{"title":"It's Not Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Until Dietl's is Ruled Out: A Case for Point of Care Renal Ultrasound","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jemermed.2024.05.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Abdominal pain and vomiting are frequent complaints for pediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). When a diagnosis such as chronic abdominal pain, cyclic vomiting, or abdominal migraine has previously been made, it can lead to diagnostic momentum and confirmation bias on behalf of the treating physician. Dietl's crisis is a commonly missed diagnosis in the pediatric population that presents with intermittent episodes of pain and vomiting. It can be readily diagnosed at the bedside by the emergency physician (EP) through the employment of point of care ultrasound (POCUS).</p></div><div><h3>Case Series</h3><p>We present two cases of pediatric patients with episodic abdominal pain and vomiting who were previously diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome. In both cases, pediatric gastroenterology evaluations had occurred with negative diagnostic testing having been performed. Both patients also presented to their primary pediatrician and the ED multiple times with each encounter resulting in treatment of symptoms and discharge. Each patient eventually presented to the ED when an EP was present who performed a renal POCUS. In each patient, the POCUS revealed severe unilateral hydronephrosis. Subsequent workup confirmed the diagnosis of Dietl's crisis as the etiology of symptoms.</p></div><div><h3>Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?</h3><p>In pediatric patients, EPs should be wary of the diagnosis of cyclic vomiting syndrome until ureteral obstruction has been ruled out. A bedside POCUS can rapidly establish this diagnosis and potentially preclude recurrent health care visits, unnecessary diagnostic testing, and permanent loss of renal function.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16085,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"67 4","pages":"Pages e346-e350"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Emergency Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736467924001513","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EMERGENCY MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Abdominal pain and vomiting are frequent complaints for pediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). When a diagnosis such as chronic abdominal pain, cyclic vomiting, or abdominal migraine has previously been made, it can lead to diagnostic momentum and confirmation bias on behalf of the treating physician. Dietl's crisis is a commonly missed diagnosis in the pediatric population that presents with intermittent episodes of pain and vomiting. It can be readily diagnosed at the bedside by the emergency physician (EP) through the employment of point of care ultrasound (POCUS).
Case Series
We present two cases of pediatric patients with episodic abdominal pain and vomiting who were previously diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome. In both cases, pediatric gastroenterology evaluations had occurred with negative diagnostic testing having been performed. Both patients also presented to their primary pediatrician and the ED multiple times with each encounter resulting in treatment of symptoms and discharge. Each patient eventually presented to the ED when an EP was present who performed a renal POCUS. In each patient, the POCUS revealed severe unilateral hydronephrosis. Subsequent workup confirmed the diagnosis of Dietl's crisis as the etiology of symptoms.
Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?
In pediatric patients, EPs should be wary of the diagnosis of cyclic vomiting syndrome until ureteral obstruction has been ruled out. A bedside POCUS can rapidly establish this diagnosis and potentially preclude recurrent health care visits, unnecessary diagnostic testing, and permanent loss of renal function.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Emergency Medicine is an international, peer-reviewed publication featuring original contributions of interest to both the academic and practicing emergency physician. JEM, published monthly, contains research papers and clinical studies as well as articles focusing on the training of emergency physicians and on the practice of emergency medicine. The Journal features the following sections:
• Original Contributions
• Clinical Communications: Pediatric, Adult, OB/GYN
• Selected Topics: Toxicology, Prehospital Care, The Difficult Airway, Aeromedical Emergencies, Disaster Medicine, Cardiology Commentary, Emergency Radiology, Critical Care, Sports Medicine, Wound Care
• Techniques and Procedures
• Technical Tips
• Clinical Laboratory in Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacology in Emergency Medicine
• Case Presentations of the Harvard Emergency Medicine Residency
• Visual Diagnosis in Emergency Medicine
• Medical Classics
• Emergency Forum
• Editorial(s)
• Letters to the Editor
• Education
• Administration of Emergency Medicine
• International Emergency Medicine
• Computers in Emergency Medicine
• Violence: Recognition, Management, and Prevention
• Ethics
• Humanities and Medicine
• American Academy of Emergency Medicine
• AAEM Medical Student Forum
• Book and Other Media Reviews
• Calendar of Events
• Abstracts
• Trauma Reports
• Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine