Since we started work on the first edition 14 years ago, much has
changed in our specialty and indeed in the world around us. We have seen the
subspecialty of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
continue to mature and
develop during those years and we have seen exemplary collaboration between
the specialties of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine
as we work
together to improve the care of children in the nation's emergency
departments. We hope the first and second editions of our text have assisted
in this effort.
The specialty of Pediatric
has changed over these years as new knowledge from
research, new pharmaceuticals, and new technology have shaped how we
evaluate and treat our young patients. For the third edition, we have again
worked to create a resource for clinicians who regularly provide pediatric
emergency care as well as for those who only occasionally are called upon to
care for a sick or injured child. The third edition is a significant update
of the material, which we believe will allow this text to serve as a key
resource at the bedside as well as at the desk.
For the most part, we have maintained the organization by body systems used
in the first two editions. But we have added a large section at the
beginning of the book to cover cardinal presentations in the pediatric
emergency department. In this section, we have split the discussion of fever
and sepsis into two chapters to differentiate the approach for neonates from
that for infants and children and to acknowledge the changing approach to
this complex presentation with the advent of modern immunization practices.
The content pertinent to the management of neonates has also been expanded
with chapters on feeding problems, jaundice, and common neonatal
presentations. Also to reflect the increasing complexity of patients seen in
our pediatric emergency departments, we have added a chapter on emergency
management of the transplant patient.
infectious disease section has been markedly expanded to include topics that
have taken on new or expanded significance in the 21st century. These
include influenza, imported diseases, bioterrorism, and HIV. The
endocrine/metabolic section has been enhanced with the addition of chapters
on rickets and inborn errors of metabolism. New chapters on chemical
terrorism and mass casualty management have also been added.
Essentially, every chapter has been enhanced to facilitate
access of information and ease of use. The use of photographs, figures,
diagrams, tables, and algorithms has been maximized where appropriate.
Clearly, we are very proud of our product and hope the
students, residents, fellows, pediatricians, emergency physicians, and
others that use it will find it a useful adjunct to their practice. We are
sensitive as well to the evolving use of reference material in the practice
of modern medicine and this work will be available online via McGraw-Hill's
AccessEM as well as in print.
The editorial team
would like to welcome our new coeditor, Robert Wiebe. Bob has been a key
contributor to the first two editions and we are fortunate to have him join
the editorial team this time around. In addition, we have a new executive
editor at McGraw-Hill, Anne M. Sydor, who has facilitated the completion of
the third edition with exceptional advice, assistance, and attention to
detail. We are also pleased to welcome those who are new authors for the
third edition and to thank the many returning authors. The excellence of our
authors has made the editorial process a real pleasure and of course is the
key to the quality of the finished product. We also thank the many authors
who helped make the first two editions useful to you.
Gary R. Strange
William R. Ahrens
Robert W. Schafermeyer
Robert A. Wiebe