Author: Walter Palmer

I grew up in Massachusetts and lived there through medical school. My favorite hobbies are pretty classic New England: traveling, skiing, taking summer trips to the beach, and watching the Patriots win Super Bowls. After med school I moved to Chicago for pediatrics residency and received my master's in public policy. I loved my time there but I'm excited to be back on the East Coast as a fellow here at Children's National! Professionally, I am interested in how public policy influences accidental injuries and toxic exposures in children and the development of clinical guidelines. Outside of work, you can find me buzzing around on an electric scooter exploring DC's monuments, parks, and restaurants.

Hot Seat #206: A Hazy Headache Hypothesis

By Alicia Rolin, MD HPI: 20YO female with no significant past medical history presenting with new daily headache x 1 month.  She has no history of headaches but reports new headaches since coming home from college for Winter break. She reports the pain is bitemporal and throbbing. She endorses occasional blurred vision, sensitivity to light, […]

Hot Seat #205: Denouement

This week’s case features a baby with altered mental status, transferred to us for further workup and management. Our discussion focused mostly on the broad differential here, including toxic ingestion, seizure, arrhythmia, reflux, anaphylaxis, FPIES, and others. It highlights the difficulty in disposition for patients who are back to baseline after an extensive workup that […]

Hot Seat #205: What’s Up, Baby?

By Walter Palmer, MD; Children’s National Medical Center HPI: 7 mo previously healthy girl presents to an outside hospital with altered mental status.  She was in her usual state of health in the morning with no recent illness.  She ate cheese for the first time around 11am, which was immediately followed by many episodes of […]

Hot Seat #204: Tonsil Turbulence

By Dr. Kala Frye Bourque, Children’s National Medical Center HPI: A healthy 18-month-old male presents with his mother and grandmother. About 30 minutes PTA patient was playing in mother’s bedroom while she was doing laundry. Mother heard gagging and looked down to find patient with metal hanger in his mouth. Mother pulled hanger from mouth […]

Hot Seat #202: Fading Facial Feelings

By Dr. Erin Thomas, INOVA Children’s HPI: A 15-year-old previously healthy girl presents with intermittent right facial numbness, difficulty speaking and left arm weakness for the past 3 days. Episodes last about 10 seconds. Also complaining of persistent headache for the past 5 days, with associated nausea and photophobia. On evening of presentation vomited x3, […]