Paediatric CVS, endocrine, CNS, and respiratory emergencies Flashcards
What are the most common causes of ALOC in paeds?
- Hypoxaemia
- Shock with hypovolaemia
- Hypoglycaemia
- Drug intoxications
- Head trauma
- Sepsis
- Seizures
What are the points of the GHOST acronym and what is it used for?
G - glucose
H - head trauma
O - oxygen deficiency/overdose
S - shock/seizures
T - temperature
Used to determine the cause of ALOC in paeds.
What are the points of the AEIOUTIPS acronym?
A - alcohol, abuse
E - epilepsy, electrolyte disorders, encephalopathy, endocrine
I - insulin, intussusception, intoxication
O - overdose, oxygen
U - uraemia (and other metabolic causes)
T - trauma, temperature, tumours
I - infections
P - psychiatric
S - shock, space-occupying lesion, subarachnoid haemorrhage, shunt-related problems if in situ
When obtaining a hx of an ALOC paed, it’s important to ask if they have any hx of…
- Head trauma
- Neck stiffness
- Seizures
- Poisoning (or potential for overdose/poisoning)
- Infection with fever and/or rashes
- Shunts/brain tumour
- Diabetes (including parental hx)
What is the definition of syncope?
Sudden loss of consciousness and postural tone with spontaneous and complete recovery after a brief duration.
What is pre-syncope?
The feeling that one is about to pass out but remains conscious with a transient loss of postural tone.
What is the common pathophysiologic pathway syncope follows?
Cerebral perfusion is compromised by a transient decrease in cardiac output caused by vasomotor changes decreasing venous return, a primary dysrhythmia, or impairment of vascular tone.
True or false: most common causes of syncope in paeds are not immediately life-threatening.
What are some common causes of syncope in paeds?
- Breath-holding episode
- Vagal stimulation
- Sudden fear or panic
- Hyperventilation
What are some rare but potentially life-threatening causes of syncope in paeds?
- Cardiac dysrhythmia
- MI
- Significant congenital heart disease
- Drug intoxication
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypoxia
- Head trauma
What are some additional situations/observations that would alert paramedics to more serious aetiology of syncope in paeds?
- Evidence of injury, especially head trauma
- Continuing ALOC, especially >5 minutes
- Recurrent episodes
- Hx of cardiac conditions/surgery
- Associated chest pain or palpitations
- Significant persistent abnormalities in VS
- The syncopal episode was exercise related or occurred in the recumbent position
- Family hx of sudden death, deafness, cardiac disease
List the types of seizures.
- Generalised seizures
- Tonic-clonic
- Absence
- Focal seizures
- Simple partial (no change to mental state/awareness)
- Complex partial (changes to mental state/awareness)
- Febrile seizures
- Usually between 6 months and 6 years
- Impact seizures
- Immediately post injury (less serious)
- Minutes - hours post injury (more significant; due to ICP or brain injury)
Can partial seizures become generalised seizures?
What is the operational definition of SE?
Generalised, convulsive SE in adults and older children (>5) refers to >/= 5 minutes of a) continuous seizures or b) two or more discreet seizures between which there is incomplete recovery of consciousness.
List the issues with prolonged convulsion.
- Injury
- Acidosis and other electrolyte imbalances
- Hypoxia/hypercarbia
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hyperthermia
- Permanent neuronal injury
- Cardiovascular collapse
- Difficult to control the longer it lasts
- Increases morbidity and mortality
Describe the mx of seizures.
- Protect from injury
- Posture laterally
- Maintain oxygenation
- Rapid hx to identify cause and rx if possible
- Check glucose
- Cessation of convulsion
- Midazolam
- Secondary survey and more comprehensive hx
- Anything that injures the brain can ause seizures (AEIOUTIPS)
- Do not assume seizures are due to idiopathic epilepsy until proven otherwise
What kind of drug is Midazolam?
Benzodiazepine.
Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the ____ ____ ____ on the ____ ____.
Inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA; GABA receptors.
Benzodiazepines potentiate the effects of GABA by increasing the frequency of ____ ____ ____.
Chloride channel opening.
Benzodiazepines increase the activity of ____.
GABA
What is the dosage of midazolam for paeds?
200microg/kg as a single initial dose (not to exceed 5mg); may repeat at half the initial dose at 10 minute intervals (not to exceed 2.5mg)
When is midazolam indicated?
Generalised seizure or pt with complex partial seizure with ALOC.
What is a febrile seizure?
A seizure in response to rise in temperature due to fever without evidence of intracranial infection, intracranial abnormality, or toxins or endotoxins
Febrile seizures occur in ____-____% of children.
2 - 5%
Between what ages do febrile seizures usually occur?
6 months and 5 years.
What must be ruled out when determining the cause of a febrile seizure?
Meningitis, encephalitis, and sepsis.
True or false: most febrile seizures are not self-limiting.
Describe the mx for febrile seizures.
- Reassurance
- Manage ABCs and check BGL
- Cooling with tepid water/removal of clothing
- Manage prolonged seizures with midazolam if indicated
- When indicated administer paracetamol (controversial)
What diabetic emergencies might present in paeds?
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hyperglycaemia
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
True or false: first presentation of diabetes may be development of DKA.
Can children without diabetes develop hypoglycaemia?
Children can develop ____ ____ in response to infections and other medical conditions.
“Stress” hyperglycaemia.
Hypoglycaemia is defined as BGL…
< 4mmol/L
The BGL of young children may be normal at BGL levels of…
>/= 3mmol/L
The BGL of a neonate may be normal at what level?
>/= 2.6mmol/L
What should guide clinicians with assessing hypoglycaemia in paeds?
Mental state (clinical picture)
Why is early detection of hypoglycaemia critical in paeds?
Permanent brain damage may begin shorty after symptoms develop, particularly in newborns and infants.
Describe the mx of hypoglycaemia.
- Mx ABCs
- Oxygenation
- IV access if required
- Mx other presentations as necessary (seizures etc)
- Goal of mx is to restore normal BGL rapidly.
What is the dosage of PO glucose gel for paeds?
- > 2 years
- Oral single dose of 15g
- May be repeated after 15 minutes until BGL is = 4.0mmol/L
- Total max dose = 30g
What is the dosage of glucagon for >25kg paeds?
1mg in 1mL of water for injection
Edit is glitching - end of Q is “for paeds =25kg”.
What is the dosage of glucagon for paeds
0.5mg (reconstitute 1mg in 2mL water for injection and administer 1mL)
What is the initial bolus dosage of gluose 10%?
2.5mL/kg
What should be done after administering the initial bolus of glucose 10%?
Retake the BGL; if <4.0mmol/L, give a further 1mL/kg bolus. Continue until BGL >4.0mmol/L.
The pathophysiology of DKA can be condensed to a blend of ____ ____ and ____ during physiologic stress with the actions of counterregulatory hormones.
Insulin deficiency; antagonism.
Describe the pathophysiology of hyperglycaemia.
Increased glucose production from glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis coupled with the incapacity to use glucose leads to hyperglycaemia, osmotic diuresis, loss of electrolytes, hyperosmolarity, and dehydration.
Describe the progression of hyperglycaemia and DKA.
Low insulin levels - glucose cannot enter cells to be used for energy
↓
High blood glucose - body increases glucose production due to lack of glucose in cells, raising BGL
↓
Polyuria - High BGL cause water and glucose to be lost in urine
↓
Polydipsia - loss of water in urine causes dehydration and thirst
↓
Fatigue - not enough glucose in cells for energy results in fatigue
↓
Severe dehydration, shock, and acidosis - unless sufficient fluid is consumed, severe dehydration leading to shock and lactic acidosis can occur.
What is the greatest risk of hyperglycaemia?
Dehydration secondary to the resulting urinary loss of glucose and osmotic diuresis. The hyperosolarity and osmotic shifts can increase the risk of cerebral oedema due to brain cell dehydration, dilation of capillaries, and an inability to autoregulate cerebral blood pressure.
What is the dosage for fluid boluses in mx of hyperglycaemia?
10 to 20mL/kg boluses to a maximum of 60mL/kg.
What is the primary goal in initial mx of DKA?
To restore intravascular volume and improve tissue perfusion.
How does restoring intravascular volume and improving tissue perfusion help mx DKA?
It will decrease insulin counter-regulatory hormones (glucagon, catecholamines, cortisol, and GH) levels, hyperosmolarity, and glucose concentration.
Fluid replacement alone may decrease serum glucose concentration by as much as 23% through what two mechanisms?
Increased renal perfusion and loss of glucose in the urine.
What is the defining BGL range of DKA, and what is it accompanied by?
>11-15mmol/L with ketones.
In which form of diabetes does DKA usually occur?
Type I (IDDM), though it can occur in type II (NIDDM).
DKA is usually associated with BGL in the range of ____ to ____mmol/L.
11 - 34mmol/L
In DKA, more ____ than ____ are lost.
Water; electrolytes.
In DKA, the increase in osmolarity draws more water ____ of the cells.
Out.
Drawing of water out of cells by an increase in osmolarity is a mechanism that helps preserve….
Intravascular volume which makes decompensated shock unusual in DKA.
True or false: DKA pts tend to appear less dehydrated than they actually are.
DKA results from the absence of ____.
Insulin.
In simple terms, how does absence of insulin lead to DKA?
Prevents glucose from entering cells → glucose accumulates in the blood → body releases more glucose.
Why is DKA dangerous? (pathophysiological reasons)
Cells become starved for glucose and begin to use other energy sources (primarily fats) → fat metabolism generates fatty acids → these are further metabolised into ketoacids (ketone bodies).
What is the renal threshold for reabsorption?
>10mmol/L BGL
How does DKA cause osmotic diuresis?
BGL rises above renal threshold (>10mmol/L) → glucose spills into urine → loss of glucose in urine causes osmotic diuresis.
DKA results in what three basic things?
- Dehydration
- Metabolic acidosis
- Electrolyte imbalances (especially K+)
Describe the progression of ketone production.
Excess fat metabolism → increased ketone production and ketoacidosis → emesis and abdominal pain → ALOC
What is the most common precipitating factor in DKA in paeds?
Ignorance and new onset diabetes followed by infection.
List the six I’s of DKA precipitants.
- Infection
- Infarction (brain)
- Ignorance
- Ischaemia (AMI)
- Intoxication
- Implantation (pregnancy conditions)
True or false: DKA on its own generally does not cause significant hypotension.
What is the definitive rx for DKA?
Insulin therapy, secondary to intravenous fluid replacement and should be withhold in pts with hypotension and hypoglycaemia.
Cerebral oedema associated with DKA has a high mortality rate of ____ to ____%.
40 to 90%
Cerebral oedema associated with DKA is more likely in those with what conditions?
- Severe DKA
- New-onset IDDM
- Younger age
- Longer duration of symptoms
What are some possible contributing factors to the mechanism of cerebral oedema associated with DKA?
- Hypoxia
- Osmotically driven movement of water into the CNS when plasma osmolarity declines too rapidly during the rx of DKA with aggressive fluid management
- The direct effect of insulin on the plasma membrane of brain cells, which may promote cellular oedema
- Greater risk for cerebral oedema owing to the immaturity of autoregulatory mechanisms
In what time range does cerebral oedema associated with DKA usually begin?
4 - 12 hours after rx.
What are inborn errors of metabolism (IEM)?
Hereditary disorers involving gene mutations, usually of a single enzyme or transport system, causing significant blocks in metabolic pathways and accumulation or deficiency of a particular metabolite.
IEMs may lead to permanent ____ ____ and ____ if specific rx is not initiated.
Neurologic sequelae; death.
True or false: IEM should not be considered in a previously normal neonate with acute clinical deterioration.
What are the most common emergent clinical manifestations of IEMs in the neonatal period?
- Vomiting
- Neurologic abnormalities
- Metabolic acidosis
- Hypoglycaemia
True or false: buccal mucosa/lips are good indicators of paed hydration.
Laryngotracheobronchitis is more commonly known as ____.
Croup.
What is the most common upper respiratory obstruction in paeds between 6 months and 6 years of age?
Croup