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A Young Boy with Fever and Grunting
Daniel J Shapiro1, Jeffrey T Neal1
1Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Boston, Massachusetts. Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Case Presentation:
A 16-month-old boy presented with a temperature of 99°Fahrenheit (F) (down from 102°F at home after antipyretics), grunting, and tachypnea. On examination, he was tachycardic, tachypneic, and ill-appearing with abdominal distention and diffuse tenderness. A plain film abdominal radiograph showed moderate free air, and emergent laparoscopy revealed perforated Meckel's diverticulitis with peritonitis.
Discussion:
Although tachypnea and grunting in preverbal or nonverbal patients are often considered to be signs of respiratory illness, these findings may reflect intra-abdominal emergencies. Perforated Meckel's diverticulitis is an important differential consideration in patients with pneumoperitoneum.
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