Paediatrics Flashcards
What are the normal ranges for heart rate in the following age ranges?
- <1
- 1-2
- 2-5
- 5-12
- > 12
<1: 110-160 1-2: 100-150 2-5: 90-140 5-12: 80-120 >12: 60-100
What are the normal ranges for respiratory rate in the following age ranges?
- <1
- 1-2
- 2-5
- 5-12
- > 12
<1: 30-40 1-2: 25-35 2-5: 25-30 5-12: 20-25 >1: 15-20
What would recurrent respiratory infections and weight loss in a child suggest?
What are some other features of this disorder or disease?
Cystic fibrosis
Features:
- Short statue
- DM
- Delayed puberty
- Rectal prolapse (2 to bulky stools)
- Nasal polyps
- Male infertility
- Female subfertility
In meningitis when is LP contraindicated?
Meningococcal septicaemia (raised ICP_
What is the Abx of choice in meningitis?
<3 months
>3 months
<3 months: IV amox + IV cefotaxime
>3 months: IV cefotaxime
If >1 month and H. influenzae then also give dexamethasone.
What is used for antibiotic prophylaxis of meningitis contacts?
Ciprofloxacin
What test would you order in an infant with jaundice lasting >14 days?
Coomb’s test (direct antiglobulin)
What is fragile X syndrome?
What are its features?
Trinucleotide repeat disorder
Features in males:
- Learning difficulties
- large low set ears, long thin face, high arched palate
- macroorchidism
- hypotonia
- autism is more common
- mitral valve prolapse
Females (heterozygous), may be normal/mild symptoms
How is Fragile X diagnosed?
Antenatally: CVS or amnio
CGG repeats analysis using endonuclease digestion and southern blot analysis.
What is palivizumab?
When is it used?
Monoclonal antibody used to prevent RSV in children at risk of severe disease - Premature infants, those with lung or heart abnormalities, immunocompromised
What is the most common ocular malignancy in children?
Retinoblastoma
What is the pathophysiology of retinoblastoma? Is it hereditary?
What is the prognosis?
LOF of retinoblastoma tumour suppressor gene on chromosome 13
10% hereditary
Prognosis is excellent, with >90% surviving into adulthood
What are the presenting features of retinoblastoma?
How is it managed?
- Absence of red-reflex (most common)
- Strabismus
- Visual problems
Mx:
- Enucleation, external beam radiation therapy, chemo, photocoagulation
What is the most common causative organism in Scarlet fever? What specifically causes the reaction?
Group A haemolytic streptococci (usually Streptococcus pyogenes).
Reaction is to the erythrogenic toxins.
When are the two doses of MMR vaccine given?
What are the potential SE?
12-15 months, then 3-4 years.
May have an episode of malaise, fever and rash after first dose, typically after 5-10 days, lasting 2-3 days.
What are the contraindications to MMR?
- severe immunosuppression
- allergy to neomycin
- children who have received another live vaccine by injection within 4 weeks
- pregnancy should be avoided for at least 1 month following vaccination
- immunoglobulin therapy within the past 3 months (there may be no immune response to the measles vaccine if antibodies are present)
In ADHD when would you advise avoiding certain foods/ using fatty acid supplements?
Only after a food diary has shown a link between diet and behaviour - Use an MDT approach including a dietitian.
What are the side effects of methylphenidate (ritalin)?
What monitoring is needed?
Abdo pain, nausea, dyspepsia
Monitor growth every 6 months (not usually affected), monitor for psychiatric disorders and check blood pressure/pulse every 6 months
What are the cardiac associations with Turner’s syndrome?
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Aortic root dilatation
- Coarctation of the aorta
What is Mesenteric adenitis?
What is the Mx?
Inflamed lymph nodes within the mesentery.
It can cause similar symptoms to appendicitis. It often follows a recent viral infection and needs no treatment
When is the neonatal blood spot screening carried out?
What does it screen for?
= Guthrie test/heel-prick test
5-9 days of life.
Screens for:
- Congenital hypothyroidism
- CF
- Sickle
- Phenylketonuria
- Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD)
- Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)
- Isovaleric acidaemia (IVA)
- Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1)
- Homocystinuria (pyridoxine unresponsive) (HCU)
What is Bartter’s syndrome?
Features?
Inherited (autosomal recessive) severe hypokalaemia due to defective chloride absorption at the Na+ K+ 2Cl- cotransporter in the ascending loop of Henle.
NORMOtension
- Usually presents in childhood with failure to thrive
- Hypokalaemia
- Polyuria, polydypsia
- Weakness
What are the causes of a false negative CF sweat test?
- Skin oedema (most common - often due to hypoalbuminaemia/ hypoproteinaemia secondary to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.)
- Poor technique
What are the causes of a false positive CF sweat test?
- malnutrition
- adrenal insufficiency
- glycogen storage diseases
- nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
- hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism
- G6PD
- ectodermal dysplasia
- atopic eczema
What is the initial emergency management of a unresponsive child that has arrested?
- unresponsive?
- shout for help
- open airway
- look, listen, feel for breathing
- give 5 rescue breaths
- check for signs of circulation
- IF 2+ MEDICAL RESCUERS: 15 chest compressions:2 rescue breaths
Lay rescuers should use 30:2
What are the developmental speech milestones at 3 months?
- Quietens to parents voice
- Turns towards sound
- Squeals
What are the developmental speech milestones at 6 months?
- Double syllable mumbles
What are the developmental speech milestones at 9 months?
Says ‘mama’ and ‘dada’
Understands ‘no’
What are the developmental speech milestones at 12 months?
Knows and responds to name
What are the developmental speech milestones at 12-15 months?
Knows about 2-6 words (refer at 18 months)
Understands simple commands
What are the developmental speech milestones at 2 years?
Combine two words
Points to parts of the body
What are the developmental speech milestones at 2.5 years?
Vocabulary of 200 words
What are the developmental speech milestones at 3 years?
Talks in short sentences (3-5 words)
Asks ‘what’ and ‘who’ questions
Identifies colours
Counts to 10
What are the developmental speech milestones at 4 months?
Asks ‘why’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ questions
What is toddler’s diarrhoea?
What would you do to exclude underlying conditions?
Benign condition causing no problems to child. Due to fast transit through digestive system. Often contains undigested food. No pain/bloating.
Plot height and weight to exclude underlying coeliac etc.
What are the physical features of foetal alcohol syndrome?
- short palpebral fissure
- thin vermillion border/hypoplastic upper lip
- smooth/absent filtrum
- learning difficulties
- microcephaly
- growth retardation
- epicanthic folds
What is Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome?
Features?
An overgrowth disorder, usually present at birth. Characterised by an increased risk of childhood cancer - particularly Wilms tumours (kidneys) and hepatoblastoma (liver).
- Foetal macrosomia
- Macroglossia
- Hypoglycaemia
- Omphalocele
- Umbilical hernia
At what times should you assess the APGAR scores?
0, 1 and 5 minutes
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 3 months?
- Little or no head lag on being pulled to sit
- Lying on abdomen, good head control
- Held sitting, lumbar curve
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 6 months?
- Lying on abdomen, arms extended
- Lying on back, lifts and grasps feet
- Pulls self to sitting
- Held sitting - back straight
- Rolls front to back
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 7-8 months?
Sits without support (refer at 12 months)
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 9 months?
Pulls to standing
Crawls
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 12 months?
Cruises
Walks with one hand held
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 13-15 months?
Walks unsupported (refer at 18 months)
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 18 months?
Squats to pick up a toy
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 2 years?
Runs
Walks upstairs and downstairs holding on to rail
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 3 years?
Rides a tricycle using pedals
Walks up stairs without holding on to rail
What gross motor milestones would you expect a child to reach by 4 years?
Hops on one leg
What is the most likely organism to cause croup?
Parainfluenza virus
What is the most likely organism to cause whopping cough?
Bordetella pertussis
What does the Barlow test do?
Attempts to dislocate an articulated femoral head
B - back
What does the Ortolani test do?
Attempts to relocate a dislocated femoral head
oRto - relocate
What is the screening test for childhood strabismus (squint)?
Corneal light reflection test - hold a light source 30cm from the child’s face to see if the light reflects symmetrically on the pupils
Having identified strabismus, how would you identify its nature?
- ask the child to focus on a object
- cover one eye
- observe movement of uncovered eye
- cover other eye and repeat test
What causes a concomitant squint? What are the two types?
Imbalance in extra-ocular muscles
Convergent and divergent.
Convergent is more common.
What are the two types of strabismus?
Concomitant (common)
Paralytic (rare)
What type of haemorrhage may occur spontaneously in premature infants?
What may happen in the blood clots?
What is the treatment? When would shunt be indicated?
Intraventricular - occurs in the first 72 hours ?due to birth trauma and cellular hypoxia, together the with the delicate neonatal CNS.
Blood clots may occlude CSF flow and result in hydrocephalus.
Mx is supportive.
Shunt if hydrocephalus and rising ICP
What is the step-wise mx of nocturnal enuresis?
1: Look for triggers (UTI, DM, constipation)
2: Reduce fluid intake and try toiletting before bed
3: Reward systems
4: If under 7 enuresis alarm is first line, if over 7 use desmopressin, particularly if short-term control is required on enuresis alarm ineffective/not acceptable to family.
Before what age is hand preference abnormal?
What might this indicate?
12 months
Cerebral palsy
What book milestones would you expect at the following ages?:
15 months
18 months
2 years
15 months: Looks at book, pats page
18 months: Turns pages, several at time
2 years: Turns pages one at time
A tower of how many bricks should be able to be built at?: 15 months 18 months 2 years 3 years
15 months: Tower of 2
18 months: Tower of 3
2 years: Tower of 6
3 years: Tower of 9
What fine motor and vision milestones would you expect at 3 months?
- Reaches for object
- Holds rattle briefly if given to hand
- Visually alert, particularly human faces
- Fixes and follows to 180 degrees
What fine motor and vision milestones would you expect at 6 months?
- Holds in palmar grasp
- Pass objects from one hand to another
- Visually insatiable, looking around in every direction
What fine motor and vision milestones would you expect at 9 months?
- Points with finger
- Early pincer
What fine motor and vision milestones would you expect at 12 months?
- Good pincer grip
- Bangs toys together
What drawing milestones would you expect at 18 months?
Circular scribble
What drawing milestones would you expect at 2 years?
Copies vertical line
What drawing milestones would you expect at 3 years?
Copies circle
What drawing milestones would you expect at 4 years?
Copies cross
What drawing milestones would you expect at 5 years?
Copies square and triangle
What Ix would you undertake if you suspected an atypical UTI in an infant under 6 months?
What would be the suspicious features?
Ultrasound
Features of atypical UTI:
- Seriously ill
- Poor urine flow
- Abdominal or bladder mass
- Raised creatinine
- Septicaemia
- Failure to respond to treatment with suitable antibiotics within 48 hours
- Infection with non-E. coli organisms.
At what age would a UTI warrant immediate referral to paeds?
<3 months
What are the key physical features of patau syndrome (Trisomy 13)?
- Microcephalic, small eyes
- Cleft lip/palate
- Polydactyly
- Scalp lesions
What are the key physical features of Edward’s syndrome (Trisomy 18)?
- Micrognathia
- Low-set ears
- Rocker bottom feet
- Overlapping of fingers
What are the key physical features of Fragile X syndrome?
- Macrocephaly
- Long face
- Large ears
- Macro-orchidism
What are the key physical features of Noonan syndrome?
- Webbed neck
- Pectus excavatum
- Short stature
- Pulmonary stenosis
What are the key physical features of Pierre-Robin syndrome?
How might you distinguish it from Treacher-Collins?
- Micrognathia
- Posterior displacement of the tongue (may -> upper airway obstruction)
- Cleft palate
TCS is AD, so usually a family history of similar problems.
What are the key physical features of Prader-Willi syndrome?
- Hypotonia
- Hypogonadism
- Obesity
What are the key physical features of William’s syndrome?
- Short stature
- Friendly, extrovert personality
- Transient neonatal hypercalcaemia
- Supravalvular aortic stenosis
What is the Mx of threadworms?
Single dose of mebandazole (an anthelmintic) for whole household and hygiene advice.
Repeat dose if infection persists.
What is intussusception?
Features? Mx?
Telescoping bowel, proximal to or at the level of the ileocaecal valve.
6-9 months age
Colicky pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. Sausage-shaped mass, red jelly stool.
Target sign on US (side-on view of multiple layers bowel wall)
Mx: Pneumatic reduction (air insufflation) under fluoroscopic guidance.
What is Hirschsprung’s disease?
Features? Mx?
Absence of ganglion cells from myenteric and submucosal plexuses
Occurs in 1/5000 births.
- Delayed passage of meconium and abdominal distension
Full thickness rectal biopsy for diagnosis. Plain abdo X-ray will show dilated loops of bowel with fluid levels.
Mx: rectal washouts initially, thereafter an anorectal pull thorugh procedure
What is Meconium ileus?
What condition is associated with this?
Presentation? X-ray findings?
Mx:
= Distal small bowel obstruction secondary to abnormal bulky and viscid meconium. (1/15k)
90% have CF.
Presents in first days of life with gross abdo distention and bilious vomiting.
X-ray: Distended coils of bowel with ‘mottled ground glass’ appearance. No fluid levels.
Mx: PR contrast studies - may dislodge meconium plugs. + NG N-acetyl cysteine.
If unresponsive - surgery.
What is the mutation in achondroplasia?
How is it inherited?
Mutation is in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR-3) gene. This results in abnormal cartilage.
Approx 70% sporadic (RF advancing parental age) mutation, once present AD.