased patient volume in our hospital, it is often accompanied by increased traumas and injuries. Fatal and nonfatal drownings are unfortunate but common causes of pediatric injury and death. In fact, unintentional drowning is the leading cause of death in the 1-4 year old age group in the United States