The Limping Child

Children frequently are brought to the emergency room for difficulty walking. In some cases, the cause is easily identified, but in others, the cause can be a sign of a more serious condition.  Dr. George Hsu, a Pediatric Emergency Physician, joins Dr. Ohmed Khilji and Pediatric Resident Kristen Schmidbauer to discuss the evaluation and management of children presenting with a limp. Specifically, they will:

• Review common history and physical exam findings associated with conditions causing children to limp
• Discuss initial diagnostic approach, as well as selecting appropriate labs, imaging, and treatment options
• Diagnoses discussed: septic arthritis, toddler’s fracture, osteomyelitis, Perthes disease, malignancy, non-accidental trauma, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, transient synovitis and more

Special thanks to Dr. Rebecca Yang and Dr. Melissa Allen for peer reviewing this episode.

FREE CME Credit (requires sign-in):  https://mcg.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=0&EID=10783

Thank you for listening to this episode from the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia. If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback- you can email us at mcgpediatricpodcast@augusta.edu

Remember that all content during this episode is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be used as medical advice to diagnose or treat any particular patient. Clinical vignette cases presented are based on hypothetical patient scenarios. Thank you for your support!

References:

• Flynn JM, Widmann RF. The limping child: evaluation and diagnosis. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2001; 9(2): 89-98
• The Limping Child. Martin J. Herman, Melissa Martinek. Pediatrics in Review May 2015, 36 (5) 184-197; DOI:1542/pir.36-5-184
• Herring  J, Birch  J. The limping child. In: Herring J, ed. Pediatric Orthopaedics. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2014:79–89