Why does valproic acid cause elevated ammonia?Ah, serum ammonia. A lab that is often sent and often a head-scratcher. Sometimes an altered patient with cirrhosis and the most textbook asterixis will have a normal serum ammonia. And other times a patient has a sky-high ammonia and you have no idea why. Have you ever stopped and checked if they’re on valproic acid?

Kim Schamel, medical director of the Newborn Assessment Nursery at Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital, walks us through newborn nursery 101! She gives pointers for the newborn physical exam, counseling strategies for safe sleep, gives us a framework for evaluating neonatal weight loss, and so much more. From the golden hour to the discharge talk and everything in between, she reminds us that when it comes to healthy babies, just feed them, love them, and don’t shake them!

Level up your COPD care with practical, evidence-based strategies. Learn how to confirm airflow obstruction with spirometry (and use LLN/Z-scores thoughtfully), stage patients with the A/B/E framework, and build treatment around long-acting bronchodilation—adding ICS selectively based on exacerbations and eosinophils. We’ll highlight the nonpharmacologic moves that change outcomes (smoking cessation, vaccination, pulmonary rehab, oxygen when indicated), when to reach for add-ons (azithromycin, r...

Come share insights from AIMW25 with Julie Byington C-TAGME, Ashley Johnson C-TAGME, Samatha Ankireddy MD, and Laura Thompson MD on effective communication and navigating difficult conversations. Understanding our own emotions and personality traits—while being attentive to others’ verbal and non-verbal cues—helps build emotional intelligence and promotes respectful, productive dialogue. Adapting communication styles to different personality types and approaching high-stakes conversations with p...

Grow your management tools for opioid withdrawal in the hospital. Investigate how to decide between methadone and buprenorphine, additional medications to manage symptoms and how and when to use short-acting opioids for management of withdrawal. We’re joined by Ashish Thakrar, MD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Is it treatment failure or not? Join us for a great conversation with Dr. Jori May (University of Alabama-Birmingham) on all the nuances around DOAC treatment failure and treatment indications for the hospitalized patient.

Join us this week for an eye-opening conversation about Retinoblastoma with Dr. Basil Williams, a combined Ocular Oncologist and Vitreoretinal Disease specialist at the renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL. In this episode, Dr. Williams walks us through the pathophysiology of just how Retinoblastoma develops, how our iPhones can help Retinoblastoma come to clinical attention, and new advancements in treatment methods. Don’t blink or you might miss something!

What does Long COVID really look like in kids and teens? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Peter Rowe from Johns Hopkins to unpack the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of Long COVID in pediatric settings. From hallmark symptoms like post-exertional malaise and brain fog, to risk factors, disparities, and treatment strategies, Dr. Rowe shares practical insights to help clinicians better recognize and care for young people living with Long COVID.

Ever wonder why a Type & Screen expires after 72 hours? Join Dr. Rida Hasan (pediatric hematologist and transfusion medicine specialist) as we dive into pediatric transfusion medicine. From massive transfusion protocols to blood product modifications to keeping kids safe from TACOs, this episode is a cell-ebration of pediatric transfusions!