Reminder from new PECARN CAP data: auscultation alone is shaky ground for diagnosing pediatric pneumonia — clinicians often disagree on crackles & breath sounds. BUT grunting & altered mental status, even when uncommon/poor agreement between clinicians, still flag sick kids. See them → take them seriously. Good news! PECARN is deriving a severity tool for CAP RIGHT NOW! Stay tuned! jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

How reproducible is the pediatric pneumonia exam? 252 kids, 7 academic EDs, paired exams. Fleiss κ (reliability score): • Wheezing 0.50 (fair) • Retractions 0.49 (fair) • Crackles/rales 0.21 (poor) • Rhonchi 0.18 (poor) • ↓Breath sounds 0.11 (REALLY poor) None reached "substantial." The crackle you hear may not be the crackle I hear. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

🚨 New PECARN Study Alert! 🚨 The PECARN STArT trial asked an important question: Could IV arginine help children and young adults with sickle cell disease recover faster from acute pain episodes? jamanetwork.com/journals/jam… #SPARC #PECARN #SickleCellDisease

#PRoMPTBOLUS & PECARN are back on the mic! Check out this latest podcast from PEM Currents - The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast, discusses all things #PECARN #PRoMPTBOLUS trial and the selection of fluids for the resuscitation of children in suspected #septicshock. pemcurrents.com/e/saline-or-…

Guidelines say diagnose pediatric pneumonia by exam, not x-ray. New PECARN study: 2 attendings examining the SAME child within 60 min couldn't reliably agree on what they heard. NO exam finding hit substantial agreement. If our ears don't match, should we lean on them alone? 🫁 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

Does IV arginine make a difference when it come to #pain crisis in patients with #SickleCellDisease? This recent PECARN trial in @JAMAnetwork sought to evaluate that question. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

A #PECARN trial asked whether IV arginine could shorten sickle cell pain crises in children. It could not, and the trial stopped early. 🧬 Its editorial: this does not close the chapter on arginine. It changes how the question must be asked. #SPARC #Pediatrics #EmergencyMedicine #PEM doi.org/10.1001/jama.2026.13…

This review explores how digital technologies are transforming community consultation and public disclosure for emergency research conducted under Exception from Informed Consent (#EFIC). From social media campaigns to online surveys and virtual meetings, digital tools can help researchers reach larger, more diverse communities, gather meaningful feedback, and improve public engagement. Learn how these innovative approaches are shaping the future of ethical emergency care research. #GLACiER #CHaMP #PECARN #Pediatrics #EmergencyMedicine #PEM DOI: 10.1016/j.acepjo.2026.100464

New multicenter research found substantial differences in cervical spine imaging for children with possible neck injuries based on where they first receive care. Children initially evaluated at general EDs were more likely to undergo imaging, particularly CT. These results provide an important benchmark as the PECARN cervical spine decision rule is implemented. #GLACiER #PECARN #Pediatrics #EmergencyMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2026…

The PECARN STArT trial results are released and covered on the ALiEM blog. Visit: aliem.com/sickle-cell-acute-…

PRoMPT BOLUS and EM Pulse join forces to discuss the latest #PECARN research on fluid choice in suspected pediatric septic shock. Listen to hear how the authors frame the study and what this means for pediatric sepsis treatment. ucdavisem.com/2026/07/21/the…

Pediatric calls are rare, but the stakes are never low. This study set the first true national baseline for pediatric EMS readiness, revealing wide variation across the country. #PedsReady #PECARN #EMS #CHaMP DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2026.01.013

Did you know that PECARN has a blog? Check out pecarn.org/pecarn_news for all of the latest takes on PECARN research.

Protocol adherence is hardest exactly when the stakes are highest. Severe pediatric asthma is a high-acuity, low-frequency call, and this checklist-driven approach nearly tripled use of combined bronchodilator and steroid therapy in the field. #PECARN #CHaMP #TRECSPilot #EmergencyMedicine #EMS DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2026.2654585

Nine experts, twenty-two papers, one final ten. EMS experts rated candidate papers on a five-point importance scale, and ten cleared the bar to make the final reading list. #EmergencyMedicine #EMS #PECARN DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2026.2693158

Same injury, different scan, depending on where you land. The #PECARN C-Spine Study found that cervical spine imaging for injured kids varies notably by ED type, general versus pediatric, even after adjusting for injury severity. #CSPINERule #GLACiER #PEM #EmergencyMedicine DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115189

Here's what actually gets measured now. The 24 new quality measures span airway management, trauma, pain control, respiratory emergencies, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, shock, seizures, hypoglycemia, newborn care, non-transport decisions, and safe transport. #PPRP #PedsReady #PediatricEmergencyMedicine DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2026.2617921

How ready is US EMS to treat a critically ill child? Nearly 7,000 agencies were surveyed for the first national pediatric readiness assessment, with a median score of 65.5 out of 100. #PPRP #PedsReady #CHaMP #EmergencyMedicine DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2026.01.013

Every second counts when a child can't breathe in the back of an ambulance. A #PECARN pilot study paired albuterol/ipratropium and dexamethasone with a paramedic checklist, and combined-medication use rose from 17% to 53% #CHaMP #EmergencyMedicine #PEM doi: 10.1080/02770903.2026.2654585