Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
11:27

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn

Published on: April 7, 2023

6.9K

The COVID trap: pediatric diagnostic errors in a pandemic world

Yasaman Fatemi1, Susan Coffin1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Diagnosis (Berlin, Germany)
|August 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic increased diagnostic errors in children due to altered healthcare and cognitive biases. Analyzing pediatric cases reveals how system and cognitive factors contributed to delayed diagnoses during this unique period.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Medical Diagnostics
  • Public Health Crises

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted standard healthcare delivery, introducing uncertainty and fear.
  • Altered clinical processes and a novel social context heightened the risk of diagnostic errors.

Observation:

  • Three pediatric cases during the early pandemic illustrate diagnostic challenges.
  • These cases highlight the impact of cognitive biases like availability bias, diagnostic momentum, and premature closure.
  • The interplay between systemic and cognitive factors exacerbated diagnostic delays and missed diagnoses.

Findings:

  • The pandemic created a fertile ground for diagnostic errors in pediatric care.
  • Cognitive biases, amplified by pandemic-related stressors, played a crucial role.
  • Systemic factors within the altered healthcare environment also contributed significantly.

Implications:

  • Understanding these pandemic-specific diagnostic challenges is crucial for pediatric patient safety.
  • Mitigating cognitive and systemic biases is essential to prevent future diagnostic errors in public health crises.
  • This analysis offers insights into adapting diagnostic strategies during and after pandemics.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19cognitive biasdiagnostic errormultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

More Related Videos

Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic09:03

Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Published on: November 7, 2020

5.1K
Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus06:15

Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus

Published on: March 6, 2019

50.9K

Related Concept Videos

Documentation of Nursing Diagnosis01:10

Documentation of Nursing Diagnosis

The nurse documents nursing diagnoses and enters them into the patient record. The identified patient's nursing diagnosis is either written out with a plan of care or entered into the electronic health record.
In some settings, data-driven computerized decision support systems are in place, allowing for more accurate nursing diagnoses. The database within one of these systems includes diagnostic labels defining characteristics, activities, and indicators for nursing. A nurse enters...
1.4K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
47
Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring01:25

Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure monitoring is a crucial clinical procedure in diagnosing and managing various cardiovascular conditions. Despite its significance, the accuracy of blood pressure measurements can be compromised by multiple factors, potentially leading to either falsely high or low readings. These inaccuracies are critical as they can significantly impact patient care. So, it is vital to understand these challenges deeply and adopt strategic approaches to minimize errors.
Several factors...
1.1K
Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment01:30

Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment

Pneumonia poses the potential for numerous complications that warrant consideration. These complications include the following:
534
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
39
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
57