General Child Health Flashcards
What is the definition of a febrile convulsion?
A seizure associated with a fever in a child aged 6 months to 6 years in the absence of intracranial infection due to bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis.
What does ‘failure to thrive’ mean?
Sub-optimal weight gain in infants and toddlers
What is the Apgar score?
Used to assess condition at birth: Appearance (colour), Pulse, Grimace, Activity (i.e. tone), Respiratory effort
In necrotising enterocolitis, what are the characteristic appearances on x-ray?
Distended loops of bowel
Thickening of the bowel wall due to intramural gas
How might a baby with necrotising enterocolitis present?
Stops eating Aspirating milk Vomiting Distention of abdomen Blood in stools
What is the treatment for phenylketonuria?
Dietary restriction of phenylalanine
What are the two different types of presentation of Group B streptococcal infection?
Early onset (within 48 hours of birth) Late onset (at least 1 week after birth)
How does a late onset Group B streptococcal infection usually present?
Presents as a meningitis
How does an early onset Group B streptococcal infection usually present?
Septicaemia, respiratory distress
What are the two types of hearing impairment?
Sensorineural
Conductive
Which type of hearing loss may be present from birth, is often more severe, and may be progressive?
Sensorineural
What is the management of a child with sensorineural hearing loss?
Amplification device
Cochlear implant
What is Kawasaki disease?
A systemic vasculitis characterised by persistent fever and muco-cutaneous involvement
What is the presentation of Kawasaki Disease?
- Persistent fever for > 5 days
- Red mucous membranes
- Rash
- Non-purulent conjunctivitis
- Cervical lymphadenopathy
- Red palms or soles of feet
- Peeling of skin on fingers and toes
Why is Kawasaki disease an important disease not to miss?
It can cause coronary artery aneurysm which is devastating
What is the treatment for Kawasaki disease?
IV immunoglobulin
Aspirin
What is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia affecting children?
Supraventricular tachycardia
What is the management for supra ventricular tachycardia in children?
- Vagal stimulation by using an ice pack to generate diving reflex (a way of doing vagal stimulation in children)
- IV adenosine
- Most resolve spontaneously within 1 year
- Flecanide
- RF ablation
What is phenylketonuria?
An ‘inborn error of metabolism’ where a lack of phenylalanine hydroxylase in the liver means phenylalanine cannot be converted into tyrosine
What is the pattern of inheritance of phenylketonuria?
Autosomal recessive
What is the treatment for phenylketonuria?
Dietary restriction of phenylalanine
What is medium-chain acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency?
Disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation
What are the red flags in a febrile child?
- Fever >38 degrees in child 39 degrees in 3-6 months
- Pale, mottled, blue appearance
- Signs of meningism e.g. reduced consciousness, neck stiffness, seizures, focal neurology, bulging fontanelle
- Bilious vomiting
- Severe dehydration
- Shock
What is the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in infants?
- Advise parents to feed child in a more upright position
- Thickening agents to feed
- Infant Gaviscon
- Ranitidine
- Domperidone
At what age does pyloric stenosis present?
Infants aged 2 to 12 weeks
True / False: Pyloric stenosis is more common in boys
True
True / False: There is often a family history in cases of pyloric stenosis
True
What metabolic disturbance(s) may be present in pyloric stenosis?
Metabolic alkalosis (due to the loss of acid from the stomach)
Hypochloraemia
Hypokalaemia
How is pyloric stenosis diagnosed?
Suggestive history
Abdominal examination - palpable mass indicative of pylorus
‘Test feed’ shows visible peristalsis
Ultrasound may be used to confirm
What is the surgical management for pyloric stenosis?
Pyloromyotomy
What is the presentation of infantile colic?
Intermittent, inconsolable crying…often accompanied by drawing up of the legs due to pain
What is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in developed countries?
Rotavirus
What might lead you to suspect a bacterial rather than a viral cause for gastroenteritis?
If there is a history of blood in the stool
Give 3 bacterial causes for gastroenteritis in children
Salmonella
Shigella
Campylobacter
How do you assess severity of dehydration?
Use %age body weight lost, together with clinical features, to define whether dehydration is mild, moderate or severe (shock)
What is the maintenance fluid requirement for children?
100ml / kg for first 10kg
50ml / kg for second 10kg
20ml / kg for all kg after that
What triad of features are present in intussusception?
Abdominal pain Mass in RUQ Bloody stools ('red current jelly')
What is the treatment for intussusception?
- Fluid resus +++
- Rectal air insufflation
- Surgical reduction
What is a Meckel diverticulum and how might it present?
An ileal remnant present in 2% of individuals. May be asymptomatic but may cause severe rectal bleeding.
What is the diagnosis and management of Meckel diverticulum?
Technitium scan will show increased uptake by ectopic mucosa, treatment is surgical resection
What are the parameters required for diagnosing DKA in children?
- Hyperglycaemia (blood glucose > 11.1)
- Presence of ketones in blood (>3mmol/L) or urine
- Acidosis on blood gas i.e. pH
List some organisms which commonly cause meningitis in babies and children
Group B streptococcus E. Coli Listeria monocytogenes Strep pneumoniae Neisseria meningitides Haemophilus influenzae
What is the antibiotic of choice for suspected bacterial meningitis?
IV ceftriaxone 50-80mg/kg (max 2-4g)
What antibiotic could you add if you suspect a meningitis which is caused by Listeria?
Ampicillin
Which cells are affected by a neuroblastoma?
Neural crest cells in adrenal medulla and sympathetic nervous system
What is the most common presenting features of a neuroblastoma?
Abdominal mass Systemic signs e.g. weight loss, bone pain, pallor Proptosis (unilateral) Hepatomegaly Lymphadenopathy
What diagnosis might you suspect in a child with an absent red reflex on ophthalmoscopy?
Retinoblastoma
True / False: Retinoblastoma only ever affects one eye
False - It can be bilateral
What is the most common childhood malignancy, accounting for over 80%?
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
What will bone marrow biopsy show in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia?
High levels of blast cells and high WCC