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Rady Children's Specialists

Research and Clinical Trials

The Division of Emergency Medicine is committed to excellence in improving our knowledge of emergency care for sick and injured children. Current research in our emergency department falls into three categories: NIH-funded research on Kawasaki disease (an inflammatory disease unique to children that can cause heart disease); multicenter collaborative studies with other pediatric centers; and clinical research studies.

Kawasaki disease research is a unique and highly successful collaboration among clinical researchers in the Division, basic science researchers and Jane Burns, M.D., an internationally recognized expert in Kawasaki disease. Our collaborative research is performed through the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Emergency Medicine and involves three established studies on pediatric meningitis and a new study on the complications of urinary tract infections in very young infants.

Other studies in progress include the effect of rapid medical assessment on patient flow, dexamethasone use in asthma, propofol use for procedural sedation, mental health assessment in the ER, use of an automated urinalysis machine, and use of the computed tomography (CT) scan in the assessment of appendicitis.