Ever wonder why babies receive erythromycin eye ointment at birth and if it’s really necessary? We’re going to answer that and many other EYE-opening questions in today’s episode!

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This episode was written by pediatricians Lidia Park and Tammy Yau with content support from Dean Blumberg (UC Davis pediatric infectious disease). Pediatricians Tammy and Lidia take full responsibility for any errors or misinformation.

Key Points:

• Erythromycin eye ointment is given to newborn babies to prevent against gonococcal infection, it does not cover chlamydia infections. 10% of babies who are exposed to gonococcus can still get eye infections even when given erythromycin
• Gonococcal eye infections (ophthalmia neonatorum) can cause ulcers, rupture, and blindness. Disseminated infections can cause arthritis, bacteremia, and meningitis

Sources:

• Red book “Gonococcal infections”, “Chlamydia”, “Neonatal ophthalmia prevention” chapters
• Kapoor VS, Evans JR, Vedula SS. Interventions for preventing ophthalmia neonatorum. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Sep 21;9(9):CD001862. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001862.pub4. PMID: 32959365; PMCID: PMC8524318.
• Neoreviews (2022) 23 (9): e603–e612. https://doi.org/10.1542/neo.23-9-e603
• Commentary From the AAP Section on Ophthalmology: Century of Changes | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics

What do petting zoos, river swimming, and hamburgers have in common? All have been linked with the spread of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli or STEC O157:H7, which is a strain linked with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

This episode was written by pediatricians Lidia Park and Tammy Yau with content support from Stephanie Nguyen (UC Davis pediatric nephrology). Pediatricians Tammy and Lidia take full responsibility for any errors or misinformation.

Key Points:

• Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a microangiopathic hemolytic anemia caused by Shiga toxin producing E. coli.
• Symptoms include anemia, thrombocytopenia, and uremia
• Treat HUS with hydration (but not too much as that can lead to fluid overload), blood transfusion if needed for severe anemia, and close monitoring as some patients progress to needing dialysis

Sources:

• Peds in Review, 2020. Pediatr Rev (2020) 41 (4): 213–215. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2018-0346
• AAP Grand Rounds (2023) 49 (5): 55. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.49-5-55
• AAP Grand Rounds (2024) 52 (1): 6.https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.52-1-06
• Ho, Erin. “Factors associated with Actionable Gastrointestinal Panel Results in Hospitalized Children”. Hospital Pediatrics Nov 2023

Unequal blood pressures in the extremities and unequal brachial vs femoral pulses? Consider coarctation of the aorta. What’s that? Learn more in today's episode!

This episode was written by pediatricians Lidia Park and Tammy Yau with content support from Jay Yeh (UC Davis pediatric cardiologist). Pediatricians Tammy and Lidia take full responsibility for any errors or misinformation.

Key Points:

• Coarctation of the aorta is narrowing of the aorta near the ductus arteriosus (which closes and becomes the ligamentum arteriosum). Most cases occur in the first month of life.
• Symptoms of coarctation of the aorta are tachypnea, poor feeding, fussiness, and sweating with feeds. Blood pressure is elevated in the right upper extremity compared to the lower extremity. Babies can develop congestive heart failure which can lead to shock.
• CCHD does not always catch coarctations of the aorta!

Sources:

• Raza S, Aggarwal S, Jenkins P, et al. Coarctation of the Aorta: Diagnosis and Management. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(13):2189. Published 2023 Jun 27. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13132189
• Salciccioli KB, Zachariah JP. Coarctation of the Aorta: Modern Paradigms Across the Lifespan. Hypertension. 2023;80(10):1970-1979. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.19454
• Parker LE, Landstrom AP. Genetic Etiology of Left-Sided Obstructive Heart Lesions: A Story in Development. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10(2):e019006. doi:10.1161/JAHA.120.019006