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Functional Symptoms in Pediatric Emergency Medicine

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Functional Symptoms in Pediatric Disease

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Abstract

Common disorders that frequently present as a result of functional issues in the pediatric emergency department include chronic non-pathological pain, acute chest pain, syncope, recurrent abdominal pain, and fatigue. These complaints are often broad in nature and nonspecific, leading to potentially lengthy diagnostic evaluations that are cumbersome for both the patient and the healthcare system. This chapter describes three cases of patients presenting to the emergency department whose optimal treatment required addressing their underlying psychological issues. Incorporation of child life specialists and others trained in non-pharmacologic stress reduction can assist in alleviating the anxiety and pain associated with functional issues in such patients.

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Acknowledgement

Special thanks for reviewing the chapter to Drs. Alison McCrone, Richard Cantor, and Thomas Welch.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, 750 E. Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Asalim A. Thabet MD

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  1. Asalim A. Thabet MD
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Correspondence to Asalim A. Thabet MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Ran D. Anbar

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Thabet, A.A. (2014). Functional Symptoms in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. In: Anbar, R. (eds) Functional Symptoms in Pediatric Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8074-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8074-8_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-8073-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-8074-8

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