Here’s an interesting pediatric trauma case to test your skills. A 10 year old boy was playing tag on the playground at school. He ran head-on into another player, chest to chest. Neither child struck their head.

When the boy arrived home after school, he coughed up some blood. This freaked his mother out, who brought him to your ED for evaluation. He continues to cough up thin, bloody sputum occasionally.

How do you approach this problem? What diagnostic tests do you need? What do you think the diagnosis is? How do you treat, and does he need to be admitted?

Tweet, email or send your comments below. I’ll compile and discuss the replies, and reveal what I think is the correct diagnostic and management sequence.

Source: hypothetical case. Not treated at Regions Hospital.