General Flashcards
Management for eczema
topical steroids - follow plan
eczema baths - bath oil, soap free wash, clean towel
cool compress
oil based moisturiser - keep clean/uncontaminated
anti-histamine
avoid skin infections? i.e. preventative care
wet dressing
prevent overheating
dry skin and then moisturise - don’t leave water on the skin
AB choice for cellulitits
mild = cefalexin oral
moderate = cefalexin oral or cefazolin IV
severe = flucloxacillin IV
necrotising fasciitis = vancomycin & meropenem AND clindamycin
most common pathogen of cellulitis?
group A strep, followed by staph aureus
Jaundice - compare physiological vs pathological
Physiological:
- appears after 24 hr
- resolves within 2 weeks
- serum bilirubin levels are less than 250umol/L
- max intensity by 4-5th day (term) or 7th day (prefterm)
Pathological:
- within 24hrs
- persists longer than 14 days
- serum bilirubin reaches 250umol/L
- stool colour is pale, dark urine
Causes of jaundice within 24hrs
Hemolysis:
isoimmunisation - ABO or Rh incompatibility
G6PD deficiency
haemorrhage
bruising - instrumental delivery
Sepsis
spherocytosis
Causes of jaundice after 24hrs
Physiological
sepsis
hemolysis
breastmilk jaundice (causes conjugated - increases enterohepatic circulation)
hypothyroidism (causes conjugated - increases enterohepatic circulation)
dehydration/insufficient feeding (breastfeeding jaundice)
bruising/birth trauma
Causes of conjugated bilirubin jaundice (conjugated fraction >10% of total bilirubin) AT ANY POINT
neonatal hepatitis
extrahepatic obstruction -> biliary atresia
metabolic causes - a1 antitrypsin deficiency, galactosaemia
hepatotoxins - paracetamol
hypothyroidism (increases enterohepatic circulation)
Most common organisms of meningitis in:
- 1-2months
- 2mth - 2yrs
PLUS most common viral cause
1-2mths: E.coli, GBS, listeria
2mth-12yrs: S.pneumoniae (pneumococcus(, neiserria meningitis (meningococcus)
Viral causes: enteroviruses and HSV
Kernig’s vs brudzinski’s sign
Kernig’s - raise leg up straight
Brudzinski’s - flex chin to chest (get flexion of lower extremities)
Meningitis diagnosis
LP
Also perform FBC, UEC’s, LFTs, coags, culture
What to order on LP
Glucose, protein, WCC (neutrophilic (viral) or lymphocytic (bacterial)), culture
Contraindications for LP
Skin infection at the sight of LP
Raised ICP - risk of cerebral herniation
Cardiovascular compromise
Suspected spinal epidural abscess
Treatment for meningitis
Empiric IV ABs, await for cultures
Supportive therapy: fluids
Give Acyclovir is HSV is suspected
Viral causes are usually self limiting
Complications of meningitis
Early:
Septic chock
DIC
cerebral herniation
Late:
CVA
sensory-neural losses
seizures
cognitive impairment
meningococcal can result in necrosis of limbs requiring amputation.
Kawasaki disease key clinical manifestations
Fever present for ~ 5days or more plus 4/5 of the following:
- strawberry tongue
- purpuric rash
- cervical lymphadenopathy > 1.5cm
- bilateral non-purulant conjunctival injection.
- peripheral extremity changes -> erythema, oedema, or skin desquamation
Treatment kawasaki
steroids
immunoglobulins
aspirin -> due to complication of coronary artery aneurysm
first sign of CF in a baby?
meconium ileus
What leukemia is most common in young children?
acute lymphoblastic leukemia
What is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis related to?
Measles if let untreated. However otitis media is the most common complication of measles.
CPR breath to compression rate in paeds?
15 compressions to 2 breaths
Treatment of croup?
oral steroids (prednisolone)
ABx do not work with croup as it is usually a viral cause
What is the CPR rate in a neonate?
3 compression to 1 breath
What investigation for suspected hirshprung disease?
rectal suction biopsy
Outline causes of neonatal jaundice at:
<24 hrs
Always pathological and requires further investigation
Should have a FBC and Coombs test performed.
Causes include:
- sepsis
- ABO or Rh alloantibodies
- hereditary conditions: G6DP deficiency, spherocytosis
- haemorrhage: cerebral, intra-abdominal
Causes of neonatal jaundice at:
24hr to 14 days
Breast feeding jaundice occurs because the baby becomes dehydrated due to low supply of breastmilk in the early stages.
Breastmilk jaundice occurs because the breast milk contain glucuronyl transferase inhibitor
Physiological jaundice occurs for a number of reasons:
- increase in foetal hemolysis
- increase in enterohepatic circulation (more reabsorption of billirubin and less excretion)
- neonate has less glucuronyl transferase compared to adults
**Remember physiological jaundice occurs at 24hrs - 14 days
Causes of neonatal jaundice at:
>2 weeks
Causes of conjugated neonatal jaundice (conjugated fraction >10%)
The big one is BILIARY ATRESIA
Biliary atresia is the scarring and fibrosis of the biliary ducts inside and outside the liver. Leads to bile obstruction. Treatment involves hepatoportoenterostomy. Which is the attachment of the small intestine to the liver to remove the bile ducts.
Treatment for neonatal jaundice?
If pathological then need to manage the underlying cause. If bilirubin levels reach unsafe levels, then phototherapy or exchange transfusion may be required.
Asthma treatment guidelines for mild, moderate, severe, critical
mild:
- sulbutamol via spacer. <6yrs then 6 puffs, >/=6 years then 12 puffs. Review frequently. Consider oral pred (~3 day protocol)
Moderate:
- O2 to maintain >94%
- salbutamol burst therapy
- consider ipratropium
- oral prednisolone
Severe:
- O2 to maintain >94%
- salbutamol burst
- ipratropium
- hydrocortisone
- consider theophylline or aminophylline
- consider MgSO4
- get urgent consultant support
O SHIT ME
**“ME” considered in severe cases
Otitis media management
Usually viral, ABx not routinely recommended.
Typically give child simple analgesia. If not improved within 48hrs then give amoxicillin for 5 days.
Otitis external management?
Usually a bacterial cause. AB treatment include ciprofloxacin
Croup symptoms and management?
Onset over a few days with prodromal cold like symptoms. Develop a severe barking cough with stridor.
Usually a viral cause. Treat with steroids. Viral causes include RSV, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus
Epiglotitis symptoms and management
Sudden onset over hours, drooling, unable to swallow, difficulty speaking, toxic appearance, fever.
Cause is usually haemophilus influenza. Incidence has decreased significantly due to vaccination.
3 mechanisms of penicillin resistance?
(1) enzymatic degradation of antibacterial drugs (B-lactamases) (2) alteration of bacterial proteins that are antimicrobial targets (altering the penicillin binding protein - binds to the protein and inhibits transpeptidases which synthesise the cell wall), and (3) changes in membrane permeability to antibiotics
Whooping cough signs/symptoms and management?
Caused by Bordetella pertussis. After 1 week of cold like symptoms, the child will develop a cough. Cough can culminate to vomiting, epistaxis, and subconjunctival haemorrhages. Cough can last 10 or more weeks.
ABx in early phase –> azythromycin or clarithromycin (macrolides)
Keep home from school until 5 days of ABx
Notifiable disease
ABx prophylaxis for close contacts
Causes of stridor in a child?
croup (6mths to 6yrs, viral cold symptoms), treat with steroids, if life threatening then give nebulised adrenaline
epiglottitis (H.influenzae B, acute life-threatening, drooling, severely painful throat)
bacterial tacheitis
inhaled foreign body
Causes of wheeze in a child?
bronchiolitis (supportive O2 therapy, asthma medication doesn’t work as they have not developed the receptors)
pneumonia
asthma
viral induced wheeze
cardiac failure
Croup management?
Mild-moderate: corticosteroids (dexamethasone, prednisolone)
Severe (symptoms include persistent stridor at rest): nebulised adrenaline and dexamethasone
Bronchiolitis management?
Supportive feeding and oxygenation
Bordetella pertussis presentation and management?
coryza symptoms followed by a pronounced paroxysmal cough. Can last >10 weeks.
Vomiting with cough with subconjunctival haemorrhages.
Management:
- swab for infection control and disease notification
- ABx for early stage or to reduce infectiousness (5 days of ABx required)
- ABx prophylaxis for close contacts
- supportive care
- no smoking in the house, small frequent meals and fluids
ABx choice for pneumonia in children?
amoxicillin
Risk factors for severe exacerbation of asthma?
previous admission to ICU for asthma
poorly controlled asthma
poor compliance
representation soon after discharge
What is the 4 x 4 x 4 asthma first aid rule?
give 4 separate puffs, 4 breaths per puff, wait 4 mins
Is hepatosplenomegaly present in EBV?
Presentation of a scarlet fever rash?
sandpaper like
When would a chest x-ray be recommended in a child with pneumonia?
4-6 weeks if there are persistent signs.
S&S of scarlet fever
cause by group A strep
The symptoms usually start with fever (over 38.3°C), sore throat, and general fatigue/headache/nausea. 12-48 hours later, a rash appears on the abdomen and then spreads to the neck and extremities.
Most symptoms resolve in a week. After the symptoms have resolved, it is common to get peeling skin on the fingertips.
complications of group a strep (scarlet fever)
Suppurative complications occur due to the infection spreading and include: otitis media; mastoiditis; sinusitis; peritonsillar abscess; meningitis; endocarditis; retropharyngeal abscess; and invasive group A strep (IGAS).
Non-suppurative complications occur later and occur mainly in untreated patients. They are rheumatic fever and post-strep glomerulonephritis.
Acute otitis media treatment/management?
acute otitis media complications?
tympanic membrane (TM) perforation, mastoiditis, labyrinthitis, petrositis, meningitis, brain abscess, hearing loss, lateral and cavernous sinus thrombosis
Methods of urine collection in children?
midstream urine in toilet trained children
clean catch
suprapubic aspirate (gold standard with lowest contamination rate)
In/out catheter
Treatment of UTI in children?
Oral ABx usually appropriate, but any seriously unwell child or a child under 3mths then should be admitted for initial IV ABx.
Oral: trimethoprim, augmentin, cefalexin
IV: gentamicin + benzylpenicillin
When should a child get a renal US?
boys under 3mths of age or seriously unwell children should have one before discharge
non-urgent US should be ordered for older children with recurrent UTI
UTI S&S in an infant?
fever
vomiting
lethargy
irritability
poor feeding
jaundice
septicemia
offensive urin
Risk factors for UTI in children?
Poor urogenital hygiene
Constipation
vesicoureteric reflux (structural abnormalities such as posterior urethral valve)
Incomplete bladder emptying
What investigations would you perform in a child with a known UTI that requires IV ABx?
FBC (looking for raised WBC)
UEC (checking renal function)
blood cultures (high risk of septicemia)
CRP (assess disease severity and response to treatment)
What is the gold standard investigation for assessing renal abnormalities in a child with recurrent UTI?
micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG)
What is hypospadias?
when the urethral opening is not located at the tip of the penis.
Testicular torsion S&S
sudden onset of testicular pain
swelling and erythema
negative prehns signs (positive in epididymitis)
blue dot sign
elevated and horizontal testes
absent cremasteric reflex
Nephrotic syndrome pathophysiology?
structural damage to the glomerular filtration barrier (podocyte effacement) -> renal loss of protein -> hypoproteinemia which leads to edema -> also get get hyperlipidemia and loss of immunogloblins (making them more susceptible to infections)
What is minimal change disease?
nephrotic syndrome where there is damage to the glomerulus (usually podocyte effacement) -> loss of negatively charged barrier formed by the podocytes around the basement membrane -> causes selective proteinuria
hallmarks of nephrotic syndrome
proteinuria (>3.5 g/day) - foamy urine
hypoalbuminemia
oedema - periorbital and peripheral
hyperlipidemia (response to low protein in blood)
lipiduria
Complications of nephrotic syndrome?
decline in kidney function
hypercoagulable state - increased risk of thrombosis
hypertension
pleural effusion
increased infection risk
investigations performed for nephrotic syndrome?
urine protein
FBC, ESR
UED
electrolytes (CMP)
complement levels (increased C3)
ASOT
urine microscopy and culture hep B and C screen
chest x-ray if signs of fluid overload/pulmonary oedema
Management of nephrotic syndrome? kids vs adults
Kids:
high dose corticosteroids (prednisolone) for 4 weeks, then wean back over 6-8 weeks (85-90% respond to corticosteroid therapy). May need to put of diuretics for fluid overload and/or give supplemental albumin
Adults:
- fluid and salt restriction
- diuretic therapy
- statin
- anti-coagulant
- antiproteinic therapy (ACEi or ARB)