Common Procedures

Minor medical procedures are frequently performed in pediatric patients in the emergency department, acute care floors, and designated procedural areas. The skills required to perform common procedures can be learned throughout medical school with the help and supervision of experienced physicians. It is important for you to understand the indications, potential complications as well as the procedural steps for each of the following common pediatric procedures. In this chapter, obtaining peripheral and central venous access, nasogastric tube placement, gastrostomy tube changes, lumbar puncture, laceration repair, and incision and drainage will be reviewed.