Background Telephones, internet-connected devices (phablets, personal computers), chat platforms, and mobile apps (eg, Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) can be exploited for telemedicine applications. WhatsApp and similar apps are also widely used to facilitate clinical communication between physicians. Moreover, WhatsApp is used by emergency department (ED) physicians and consulting physicians to exchange medical information during ED consultations. This platform is regarded as a useful app in the consultation of dermatological and orthopedic cases. Preventing overcrowding in the ED is key to reducing the risk of disease transmission, and teleconsulting practice is thought to be effective in the diagnosis, treatment, and reduction of transmission risk of disease, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video consultation is highly recommended in some countries on the grounds that it is likely to reduce the risk of transmission. WhatsApp-like apps are among the video consultation platforms that are assumed to reduce the risk of contamination by minimizing patient-physician contact. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of WhatsApp video consultation on patient admission and discharge times in comparison to bedside consultation in the evaluation of potential patients with COVID-19 visiting a COVID-19 outpatient clinic during the pandemic. Methods Patients who presented to the ED COVID-19 outpatient clinic between March 11 and May 31, 2020, and for whom an infectious disease specialist was consulted (via WhatsApp or at bedside) were included in the study in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eventually, 54 patients whose consultations were performed via WhatsApp and 90 patients whose consultations were performed at bedside were included in our study. Results The median length of stay in the ED of discharged patients amounted to 103 minutes (IQR 85-147.75) in the WhatsApp group and 196 minutes (IQR 141-215) in the bedside group. In this regard, the length of stay in the ED was found to be significantly shorter in the WhatsApp group than in the bedside group (P<.001). Among the consulted and discharged patients, 1 patient in each group tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction test and thus was readmitted and hospitalized (P=.62). The median length of stay of the inpatients in the ED was found to be 116.5 minutes (IQR 85.5-145.5) in the WhatsApp group and 132 minutes (IQR 102-168) in the bedside group. The statistical analysis of this time difference revealed that the length of stay in the ED was significantly shorter for patients in the WhatsApp group than in the bedside group (P=.04). Conclusions Consultation via WhatsApp reduces both contact time with patients with COVID-19 and the number of medical staff contacting the patients, which contributes greatly to reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. WhatsApp consultation may prove useful in clinical decision making as well as in shortening process times. Moreover, it does not result in a decreased accuracy rate. The shortened discharge and hospitalization timespans also decreased the length of stay in the ED, which can have an impact on minimizing ED crowding. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04645563; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04645563.

INTRoDuCTIoN: In paediatric cases, trauma remains the most cause of morbidity and disability. Although abdominal trauma is observed less frequently in paediatric cases than isolated head trauma, it is still the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children. Previous studies at the national level have either focused on blunt abdominal trauma in all age groups or other traumas at paediatric level. The studies targeting solely paediatric abdominal blunt trauma cases have not yet been evaluated. The aim of this study was to analyse and report the demographic characteristics, causes of trauma, developed pathologies, treatment approaches, and mortality rates in patients presenting to our emergency department with blunt abdominal trauma. MATeRIAl AND MeTHoDS: The present study was designed as a retrospective study of 36 paediatric patients admitted to the Emergency Department of Kars Harakani State Hospital with blunt abdominal trauma between 2018 and 2019. ReSulTS: In the abdominal region, the most commonly injured organ was the liver (22 cases, 52.4%), while 13 (31%) cases had splenic trauma. Thirty-one (73.8%) patients had other body injuries in addition to the abdominal trauma, the most common of which were fractures (15 patients, 35.7%) and lung traumas (12 patients, 28.6%). CoNCluSIoNS: The organs that are damaged during the injury and the parameters that can be used to detect them provide important data for the rapid interference and treatment of life-threatening situations.

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<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Accidental head injuries are known to cause serious traumatic brain injury (TBI). Children younger than 2 years of age build a separate group that is more difficult to assess clinically. Investigations targeting TBIs in pediatric cases, particularly in those between 0 and 2 years of age, are limited. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> In this study, we reviewed a number of severe accidental head injuries in a cohort of children aged 0–2 years to evaluate the relative incidence, distribution, and clinical success in determining the nature of the cases in the Kars Province of Turkey. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study targeted 26 ­cases who presented to the Emergency Department of Kars Harakani Hospital for TBI between 2017 and 2019 through retrospective chart review. <b><i>Results and Conclusions:</i></b> Among the children who presented to the emergency clinic, 2 were newborns, 7 were &#x3c;1 year of age, and the remaining 17 cases were between 1 and 2 years old. The number of male and female patients was equal, and 5 fatality cases were observed. The most frequent cause of head trauma were falls. We deduced that 6 cases had subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 cases had subdural hemorrhage, 3 cases had epidural hemorrhage, and 4 cases had contusion. We compared the mean level of the two blood parameters hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (HCT) between fatal and surviving cases and detected<i></i>that both values decreased dramatically in exitus cases. The higher fatality rate in the present study could be attributed to the fact that we targeted only the severe TBI cases. Severe TBI in children younger than 2 years results in a life-threating situation. The risk of fatality might be deduced from the reduction of the HGB and HCT levels as it is significantly lower in fatal cases than in surviving cases.

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