Pediatric Emergency Playbook

Comfortable with G-tubes, tracheostomies, and VP shunts? Good.  Get ready for the next level: Vagus Nerve Stimulators, Intrathecal Pumps, and Ventricular Assist Devices.   Details in Audio: Vagus Nerve Stimulators For intractable epilepsy; sends retrograde signal up corona radiata Also may be used in: depression, bulimia, Alzheimer, narcolepsy, addiction, and others VNS magnets Are VNS safe in MRI? Are VNS safe in everyday life? Intrathecal Pumps Used to infuse basal rate of drug, usually baclofen for spasticity, but pump may contain morphine, bupivicaine, clonidine.  Also used for severe MS, stroke, TBI, chronic pain.  Verify the medication and identify the toxidrome if symptomatic. Ventricular Assist Devices May be left ventricular assist, right ventricular assist, or biventricular assist device.   References Vagus Nerve Stimulators (VNS) Elliott RE, Rodgers SD, Bassani L et al. Vagus nerve stimulation for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy: a consecutive series of 141 cases. J Neurosurg Pedia