Pneumonia
Renal colic mimics
- Some mimics of renal colic that may arrive at the ED include: upper UTI’s, ectopic pregnancies, ovarian torsion, adnexal masses, testicular torsion, acute aortic syndromes, renal artery aneurysms, renal infarction, splenic infarction, bowel obstruction, diverticulitis, appendicitis, biliary colic, cholecystitis, acute intestinal ischemia, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, retroperitoneal hematoma, iliopsoas abscess.
- Focused history and physical exam are paramount due to the multitude of structures in the area and potentially dangerous conditions that may mimic renal colic.
- Flank pain and hematuria are the hallmarks of renal colic, however, the presentation is variable.
- Diagnosis can be confirmed with CT scan, which will show most other potential items in the differential if the scan is negative for a stone.
The Tachypnoeic Infant
In the absence of these red flags (i.e. a well child with tachypnoea), three main investigations are recommended, all of which would be appropriate in the ED…
MYTH: Cough syrups prevent coughs
There is NO GOOD EVIDENCE for or against the effectiveness of OTC medications in acute cough. Studies have reported adverse effects of these medications and described infrequent, mainly minor side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache and drowsiness.
Lateral chest radiography for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children
In kids, the addition of a lateral view does not appear to significantly improve the accuracy of paediatric pneumonia diagnosis when compared to frontal view alone.