Paediatric Common Conditions 3 Flashcards
What is Laryngomalacia?
seen in infants - the supraglottic larynx is structured in a way that allows it to cause partial airway obstruction. This leads to a chronic stridor on inhalation, when the larynx flops across the airway as the infant breathes in
may resolve on its own or rarely requires tracheostomy
Spot diagnosis:
Softening of the cartilage of the patella
Common in teenage girls
Characteristically anterior knee pain on walking up and down stairs and rising from prolonged sitting
Usually responds to physiotherapy
Chondromalacia patellae
Spot diagnosis:
Pain, tenderness and swelling over the tibial tubercle
Seen in sporty teenagers
Osgood-Schlatter disease
(tibial apophysitis)
Spot diagnosis:
Knee pain after exercise
Intermittent swelling and locking
Osteochondritis dissecans
Spot diagnosis:
Medial knee pain due to lateral subluxation of the patella
Knee may give way
Patellar sublaxation
Spot diagnosis:
More common in athletic teenage boys
Chronic anterior knee pain that worsens after running
Tender below the patella on examination
Patellar tendonitis
Differentials for a limping child?
Trauma
Transient synovitis:
Acute onset, accompanies viral infections, but the child is well or has a mild fever
Mostly in boys aged 2-12 years
Septic arthritis/osteomyelitis
Unwell child, high fever
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Limp may be painless
Development dysplasia of the hip
diagnosed as neonate, more common in girls
Perthes disease
More common at 4-8 years, due to AVN of the femoral head
Slipped upper femoral epiphysis
10-15 years - Displacement of the femoral head epiphysis postero-inferiorly
What organism causes measles? What is the incubation period?
RNA paramyxovirus
infective from prodrome until 4 days after rash starts
incubation period = 10-14 days
What features does measles present with?
prodromal phase:
irritable, conjunctivitis, fever
Koplik spots:
typically develop before the rash
white spots (‘grain of salt’) on the buccal mucosa
rash:
starts behind ears then to the whole body
discrete maculopapular rash becoming blotchy & confluent
desquamation that spares the palms and soles may occur after a week
How can measles be investigated and managed?
Ix: IgM antibodies
Mx: mainly supportive
notifiable disease → inform public health
Complications of measles?
otitis media: the most common complication
pneumonia: the most common cause of death
encephalitis: typically occurs 1-2 weeks following the onset of the illness)
What is Meckel’s diverticulum?
a congenital diverticulum of the small intestine
Rule of 2s
occurs in 2% of the population
is 2 feet from the ileocaecal valve
is 2 inches long
How should a non-immunised child be managed if they come into contact with measles?
MMR within 72 hours
What is the most common cause of painless massive GI bleeding requiring a transfusion in children between the ages of 1 and 2 years?
Meckel’s diverticulum
How does Meckel’s diverticulum present?
abdominal pain mimicking appendicitis
rectal bleeding
intestinal obstruction
- secondary to an omphalomesenteric band (most commonly)
How should Meckel’s diverticulum be investigated and managed?
Ix: Meckel’s scan (technetium scan)
mesenteric arteriography may also be used in more severe cases e.g. transfusion is require
Mx: removal if narrow neck or symptomatic
What is meconium aspiration syndrome?
respiratory distress in the newborn as a result of meconium in the trachea
occurs in the immediate neonatal period
more common in post-term deliveries
Contraindications to lumbar puncture in children with suspected meningitis?
Any signs of raised ICP:
focal neurological signs
papilloedema
significant bulging of the fontanelle
DIC
signs of cerebral herniation
meningococcal septicaemia:blood cultures and PCR for meningococcus instead
What abx should be used to treat meningitis?
< 3 months: IV amoxicillin (or ampicillin) + IV cefotaxime
> 3 months: IV cefotaxime (or ceftriaxone)
What are the 5 key components of meningitis management in children?
Antibiotics
Steroids
Fluids
treat any shock, e.g. with colloid
Cerebral monitoring
mechanical ventilation if respiratory impairment
Public health notification and antibiotic prophylaxis of contacts - ciprofloxacin
What can be given to cover for possible herpetic meningoencephalitis (HSV-1)?
Acyclovir
When should steroids be given to children with meningitis?
NICE advise against giving corticosteroids in children younger than 3 months
dexamethsone should be considered if the lumbar puncture reveals any of the following:
purulent CSF
CSF white blood cell count > 1000/microlitre
raised CSF white blood cell count with protein concentration greater than 1 g/litre
bacteria on Gram stain
Causes of meningitis in <3 month olds?
Group B Streptococcus: usually acquired from the mother at birth. More common in low birth weight babies and following prolonged rupture of the membranes
E. coli and other Gram -ve organisms
Listeria monocytogenes
Causes of meningitis in the 1 month to 6 years category?
Neisseria meningitidis
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Causes of meningitis in children > 6 years ?
Neisseria meningitidis
Streptococcus pneumoniae
What is mesenteric adenitis?
inflamed lymph nodes within the mesentery
presents similarly to appendicitis, occurs post viral infection
no tx required
What is microcephaly?
occipital-frontal circumference < 2nd centile
What can cause microcephaly?
normal variation
familial e.g. parents with small head
congenital infection
perinatal brain injury e.g. hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
fetal alcohol syndrome
syndromes: Patau
craniosynostosis
Give some examples of diseases with a mitochondrial inheritance pattern
Leber’s optic atrophy
MELAS syndrome: mitochondrial encephalomyopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes
MERRF syndrome: myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibres
Kearns-Sayre syndrome
sensorineural hearing loss
Whilst most DNA is found in the cell nucleus, a small amount of double-stranded DNA is present in the mitochondria.
What are the characteristics of mitochondrial inheritance?
inheritance is only via the maternal line
none of the children of an affected male will inherit the disease
all of the children of an affected female will inherit the disease
Mumps is a caused by RNA paramyxovirus and tends to occur in winter and spring. What is the incubation period?
14-21 days
What clinical features does mumps typically present with?
fever
malaise, muscular pain
parotitis (‘earache’, ‘pain on eating’): unilateral initially then becomes bilateral in 70%
How can mumps be investigated and managed?
Ix:
PCR testing on a saliva swab. The blood or saliva can also be tested for antibodies to the mumps virus
Mx:
rest
paracetamol for high fever/discomfort
notifiable disease