Medical Education Blog
Evidence-based clinical guides and educational articles for medical students and practicing clinicians, with direct links to free pediatric calculators.
Faltering Weight and Failure to Thrive: A Practical Diagnostic and Management Approach
The 2026 AAP/NASPGHAN clinical practice guideline for faltering weight (formerly failure to thrive): the new z-score-based definition, why the guideline recommends against routine testing and against socioeconomic status as a risk factor, and calorie-first management.
Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension: Screening, Risk Stratification, and the Preterm-BPD Phenotype
Pediatric pulmonary hypertension including the preterm bronchopulmonary dysplasia phenotype: the >20 mmHg mean PAP definition, echocardiographic screening at 36 weeks, EPPVDN risk stratification, the pediatric pulmonary hypertensive vascular disease classification, and catheterization.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants: Hemodynamic Significance and the Transcatheter Era
Patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: judging hemodynamic significance, when to treat versus observe, cyclooxygenase-inhibitor closure, and the shift toward transcatheter device closure in extremely low birth weight infants.
Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Fluid Strategy, the Two-Bag System, and Cerebral Injury Risk
Pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis management: severity grading by acidosis, the ISPAD 2022 fluid strategy, the two-bag dextrose-titration system, potassium and insulin timing, and recognizing cerebral injury.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Screening, Surveillance, and the M-CHAT-R/F Pathway
Autism spectrum disorder screening and surveillance: the AAP schedule, the two-stage M-CHAT-R/F, why a positive screen triggers parallel diagnostic and early-intervention referral, and screening higher-risk groups.
Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Children: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Iron-deficiency anemia in children: universal screening at 12 months, iron-study interpretation with the ferritin-inflammation caveat, distinguishing thalassemia trait, oral iron dosing, and confirming the reticulocyte response.
Celiac Disease in Children: The ESPGHAN No-Biopsy Diagnostic Pathway
Celiac disease in children and the ESPGHAN no-biopsy pathway: tTG-IgA with total IgA, the high-titer plus endomysial-antibody criteria that allow diagnosis without biopsy, the gluten-intake requirement, and screening high-risk groups.
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: Assessment, Eat-Sleep-Console, and Pharmacologic Management
Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome: function-based assessment, the Eat, Sleep, Console approach and its randomized-trial evidence, nonpharmacologic-first care, opioid pharmacotherapy when needed, and how NOWS differs from iatrogenic withdrawal.
Pediatric Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: Recognition, Management, and the 2026 AHA Scientific Statement
Comprehensive guide to the 2026 AHA Scientific Statement (Cabrera et al.) on pediatric ADHF: ED recognition, Stevenson hemodynamic profiling, SCAI cardiogenic shock staging, inotrope selection (milrinone, epinephrine, dobutamine, dopamine), DOSE-trial diuretic strategy, noninvasive ventilation, intubation risks, ECMO/VAD mechanical circulatory support, nutrition, triple-therapy GDMT, readmission prevention, and behavioral health screening.
Pediatric Echo Z-Scores: A Practical Guide
How to interpret echocardiographic z-scores in children, comparing PHN/Lopez, Boston, Detroit/Pettersen, and coronary z-score systems. Includes obesity limitations, neonatal considerations, and 2024 AHA aortopathy grading.
Kawasaki Disease: Diagnosis, Coronary Monitoring, and Risk Stratification
Evidence-based approach to diagnosing Kawasaki disease in children, including incomplete presentations, MIS-C differentiation, coronary artery z-score monitoring, IVIG resistance, and the 2024 AHA guidelines.
Neonatal Jaundice: AAP Guidelines, Phototherapy Thresholds, and Bilirubin Nomograms
Evidence-based guide to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia using the 2022 AAP guidelines, including phototherapy thresholds, neurotoxicity risk factors, bilirubin-albumin ratio, exchange transfusion criteria, home phototherapy, and rebound monitoring.
Pediatric Growth Assessment: WHO, CDC, and Specialty Growth Charts Explained
How to choose and interpret growth charts in pediatric practice, including WHO vs CDC standards, the 2026 AAP faltering weight guideline, z-scores vs percentiles, preterm age correction, syndrome-specific charts, growth velocity, and bone age assessment.
Pediatric Sepsis: The Phoenix Criteria and Organ Dysfunction Scoring
The 2024 Phoenix Sepsis criteria for children, including score components, pSOFA, VIS trajectory groups, PEWS, 2025 AHA/AAP fluid resuscitation guidelines, lactate-guided resuscitation, and vasoactive medication recommendations.
QTc Prolongation in Children: Causes, Formulas, and Clinical Decision-Making
Evaluating corrected QT interval in pediatric patients: Bazett vs Fridericia formulas, Schwartz score for LQTS diagnosis, genotype-phenotype correlations, ICD indications, drug-induced QT prolongation, and 2021 PACES guidelines.
Pediatric Head Trauma: The PECARN Rule for CT Decision-Making
How to apply the PECARN clinical decision rule for pediatric head trauma, including age-stratified algorithms, ciTBI risk by category, observation protocols, pediatric GCS modifications, and CT radiation risks.
The APGAR Score: Neonatal Assessment, Interpretation, and Clinical Significance
Understanding the APGAR scoring system for newborn assessment, its clinical significance at 1 and 5 minutes, limitations, and relationship to neonatal outcomes and resuscitation decisions.
Pediatric IV Fluid Management: Maintenance Fluids, Deficit Replacement, and DKA Protocols
Evidence-based approach to pediatric fluid therapy including Holliday-Segar maintenance calculations, dehydration assessment, deficit replacement, and the two-bag method for DKA.
Growth Monitoring in Preterm Infants: Fenton Charts, Corrected Age, and Nutritional Optimization
Evidence-based guide to preterm infant growth monitoring using the 2025 Fenton charts, corrected age through 36 months, INTERGROWTH-21st comparison, breast milk fortification strategies, and neurodevelopmental outcome data.
Pediatric Pain Assessment: Choosing the Right Scale for Every Age Group
Evidence-based guide to pediatric pain assessment scales by age group, including SCCM 2022 guidelines, PIPP-R, N-PASS, CRIES, FLACC, Wong-Baker FACES, FPS-R, COMFORT-B, WAT-1, and iatrogenic withdrawal screening.
Pediatric Blood Pressure: AAP 2017 Guidelines, Percentiles, and Hypertension Staging
Evidence-based guide to pediatric hypertension screening, AAP 2017 BP percentiles, staging criteria, ABPM indications, white coat and masked hypertension, secondary hypertension evaluation, and antihypertensive treatment with 10 references.
Assessing Kidney Function in Children: GFR Estimation, CKD Staging, and Electrolyte Interpretation
A practical guide to evaluating pediatric renal function using the Schwartz formula, creatinine clearance, fractional excretion of sodium, and urine electrolyte ratios.
Vasoactive Infusions in the PICU: Dosing, Pharmacology, and the Vasoactive-Inotropic Score
A practical overview of vasoactive medications used in pediatric critical care, including dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, milrinone, and how to calculate the vasoactive-inotropic score.
Evaluating the Febrile Infant: Step-by-Step Risk Stratification Under 60 Days
Evidence-based approach to the febrile infant younger than 60 days, including inflammatory marker interpretation, urinalysis evaluation, and validated risk stratification tools.
Body Surface Area in Pediatrics: Formulas, Drug Dosing, and Burn Assessment
Understanding BSA calculation methods in pediatric medicine, including Haycock, Mosteller, and DuBois formulas, their applications in chemotherapy dosing, and burn surface area estimation.
Neonatal Respiratory Assessment: Oxygenation Indices, P/F Ratio, and Surfactant Dosing
How to assess respiratory status in neonates using the oxygenation index, P/F ratio, A-a gradient, and evidence-based surfactant administration protocols.
Pediatric Mental Health Screening: PHQ-A, SCARED, C-SSRS, and Vanderbilt ADHD Tools
A clinician's guide to validated mental health screening instruments for children and adolescents, including depression, anxiety, suicidality risk, and ADHD assessment.
Pediatric Nutrition: Caloric Requirements, TPN Calculations, and Enteral Feeding Strategies
Evidence-based approach to pediatric nutritional assessment and support, including WHO caloric requirements, TPN macro calculations, glucose infusion rate, and breast milk fortification.
Scoring Respiratory Illness in Children: Westley Croup Score and HASS Asthma Assessment
How to use validated clinical scoring systems to objectively assess severity in children presenting with croup and acute asthma exacerbations, guiding treatment escalation decisions.