Limitations of Neck Examination for C-Spine Tenderness and Laryngospasm during Pediatric Procedural Sedation

Welcome back! This month we take a look at 3 papers covering the breadth of Emergency Care.

First up we look at a paper evaluating outcomes for patients discharged on scene by an EMS service; how many reattend ED, how many require ICU care and what is the associated mortality rate?

NEXUS and Canadian c-spine rules both incorporate the presence of c-spine tenderness when deciding whether to image the neck as a result of trauma. But what is the prevalence of c-spine tenderness without trauma and how might that affect our clinical assessment?

Finally we take a look at a paper focussing on the risk of laryngospasm in paediatric sedation; what is the risk, which factors make it more likely to occur, and what can we do to mitigate it's risk?

Enjoy!

Simon & Rob