Emergencies Flashcards
Define Sepsis.
- Systemic inflammatory response syndrome = generalised inflammatory response, defined by the presence of ≥2 criteria (abnormal temperature or WCC must be one of the criteria):
- Abnormal core temperature (<36 or >38.5°C)
- Abnormal HR (>2 S.D. above normal for age, or less than 10th centile for age if child aged < 1 years)
- Raised RR (>2 S.D. above normal for age, or mechanical ventilation for acute lung disease)
- Abnormal WCC in circulating blood (above or below normal range for age, or >10% immature cells)
What are the red flags for sepsis in children?
- Hypotension
- Blood lactate >2mmol/L
- Prolonged capillary refill >5 seconds
- Pale/mottled or non-blanching (purpuric) rash
- Oxygen needed to maintain saturations >92%
- RR >60 min-1 or >5 below normal, or grunting
- AVPU = V, P or U
- Abnormal behaviour
- Excessively dry nappies
- Lack of response to social cues
- Significantly decreased activity
- Weak
- High-pitched or continuous cry
What defines Sepsis, Severe Sepsis or Septic Shock?
- Sepsis = SIRS in the presence of infection
- Severe sepsis = sepsis in presence of CV dysfunction, respiratory distress syndrome, or dysfunction of ≥2 organs
- Septic shock = sepsis with CV dysfunction persisting after at least 40 mL/kg of fluid resuscitation in one hour
What are the common causative organisms of sepsis in children?
- Early onset neonatal = GBS, Escherichia coli, L. monocytogenes
- Late onset neonatal = Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus
- i.e. Staphylococcus epidermidis
- Other causative organisms:
- Staphylococcus aureus (Coagulase +ve)
- Non-pyogenic streptococci
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningitidis
What are the appropriate investigations for suspected sepsis in children?
- Clinical suspicion - diagnosis cannot be delayed
-
Sepsis 6
- Blood cultures
- Urine output
- Fluids
- Antibiotics
- Lactate
- Oxygen
-
LP in the following
- <1m old
- 1-3m who appear unwell
- 1-3m with WCC <5 or >15 x109/L
-
Bloods
- Clotting (as DIC can feature in sepsis)
- VBG (including glucose and lactate)
- Blood culture
- FBC
- CRP (N.B. takes 12-24hrs to rise)
- U&Es and creatinine
- Imaging - CXR
- Urine dipstick on MSU
What is the management of meningococcal sepsis in children?
-
Sepsis 6 within 1 hour + continuous monitoring
- Review by ST4 or above (<30 minutes) and then a consultant (<1 hour)
- IV access
- IV fluid resuscitation
- 20mL/kg 0.9% NaCl bolus
-
Antibiotics within 1hr → follow local guidelines:
-
If meningococcal sepsis
- IM benzylpenicillin + ambulance (GP)
- IV cefotaxime (in hospital)
-
If meningococcal sepsis
What is the management of non-meningococcal sepsis in children?
-
Sepsis 6 within 1 hour + continuous monitoring
- Review by ST4 or above (<30 minutes) and then a consultant (<1 hour)
- IV access
- IV fluid resuscitation
- 20mL/kg 0.9% NaCl bolus
-
Antibiotics within 1hr → follow local guidelines
-
Early onset <72 hours = GBS, L. monocytogenes, E. coli
- benzylpenicillin / ampicillin + gentamicin
-
Late onset >72 hours = CoNS (S. epidermidis)
- ampicillin / vancomycin + gentamicin / cefotaxime
-
>1 month
- cefotaxime / ceftriaxone / piperacillin / meropenem
-
Early onset <72 hours = GBS, L. monocytogenes, E. coli
What is the management of sepsis with necrotising enterocolitis in children?
-
Sepsis 6 within 1 hour + continuous monitoring
- Review by ST4 or above (<30 minutes) and then a consultant (<1 hour)
- IV access
- IV fluid resuscitation
- 20mL/kg 0.9% NaCl bolus
-
Antibiotics within 1hr → follow local guidelines:
- metronidazole - active against anaerobic bacteria
What are the signs in cold shock?
- CRT >2s
- Reduced peripheral pulses
- Cool mottled extremities
- Narrow pulse pressure
What are the signs in warm shock?
- Flash CRT
- Bounding peripheral pulses
- Warm extremities
- Wide pulse pressure
What are the signs and symptoms of meningitis in a child?
- Bulging fontanelle, hyperextension of neck and back
- Headache
- Photophobia
- Neck stiffness
- Fever
- Kernig’s sign – pain on leg straightening
- Brudzinski’s sign – supine neck flexion à knee/hip flexion
- Lethargy
- Altered consciousness/Drowsiness
- Seizures
- Non-blanching rash (80% of meningococcal)
- HR starts high to compensate ischaemia in brain
- HR then drops as baroreceptors in heart sense high BP (from HR)
- Raised ICP symptoms (late signs) = Cushing’s Triad:
- High BP
- Low HR
- Irregular RR
What are the appropriate investigations for childhood meningitis?
- Sepsis 6
-
LP
- CT head before LP if concerns of raised ICP
- Blood culture
-
Bloods
- FBC, CRP, U&E and glucose
- Coagulation profile
- Further immunological analysis (complement deficiency) if >1 episode of meningococcal meningitis
What are the causes of meningitis in children?
- Neonatal - 3 months
- GBS
- E. coli and other coliforms
- Listeria monocytogenes
- 3 months - 6 years
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Strepococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenza
- >6 years
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Strepococcus pneumoniae
What is the management of childhood bacterial meningitis?
-
Antibiotics
- Child <3m old:
- IV cefotaxime
- IV amoxicillin / ampicillin
- Child >3m old:
- IM benzylpenicillin, STAT
- If pen allergy = moxifloxacin & vancomycin
- IV ceftriaxone:
- IM benzylpenicillin, STAT
- Child <3m old:
-
Steroids/Dexamethasone – if CSF shows
- Purulent CSF
- WBC >1,000/uL
- Raised CSF WCC + protein >1g/L
- Bacteria gram stain
- >1m old & H. influenzae
- NOT MENINGOCOCCAL
- Mannitol - reduce ICP
- IV saline sodium chloride 0.9%
- Notify HPU
- Treat contacts (ciprofloxacin) and offer further support
What follow-up should be offered to children who had meningitis?
-
Review patient 4-6w after discharge to discuss long-term potential complications
- Hearing loss → audiological assessment
- Orthopaedic, skin, psychosocial complications
- Neurological/development problems
- Renal failure
- Purpura fulminans = haemorrhagic skin necrosis from DIC → acute/fatal, thrombotic disorder, manifest as blood spots/bruising/discolouration of skin
- Needs FFP, debridement or amputation