Breathing difficulty Flashcards
How to distinguish between distress caused by lung disease vs cardiac disease
Cyanosis that is not improved when given O2 is likely to be due to congenital heart disease with right to left shunting
Ddx for a child with breathing difficulties
URTI - viral Pharyngitis/tonsillitis Croup Epiglottitis Tracheitis Peri tonsillar abscess Foreign body Asthma whooping cough Bronchiolitis Pneumonia Chronic lung disease e.g. chronic lung disease of infancy, Cystic fibrosis, Bronchiectasis, aspiration pneumonia Cardiac failure
DDX for child with cough
Pneumonia Asthma URTI Bronchiolitis Croup Whooping cough Inhaled FB
DDX for child with wheeze
Bronchiolitis
Asthma
Heart failure
Inhaled FB
DDX for child with Acute stridor
Croup
Anaphylaxis,
Inhaled FB
Epiglottitis
DDX for child with Chronic stridor
Laryngomalacia
Laryngeal anomalies eg vocal cord palsy
Tracheal abnormality e.g. subglottic stenosis, vascular ring.
Disorders included in URTI
Rhinitis, Tonsillitis Pharyngitis Epiglottitis Laryngitis Sinusitis
Common pathogens infecting nasopharynx
Rhinovirus Parainfluenza RSV Adenovirus Corona Influenza B,C
Common pathogens in oropharynx
GAS, Corynebacterium, EBV, Adenovirus
Common pathogens in larynx and trachea
parainfluenza,
Staph aureus
Common pathogens in bronchi
influenza
Strep pneumonia
H influenza
Hx Q of viral URTI
Hx of sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache, runny or blocked nose, malaise and fever
who get tonsillopharyngitis
Common 5-14yr
Hx of pharyngitis/tonsillitis
Fever
absence cough
difficulty swallowing
foul breath
Examination of pharyngitis/tonsillitis
Tonsillar exudate and swelling
anterior LN - cervical
Modified censor criteria
1 - tonsillar exudate or erythema 1- anterior cervical adenopathy 1 - cough absent 1 - Fever present 1 if age 3-14 0 if age 15-45 -1 if >45yrs Score 4-5 treat with ABx Scor 2-3 preform rapid antigen test if + then ABx. if - then culture. Score 0-1 Symptomatic relief only
ABx for GAS pharyngitis
Phenoxymethyl penicillin BD for 10 days or Roxithromycin if allergic
Mx for pharyngitis/tonsillitis
ABx if indicated
Analgesics
Corticosteroids if severe pain - dexamethasone
Admit if suspected airway obstruction or systemically unwell or signs of cx.
cause of Croup
RSV Parainfluenza Adenovirus Metapneumonvirus Rhino virus
who gets croup
6m to 5yrs
Hx Q for croup
Coryza +/- Seal like barking cough Inspiratory stridor \+/- respiratory distress \+/- fever Worse at night and on 2or3 night
Characteristics of mild croup
Behaviour - normal Stridor - barking cough and stridor only when active or upset RR - normal Accessory muscle use - non or minimal O2 - none required
Characteristics of moderate croup
Behaviour - some/intermittent irritability
Stridor - some stridor at rest
RR - ⇑ + tracheal tug + nasal flaring
Accessory muscle use - moderate chest wall retraction
O2- none required
Characteristics of severe croup
Behaviour - Increasing irritability and or lethargy
Stridor - at rest
RR - Marked⇑or⇓ tracheal tug, nasal flaring
Accessory muscle use - Marked chest wall retraction
O2 - Hypoxia is a late sign of significant Upper airway obstruction
Examination for croup
behaviour
Resp - stridor, effort, rate, O2 stats,
ENT - mininal
Ix for croup
none
Mx of croup
Safety net - ABCD - Check with supervisor - return if concerned minimal handling Steroid - dexamethasone once or 2 doses of prednisolone Observe for half an hour Fluid/ food Discharge once stridor free at rest Severe: Nebuliser adrenalin 1ml+3ml NS Dexamethasone observe for 4hr discharge after stridor at rest and >4hr of post adrenalin. Safety net
What causes epiglottitis
Haemophilus influenza
Strep pneumonia,
Who gets it epiglottitis
Child 1-6yr
Unimmunised or vaccine failure
Hx of epiglottitis
Acute high Fever dysphagia drooling Lethargy Hoarseness Stridor - soft inspiratory stridor and rapidly increasing Resp effort Cough- not prominent or absent
Examination of epiglottis
Acutely ill and anxious child most are septicaemia, toxic and pale looking, Poor peripheral circulation Quiet shallow breathing Head forward Triad position extension of neck
Mx of epiglottis
Minimal handling and stay by the bed
Don’t examine, or X-ray
Resus trolley or transfer to therapy to intubate
ICU care
IV antibiotics - sepsis, IV ceftriaxone
Rifampicin prophylaxis for contacts if no contraindications if HIB.
DDX for child with breathing difficulties high fever Hyperextension of neck Dysphagia Pooling of secretion in throat
Epiglottitis
Retropharyngeal/peritonsillar abscess
DDX for child with breathing difficulties
Toxic appearing child
Markedly tender trachea
Bacterial tracheitis
DDX for infant with breathing difficulties and preexisting stridor
Congenital abnormality eg floppy larynx, haemangioma/subglottic stenosis
Presentation of bacterial tracheitis
Toxic Tender trachea \+/- viral prodrome eg influenza Most commonly Stapy aureus , strep or HiB Croupy cough Sick child High temperature absence of drooling
Tx of bacterial tracheitis
ICU
Maintenance of airway - many require intubation
Maint - O2 and fluid balance
IV antibiotics- flucloxacillin?
Cause of Quinsy (retropharyngeal/peritonsillar abscess)
Polymicrobial - staph aureus and strep pyogenes
Who gets it Quinsy
teenagers and young adults
Presentation of quinsy
Starts as tonsillitis followed by difficulties swallowing with truisms (spasm of jaw = lock jaw) High fever Dysphagia Odynophagia Stridor typical signs of respiratory distress
Examination of quinsy
Pooling of secretion treat
Difficulty moving or unwilling to move their neck
Hyperextension of neck - usually unilateral
Tx of quinsy
Admit to hospital
ABx - procaine penicillin IM or clindamycin
Surgery - aspiration or drainage
Hx of Foreign body in airways
Complete obstruction - coughing, shaking, +/-Vomiting - LOC and Cardiorespiratory arrest. Partial obstruction - Persistent wheeze, cough, fever or dyspnoea - Recurrent or persistent pneumonia - Unilateral wheeze
Examination of foreign body in airways
ABCD Partial - asymmetrical chest movement - tracheal deviation - Chest signs - wheeze or decrease breath sounds May be normal