Improving pediatric emergency care: New insights from PECARN

Advances in pediatric emergency care are accelerating thanks to the groundbreaking work of PECARN (Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network). This spring, PECARN has published multiple influential studies that aim to enhance how clinicians diagnose and treat critically ill and injured children in emergency settings.

From bedside treatments to innovative diagnostic biomarkers, these studies represent the future of pediatric emergency medicine.

Key research highlights from PECARN

1. IV Magnesium for Pediatric Asthma: IMPACT-ED Study

The IMPACT-ED trial piloted the use of intravenous magnesium sulfate in emergency departments to treat children with severe asthma. The study explores how IV magnesium may reduce hospitalization rates, ease symptoms faster, and improve overall outcomes for pediatric asthma patients. Read the IMPACT-ED study.

2. National Research Priorities for Pediatric Pain Management

What should the future of pediatric pain research look like? PECARN helped define the national research agenda, focusing on better pain assessment tools and non-opioid interventions. Explore Pediatric Pain Research Priorities.

3. Kidney Injury Biomarkers in Pediatric Sepsis

Early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with sepsis can be life-saving. This study identified biomarkers that may signal risk for severe kidney injury earlier than current clinical methods allow—supporting faster and more accurate interventions. View the Kidney Injury Biomarkers in Sepsis study.

4. Gut Microbiome Patterns in Febrile Infants

What if the gut microbiome could help predict illness severity in babies with fever? Using PECARN’s robust dataset, esearchers are exploring how microbiome signatures could be used as diagnostic tools for febrile infants, opening doors to more personalized and precise emergency care. Read the Gut Microbiome in Febrile Infants study.

Stay updated on pediatric emergency research

Emergency clinicians and providers are encouraged to follow PECARN’s ongoing studies and incorporate evidence-based findings into clinical practice. These latest research publications highlight how data-driven insights are transforming pediatric emergency medicine—one child at a time. Access all PECARN publications and studies.