Paediatrics Flashcards
Typical number of resp infections per year in Young childen
6-12 per year with self limiting cough within 1 to 3 weeks
Red flags for cough
lasted >8 weeks
Cough since birth
Sudden inset/history of choking
Feeding associated
Severe respiratory illness (previous ICU admission)
Signs of ill health
Clubbing
Polyphonic wheeze indicates…
diffuse and variable obstruction in smaller airways
Causes of cough to consider in infant
Structural airway abnormalities
Tracheo-esophageal fistula
Vascular ring
Causes of cough to consider in toddlers
foreign body, viral induced wheeze
Causes of cough to consider in children
asthma, chronic rhinitis
Causes of cough to consider in adolescents
asthma, upper airway hyper responsiveness, psychogenic factors, smoking
Asthma prevalence in children
About 15-20% but about 50% will have an episode of non asthma wheeze
Wheeze clinical cause and differentials
bronchial smooth muscle contraction and airway wall inflammation(asthma and VIW)
Excessive secretions (bronchiolitis)
Airway lumen obstruction (foreign body, endobronchial mass)
Floppy airway wall (tracheomalacia, bronchomalacia)
Extrinsic compression (vascular structures, mediastinal mass)
Examining for wheeze severity
wheeze intensity not a good marker of severity
Best measurs:general appearance, WOB and mental State
SpO2 in air, HR, ability to talk
Beware tachycardia as a SE of beta agonists
Silent chest = indicates imminent respiratory collapse
Initial management of wheeze
monitor vitals and resp distress
Give O2 if says >92%
High flow, further resp intervention
If possibly anaphylaxis, give adrenaline
Severe asthma attack criteria
SpO2 <92%
PEF 33-50% best or predicted
Too breathless to talk or feed
HR > 125 (>5yrs) OR >140 (1-5)
RR >30 breaths per min (>5), >40 (1-5years)
Use of accessory necl muscles
Life threatening asthma attack criteria
SpO2 <92%
PEF <33% best or predicted
Silent chest
Poor respiratory effort
Agitation
Altered consciousness
Cyanosis
Management of asthma exacerbation/VIW
Salbutamol via spacer, up to 10 puffs. Or nebs
Consider steroids (oral or IV)
Involve seniors for IV MgSO4, aninophylline or IV salbutamol
Long terms asthma management strategy
Step up approach if continue to be poorly controlled
SABA - short acting beta agonist
+ ICS (low dose inhaled corticosteroid)
+ LTRA (leukotriene receptor agonist)
+ LABA (long acting beta agonist) and stop LTRA if not of use
Then: SABA + switch to MART (maintenance and reliever, includes low dose ICS)
Next: SABA + pediatric moderate dose ICS MART
Then: SABA + EITHER incr dose ICA to high, either as fixed dose regime or as a MART
OR trial of additional drug (eg theophylline)
Management is slightly different in under 5s
Management of bronchiolitis
supportive care, NG feeds and IV fluids
Humidified O2 wafting
Worse day typically 4-5 so be aware of progression
Section sometimes used for excessive upper airway secretions
Risks for bronchiolotis
age <6 weeks
Prematurity
Underlying health issues
Bronchiolitis cause
acute bronchiolar inflammation.
Typically RSV (75-80%)
Most common cause LRTI in under 1s
Higher incidence in winter
Fearures of bronchiolitis
coryzal symptoms (incl fever) preceding
Dry cough
Increasing breathlessness
Wheeze, fine inspiratory crackles (sometimez)
Feeding difficulties associated with increasing dyspnoea are often reason for hospital admission
Red flags for immediate admission to hospital with bronchiolitis
Apnoeas
Child looks seriously unwell to Healthcare professional
Severe resp distress, eg grunting, marked chest recession, resp rate over 70 breaths /min
Central cyanosis
Persistent O2 says <92% on air
Significant dehydration
Inhaled foreign body features
May have classic history
Cough, stridor, dyspnea
CXR abnormality in 80%
inspiratory stridor cause
typically extrathoracic airway narrowing
Biphasic stridor cause
intrathoracic tracheal narrowing
Causes of stridor in infants
Layngomalacia,
Tracheomalacia
Subglottic stenosis
Vascular ring
What is stridor
An externally audible, harsh, high pitched monophonic sound heard on inspiration and possibly also expiration
Infective causes of stridor in a child
Croup
Epiglottitis
Quinsy
Deep neck space infections
Bacterial tracheitis
Non infective causes of stridor in a child
foreign body inhalation
Anaphylaxis
Burns/trauma
Vocal cord fysfunction
Signs of mild airway obstruction
Intermittent stridor
Able to speak or cry, may be hoarse
Minimal or no resp distress
Good air entry
Signa of moderate airway obsrtruction
tachypnoea
Stridor even at rest
Nasal flaring
Grunting
Paradoxical chest movement
Decreased air entry
Signs of severe airway obstruction
hypoxia (late on)
Slow resp rate, or marked tachypnoea
Sniffing/tripod position
Agitated or drowsy
Severe WOB
Markedly reduced or no air movement
Silent gagging or coughing
initial management of acute stridor
Do not upset or examine the child. Decompensation of obstruction fan be rapid
Give parent oxygen msdk to hold near child
Nebulised adrenaliine may give temporary relief
IM adrenaline if possible anaphylaxis
Consider oral/IV decamethasone or neb budesonide
Escalate
Features of acute epiglottitis
rapid onset
High temp, generally unell
Stridor
Drooling of saliva
Tripod position
CXR difference between acute epiglottitis and crojp
Lateral view in acute epiglottitis will show swelling of epiglottis
Posterior anterior view in croup will dhow subglottic narrowing
What is croup
respiratory tract infection seen in infants and toddlers.
Laryngeal oedema and secretions lead to strida
Parainfluenza viruses most common cause
Peal 6 months to 3 years
Features of croup
stridor
Barking cough (worse at night )
Fever
Coryzal symptoms
Need for admission for croup if
frequent barking cough
Easily audible stridor at rest
suprasternal and sternal wall retraction at rest
Any sort of distress
<6 months of ge
Known upper airway abnormalities
Croup management
single dose oral dexamethasome (0.15mg/kg) to all children regardless of severity
If bad: High flow O2, nebulised adrenaline
Peritonsillar abscess (quinsy)
Typically abscess as complication of bacterial tonsillitis
Features: Severe throat pain lateralising to one side, deviation of uvula to unaffected side, difficulty opening mouth, reduced neck mobility.
Diphtheria pathophysiology
caused by gram + Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Releases exotoxin which inhibits pretein synthesis
Typically causes diphtheria membrane on tonsils caused by necrotic mucosal cells
Presentation of diphtheria
unvaccinated
Poss recent visit to Eastern Europe/Russia/Asia
Sore throat with grey pseudomembrane on posterior pharyngeal wall
Bulky cervical lymphadenopathy
Neuritis or heart block (secondary things)
Husky voice and brassy cough
Unilateral profuse nasal discharge and crusting
Tetanus pathophysiology
caused by exotoxin from Clostridium tetani, preventing release of GABA
features: Prodrome of fever, lethargy, tiredness
Trismus, facial spasms, opisthotonud
Spasms
Pertussis pathhysiolovy
caused by Bordatella pertussos Nd around 1000 cased per hear in the UK
Features of pertussis
catarrhal phase : Symptoms similar to viral URTI, lasting 1-2 weeks
Paroxysmal phase: Cough increases in sevrity
Bouts of coughing worse at night and after feeding
Inspiratory whoop(not always oresent)
Apnoeic spells
Persistent coughing may cause subconjunctival haemorrhage
Lasts 2-8 weeks
Convalescent phae: Cough subsided over weeks to months.
Management of pertussis
Admit if under 6 nonths
Notify PHE
Oral macrolide if cough onset within last 3 weeks
Household contacts get a antibiotic prophylacis
School excludion for 48 hours after starting symptoms, of not vaccinated can’t go back until 72 hours since start of placement
Mumps features
spread by droplets, then incubation period 14-21 days
Fever, malaise, muscular pain
Paris swelling
Parotitis (earache or pain on eating) unilaterally initially then bevomes bilateral in 70%
Not had MMR
Generally mild and self limiting
Complications of mumps
orchitis - uncommon in prepubertal males, but in around 25-35% of post pubertal. Typically 4-5 days after start of parototis
Hearing loss -usually unilateral and transient
Meningoencephalotis
Pancreatitis
Measles features
Caused by RNA paramyxoviris, super infectious
Infective from prodrome until 4 days after rash starts
Incubation period 10-14 days
Prodrome: Irritable, conjunctivitis, fever
Koplok spots: Typifally before rash, white spots (grains of salt) on buccal mucosa
Rash: Starts behind ears then to whole body. Discrete maculopapular rash becoming blotchy and confluent
Diarrhoea in 10% of patients
Management of measles
mainly supportive
Admission considered in immunosuppressef or pregnant patients
Inform public health
Immunize non vaccinated contacts within 72 hours
Complications of measles
otitis media (common)
Pneumonia
Encephalitis (1-2 week after onset)
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (very rare, and may present 5-10years after illness’ but very bad)
Febrile convulsions
Keratoconjunctivitis
Diarrhoea
Incr incidence appendicitis
Myocarditis
Most common cause of gastroenteritis in children in thr UK
Rotavirus
Should do a stool culture for gastroenteritis if any of…
suspect septicemia
Blood and/or mucus in stool
Child is imminocompromised
Child has recently been abroad
Child has not improved by day 7
Risk factors for congenital heart disease
Family history of CHD (1st degree relativr)
Trisomy
Abnormal antenatal cardiac scan
Maternal exposure to viruses during preg
Maternal conditions (DM, epilepsy, SLE, PKU)
Teratogenic drugs during pregnancy (AED, warfarin, diazepam, retinoids for acne, ibuprofen after 30wks geztation)
Possible presentations of congenital heart disease
40-50% antenatal diagnosis
Murmur
Cyanosis
Chest pain
Palpitations
Dyspnea
Fatigue (in babies = feeding difficultied)
Recurrent RTI
Faltering growth
Syncope, seizures, brain abscess, myopathy
Fever
Tiredness
Examination with congenital heart diseaese
Dysmorphism
Pulse, saturation
Cyanosis And clubbing
Precordial bulge, Apex beat, scars
Auscultstion
Development of clubbing
soft tissue growth under nail bed related to megakaryocyte trapping and releasing growth factors
After 6 months hypoxia, and first in thumb
Hallmarks of innocent murmurs
aSymptomatic, Soft blowing, Systolic, left Sternal edge. And no thrills or radiation
Incidence of congenital heart disease
1/125 live births
1000 newborns leave hospital every year with undetected significant defect
Acyanotic congenital heart disease
ventricular septal defects
Atrial septsl defects
Patent ductus arteriosus
Coarctation of the aorta
Aortic valve stenosis
Cyanotic congenital heart disseases
Tetralogy of Fallot
Transposition of the great vessels
Tricuspid atresia
Features of atrial septal defects
Ejection systolic murmur, foxed splitting of S2
Possible for embolism to pass from venous system to left side of heart causing stroke
Holt Oram Syndrome
Autosomal dominant condition assoc w
-abnormalities to bones of hand and arm (inch absence of radius)
-CHD, partic ostium secundum atrio-septal defects, and also VSDs
Investigations for ASD
ECG: RBBB with either RAD (ostium secundum) or LAD (ostium primum)
CXR: Cardiomegsly, enlarged pulmonary arteries
Aetiology of VSDs
most common cause of congenital heart disease. Close spontaneously in about 50%
Associated with chromosomal disorders, eg Down’s, Edward’s, Patau, cri-du-chat syndrome
And also congenital infections
Murmur in VSD
classically pansystolic murmur which is louder in smaller defects. Left lower sternal border
Murmur in PDA
Medium pitch, high grade continpus ‘machinery’ murmur
Patent foramen ovale murmur
faint systolic murmur
TOF murmur
ejection systolic murmur loudest at pulmonary area (as due to pulmonary stenosis)
Complications of VSD
Aortic regurgitation
Infective endocarditis
Eisenmenger’s complex
right heart failure
Pulmonary hypertension (such that pregnancy is contraindicated)