ABEM Peds EM study guide
ABEM Peds EM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABEM Pediatric Emergency Medicine subspecialty certification is a credential offered by the American Board of Emergency Medicine for physicians who have completed training in emergency medicine and wish to demonstrate subspecialty expertise in the emergency care of infants, children, and adolescents. It is designed for emergency physicians who treat pediatric patients across the full acuity spectrum, from the community ED to the dedicated children's hospital setting. The exam assesses the knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and management skills required to stabilize and treat critically ill and injured children, including airway and resuscitation skills, recognition of congenital and acquired pediatric disease, injury patterns, toxicologic and environmental emergencies, and the interface between emergency medicine and pediatric inpatient and subspecialty care. Candidates should expect a clinically oriented, case-based assessment that rewards applied decision-making over isolated fact recall. Topics on this exam: Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pediatrics. The ABEM Peds EM study guide has 3 sections and about 875 words.
01Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Stabilization, Physiology, and High-Risk Presentations
Pediatric emergency medicine rewards mastery of age-specific physiology and a disciplined resuscitation sequence. Know weight-based dosing and equipment sizing (length-based tapes are a practical shortcut), the age-dependent normal ranges for heart rate and respiratory rate, and the fact that hypotension is a late finding in children. Recognize compensated shock (tachycardia, delayed capillary refill, narrow pulse pressure) before decompensation. Understand the pediatric airway: larger occiput, relatively large tongue, floppy epiglottis, narrowest point at the cricoid, and higher oxygen consumption-so preoxygenation and early airway planning matter.
326 words, about 2 min02Emergency Medicine: Resuscitation, Toxicology, and Procedural Judgment
General emergency medicine for the pediatric candidate emphasizes resuscitation science, rapid stabilization, and safe procedures. Understand shock categories (hypovolemic, distributive/septic, cardiogenic, obstructive) and the initial fluid and vasoactive approach. Know the pediatric sepsis recognition bundle and timely antibiotics. Toxicology questions test toxidrome recognition, decontamination principles, and specific antidotes (e.g., naloxone for opioid, N-acetylcysteine for acetaminophen).
273 words, about 1 min03Pediatrics: Development, Differential Diagnosis, and Family-Centered Care
Pediatric practice questions test developmental milestones, age-appropriate differential diagnosis, and communication with caregivers. Know the sequence of gross motor, fine motor, language, and social milestones well enough to flag delay. Understand common pediatric presentations-fever without source, vomiting, abdominal pain, limp, and rash-and how differentials shift by age. Recognize red flags for serious bacterial infection and for non-accidental trauma (injury pattern inconsistent with development).
276 words, about 1 min