Meningitis in children is a high-risk diagnosis, especially for physicians providing acute or episodic care. Medical errors may lead to profound disability or death. In addition, lawsuits in this arena are exceptionally costly, and there is no indication that recent changes in the malpractice climate will bring the situation under control. Although meningitis has declined significantly since the introduction of the Hemophilus influenza vaccine in the late 1980s, bacterial meningitis continues to occur. Recent analysis of data from large hospital organizations and insurance companies confirms that the failure to diagnose meningitis remains a high risk and a cause of high litigation cost in the practice of acute care medicine. In the evaluation of febrile pediatric patients, it is critical for practitioners to detect those children with meningitis or serious bacterial infection. In this activity, we present three cases involving children that either had or developed meningitis to illustrate some of the most common reasons the diagnosis of meningitis is delayed, missed, or inappropriately managed. After completing this activity, practitioners should be able to: interpret the key signs and symptoms of meningitis in febrile pediatric patients; demonstrate clear documentation in cases of possible meningitis; recognize that vital sign ranges change significantly with age and the importance of abnormal vital signs in the evaluation of febrile pediatric patients; and apply strategies for preventing similar incidents of failure to diagnose meningitis, including a team-based approach and effective communication between providers and the patient s family.
- Provider:The Sullivan Group
- Activity Link: https://www.thesullivangroup.com/RSQSolutions/course-purchase-home/
- Start Date: 2023-04-21 05:00:00
- End Date: 2023-04-21 05:00:00
- Credit Details: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™️: 2.0 hours
- Commercial Support: No
- Activity Type: Enduring Material
- CME Finder Type: Online Learning
- Fee to Participate: Variable
- Measured Outcome: Learner Competence, Learner Knowledge, Learner Performance, Patient Health
- Provider Ship: Directly Provided
- Registration: Open to all