Paediatrics Pt. 3 Flashcards
What is Trisomy 21?
- Third extra non-sex (autosomal) chromosome 21. Normally homologous pair
What is the aetiology of trisomy 21?
- Non-dysjunction at meiosis (95%): Extra maternal chromosome: karyotype 47XX + 21 or 47XY + 21. Increased incidence of trisomy 21 2 to non-dysjunction with increasing maternal age, especially >35 years and is independent of paternal age.
- Robertsonian translocation (4%): Chromosome 21 usually translocated onto chromosome 14.
- Mosaicism (1%): Some cells normal, some trisomy 21 due to non-dysjunction during mitosis after fertilisation; usually less severely affected.
What is the epidemiology of trisomy 21?
- 1/700 live births. Most common genetic cause of learning difficulties. Second affected child is 1/200 if >35 and double the age-specific rate if <35
What are signs and symptoms of trisomy 21?
- Most cases of Down syndrome are now diagnosed
antenatally (see Investigations). - General: Neonatal hypotonia, short stature.
- Developmental: Mild–moderate learning disability (IQ 25–70, with social skills exceeding other intellectual functions).
- Craniofacial: Microcephaly, brachycephaly (shortness of skull), round face, epicanthic folds, upward sloping palpebral fissures, protruding tongue, flat nasal bridge, small ears, excess skin at back of neck, atlantoaxial instability.
- Eyes: Strabismus, nystagmus, Brushfield spots in iris, cataracts.
- Limbs: Fifth finger clinodactyly, single palmar crease, wide gap between first and second
toes, hyperflexible joints in infants. - CVS: Murmurs dependent on congenital heart disease, arrhythmias, signs of heart failure.
- GI: Constipation.
What are the investigations for trisomy 21?
- Antenatal screening: Maternal age combined with the triple test at 19/40 on maternal
serum: AFP (decreased), unconjugated oestriol (decreased) and b-hCG (decreased). - Confirmation of diagnosis: amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, postnatal chromosomal analysis.
- Screening for complications: Echocardiography, TFTs, hearing and vision tests.
What is the management of trisomy 21?
- Multidisciplinary approach: Parental education and support, genetic counselling, IQ testing with appropriate educational input.
- Medical: Antibiotics in recurrent respiratory infections, thyroid hormone for hypothyroidism.
- Surgical: Congenital heart defects, oesophageal/duodenal atresia.
What are the complications of trisomy 21?
- Decreased fertility. 15 x increased risk of leukaemia; transient myeloproliferative disorder and AML (mutations in the haematopoietic transcription factor
gene, GATA1). - Increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease by 40 years (amyloid protein coding gene located on chromosome 21).
What is the prognosis of trisomy 21?
- Antenatal: 75% of trisomy 21 spontaneously abort.
- Childhood: 15–20% of Down syndrome children die <5 years, usually due to severe congenital heart disease.
- Adulthood: 50% survive longer than 50 years but undergo premature ageing.
What is Edwards syndrome?
- Trisomy 18
What is the epidemiology of Edwards syndrome?
- 1 in 8000
What are the clinical features of Edwards syndrome?
- Low birthweight
- Small mouth and chin
- Flexed, overlapping fingers
- ‘Rocker-bottom’ feet
- Cardiac and renal malformations
How is Edwards syndrome diagnosed?
- Detected by ultrasound scan during second trimester of pregnancy
- Confirmed by amniocentesis and chromosome analysis
- Can also be diagnosed on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)
What is Patau syndrome?
- Trisomy 13
What is the epidemiology of Patau syndrome?
- 1 in 14000
What are the clinical features of Patau syndrome?
- Structural defect of brain
- Scalp defects
- Small eyes (micropthalmia) and other eye defects
- Cleft lip and palate
- Polydactyly
- Cardiac and renal malformations
How is Patau syndrome diagnosed?
- Ultrasound scan during second trimester of pregnancy
- Confirmed by amniocentesis and chromosome analysis
- Can also be diagnosed on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)
What is the prognosis of Edwards and Patau syndrome?
- Most babies die in infancy
What is Klinefelter syndrome?
- Chromosome 47, XXY
What is the epidemiology of Klinefelter syndrome?
- 1-2 per 1000 live-born males
What are the clinical features of Klinefelter syndrome?
- Infertility- most common presentation
- Hypogonadism with small testes
- Pubertal development may appear normal (some males benefit from testosterone therapy)
- Gynaecomastia in adolescence
- Tall stature
How is Klinefelter syndrome diagnosed?
- Chromosome analysis
What is Turner syndrome?
- 45, X
What is the epidemiology of Turner syndrome?
- 1 in 2500 live-born females
What are the clinical features of Turner syndrome?
- Lymphoedema of hands and feet in neonate, which may persist
- Spoon-shaped nails
- Short stature- a cardinal feature
- Neck webbing or thick neck
- Congenital heart defects (particularly coarctation of the aorta
- Ovarian dysgenesis resulting in infertility, although pregnancy may be possible with IVF using donated ova
- Hypothyroidism
- Renal anomalies
- Recurrent otitis media
- Normal intellectual function in most cases
How is Turner syndrome detected?
- Antenatal ultrasound
- Fetal oedema of neck, hands or feet or a cystic hygroma may be identified
How is Turner syndrome managed?
- Growth hormone therapy
- Oestrogen replacement for development of secondary sexual characteristics at the same time of puberty (but infertility persists)
What are the clinical features of Prader-Willi syndrome?
- Character face
- Hypotonia
- Neonatal feeding difficulties
- Faltering growth in infancy
- Obesity in later childhood
- Hypogonadism
- Developmental delay
- Learning difficulties
What are the clinical features of Noonan syndrome?
- Characteristic facies
- Occasional mild learning difficulties
- Short webbed necke with trident hair line
- Pectus excavatum
- Short stature
- Congenital heart disease (especially pulmonary stenosis, atrial septal defect)
What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
- Inherited disorder of adrenal steroidogenesis
What is the aetiology of congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
- Autosomal recessive genetic defect in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) protein enzymes involved with adrenal steroidogenesis
- Resultant decreased levels of cortisol +/- aldosterone and increased levels of precursor adrenocortical hormones cause symptoms (e.g. increased deoxycorticosterone leads to sodium retention/HT at supraphysiological levels)
- Phenotypical variance: Occult (clinically asymptomatic disease), non-classic (adolescence/adulthood mild form) and classic (severe infantile adrenal insufficiency +/- salt wasting and virilisation). 21-hydroxylase deficiency: Salt wasting/simple virilising/non-classic
- Enzyme deficiency: 21-hydroxylase (90%), 11b-hydroxylase deficiency (5%) and 17a-hydroxylase deficiency (5%).
What is the epidemiology of CAH?
- 1/10,000 (21-hydroxylase deficiency), 1/100,000 (11b-hydroxylase and 17a-hydroxylase deficiency).
- Racial predilection; increased with Ashkenzai Jews and Yupik of Alaska.
What are signs and symptoms of CAH?
- Male classic: Salt-losing crisis; occurs with severe 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Males present <1/12 old as genitalia are normal therefore diagnosis delayed. 2 to decreased aldosterone.
Symptoms: failure to thrive, recurrent vomiting, sweating, dehydration, hyponatraemia,
hyperkalaemia, hypotension and coma rapidly followed by death - Male non-classic: Early development of 2 characteristics (pubic hair and phallic enlargement) and accelerated growth and “skeletal maturation”
- Female classic: Ambiguous genitalia; clitoromegaly, fused labia at birth.
- Female non-classic: Virilisation: acne, hirsutism, accelerated growth, “skeletal maturation.
- 17a-hydroxylase deficiency: increased 11-deoxycorticosterone (mineralocorticoid), decreased androgens causing HT and decreased Na+, increased K+. Males present with ambiguous or female genitalia, females with absence of 2 characteristics at puberty.
- May present as a salt-losing crisis in a neonate. When older, develop HT +/- decreased K+ as increased mineralocorticoid sensitivity with age
What are the investigations for CAH?
- Bloods: 17-hydroxyprogesterone (increased in 21-hydroxylase deficiency and 11b-hydroxylase deficiency), testosterone, increased basal ACTH, LH, FSH, U&E.
- ACTH stimulation test: Inappropriately elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels after
IM ACTH. - Pelvic ultrasound: Presence of uterus/polycystic ovary syndrome/renal anomaly.
- Karyotyping and molecular genetics: Mutation location and chromosomal sex
What is the management of CAH?
- Acute salt-losing crisis: IV 0.9% NaCl (20 ml/kg) over first hour and repeated as necessary, dextrose and hydrocortisone, monitor for hypoglycaemia.
- Medical: Glucocorticoid (hydrocortisone) and mineralocorticoid (fludrocortisone) replacement. NaCl supplementation PRN. Doses of steroids should be increased when unwell. Prednisolone +/- dexamethasone can also be used.
- Surgical: Ambiguous genitalia. With female patient, possible clitoral regression followed by vaginoplasty after birth.
- Counselling: Genetic with antenatal screening. Psychological counselling for parents and child.
What are the complications of CAH?
- Decreased Female fertility.
- Male development of adrenal rests/tissue in the testicles.
- Short stature (premature epiphyseal closure 2 to steroid therapy).
- Steroid side effects
What is the prognosis of CAH?
- Good if diagnosed early.
- Undiagnosed infants may die from salt-losing crises (diagnosed as pyloric stenosis/gastroenteritis)
What is constipation?
- A delay or difficulty in defaecation, present for >2/52 and sufficient to cause significant distress
What is the aetiology of constipation?
- Functional: 90–95% of cases; idiopathic as nil underlying medical condition 2 to vicious cycle of pain on defaecation and retention.
- Slow transit constipation (STC): Causes intractable symptoms and normally refractory to
medical management. - Nutritional: Cow’s milk protein allergy, inadequate fluid intake, malnutrition, high refined carbohydrate and protein diet or a low-fibre diet.
- Organic (rare): Gastrointestinal anomalies; Hirschsprung’s disease, anorectal stenotic
lesions, anal fissures. Spinal/neuromuscular disease. Hypothyroidism.
What is the epidemiology of constipation?
- Extremely common; 3–5% of outpatient consultations and 35% of gastroenterology consultations.
- Peak incidence 2–4 years of age.
- M : F (prepuberty), F>M (postpuberty)
What are symptoms of constipation?
- Detailed history including diet and social setting, onset of constipation.
- Passage of meconium >24 hours at birth –> Hirschsprung’s disease.
- Infants have a wide normal range of stool frequency, depending on type of milk (breastfeeding/formula) and amount of solids
What are signs of constipation?
- General:
- Abdominal distension
- Palpable stools
- Presence of sacral dimples/pits.
- Digital rectal examination: Anus position on perineum, presence of fissures/fistulae/stool/mass, anal wink and sensation, size of anal canal/rectum.
What are the investigations for constipation?
- Radiology: AXR is not helpful in the initial assessment.
- Anorectal manometry: Delineating child’s defaecation dynamics, evidence of megarectum, exclusion of ultra-short segment Hirschsprung’s disease.
- Radionuclear transit scintography: Identifies slow colonic transit. May also be done with plain AXR after ingestion of different shaped markers
What is the management of constipation?
- Exclude red flag symptoms
- Reassure that underlying causes of constipation have been excluded
- Laxatives - may have to be taken for several months
- Check for faecal impaction - if present, recommend disimpaction regimen
- Start maintenance laxative treatment if impaction is not present/has been treated
- Advice behavioural interventions (scheduled toileting, bowel habit diary, reward system)
- Diet and lifestyle advice (adequate fluid intake)
- Follow up to assess adherence and response to treatment
- Read Laz Notes
What are complications of constipation?
- Faecal overload
- Overflow incontinence
- Encopresis
- Secondary emotional and behavioural difficulties
What is the prognosis of constipation?
- 50% recover within 1 year and 65–70% recover within 2 years; the remainder require regular laxative therapy +/- have encopresis.
What is Croup? (Acute laryngotracheobronchitis)
- Progressive spread of inflammation down the respiratory tract starting at the larynx, followed by trachea and bronchi 2 to a viral infection.
What is the aetiology of Croup?
- Parainfluenza virus is the most common cause
- Other viruses can produce a similar picture, such as RSV, influenza, rhinoviruses.
What is the epidemiology of Croup?
- Children from 6 months to 5 years old.
- Occurs in the winter months and children may have repeated episodes
What are the symptoms of Croup?
- Coryza: Symptoms preceded by 1–3 days of coryza + /- fever.
- Laryngitis: Barking, croupy cough and hoarse voice.
- Tracheitis: Onset of stridor (seal-like yelp) 1–2 days after cough.
- Bronchitis: Increased respiratory effort as infection spreads down bronchial tree.
What are the signs of Croup?
Signs from 0 - 3
- Stridor: None, When agitated, At rest, Severe, Inspiratory/Expiratory
- Recession: None, Mild subcostal, Moderate/tracheal tug, Severe with marked use of accessory muscles
- Colour: Normal, Normal, Dusky, Central cyanosis
- Level of consciousness: Normal, Restless when disturbed, Anxious when agitated, Lethargy when drowsy
- Mild <= 3 signs, moderate 4-5 signs, severe >5 signs
What are the investigations for croup?
- Croup is clinical diagnosis so bloods are seldom done
What is the management of croup?
- If hospital admission is NOT required:
- Single dose of oral dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg) to be taken immediately
- ADVICE
- Resolves after 48 hours
- Seek medical attention if stridor continues, skin between the ribs is pulling in, if the child is restless or agitated
- Call an ambulance if very pale, blue or grey for more than a few seconds, unusually sleepy or unresponsive, having a lot of trouble breathing or generally unwell
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and distress
- Advise good fluid intake
- Advise parents to check the child regularly during the night
- Croup causing chest recession at rest:
- Oral dexamethasone OR oral prednisolone OR nebulised steroids (budesonide)
- These will reduce the severity and duration of croup and reduce the need for hospitalisation
- SEVERE upper airways obstruction:
- Nebulised adrenaline with oxygen by face mask
- Causes rapid but transient improvement
- Children should be closely monitored
What are complications of croup?
- Upper airway obstruction may be fatal
What is the prognosis of croup?
- Duration usually 2–3 days
- Occasionally 2–3 weeks
- 2–5% of children hospitalised for croup require intubation
What is cystic fibrosis?
- AR condition characterised by
- Recurrent lung infections
- Malabsorption
- Failure to thrive
What is the aetiology of cystic fibrosis?
- Common genotype (70-80%): Phenylalanine deletion at position F508 results in defective chromosome at 7q.
- There are >= 900 mutations of this gene
- Defective gene codes for abnormal CFTR in the cell membrane
What is the epidemiology of cystic fibrosis?
- 1/2500 live births
- 1/25 carrier rate in Caucasians
What are presenting symptoms of cystic fibrosis?
- Neonatal: Meconium ileus (bowel obstruction by thick meconium)
- Infancy: recurrent chest infections, steatorrhea, failure to thrive, developmental delay
- Older children: Asthma, allergy bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (episodic wheeze, low grade fever, brown sputum), recurrent sinusitis
What are signs of cystic fibrosis?
- Signs of malnutrition: decreased Muscle mass, protuberant abdomen.
- Respiratory: Hyperinflation (air trapping), coarse crepitations, expiratory rhonchi.
- Others: Jaundice, early digital clubbing, nasal polyps, rectal prolapse.
What are investigations for cystic fibrosis?
- Sweat test (gold standard): Sweat Cl of >50 mmol/L and Na of >60 mmol/L by pilocarpine iontophoresis, weight of sweat >100 mg on 2 occasions.
- Lung function: Obstructive picture with air trapping and hyperinflation (decreased FEV1 and increased TLC)
- Guthrie’s test: increased Serum immunoreactive trypsin (all UK newborns are now screened).
- Antenatal tests: First trimester CVS (95% sensitivity). Second trimester decreased intestinal ALP in amniotic fluid (90% sensitivity).
What is the general management of cystic fibrosis?
- Patients should have annual review of their condition AND at least one other review per year by the specialist cystic fibrosis MDT, in addition to reviews by local paediatric teams
- Members of the MDT (all should be specialists in CF):
- Paediatrician
- Nurses
- Physiotherapists
- Dieticians
- Pharmacists
- Clinical psychologists
- Social worker (provide support for people with CF and their families regarding employment, education, help adjusting to the condition, benefits, respite care)
- Respiratory Management
- Infection Management
- Nutritional Management
- Psychological Management
- Teenage and Adults Management
- Recent developments
- The development of CFTR potentiators (ivacaftor) and CFTR correctors (Lumicaftor) have potential to improve outcomes in CF
- Potentiators helps restore function of CFTR in class III and class IV mutations
- Correctors partially restore CFTR number in class II defects
What is the respiratory management of cystic fibrosis?
- Pulmonary Monitoring
- Review CHILDREN every 8 weeks
- Review ADULTS every 3 months
- At each review:
- Perform a clinical assessment (including history, physical examination and exploration of medication adherence)
- Measure SpO2
- Take respiratory secretion samples for investigation
- Spirometry
- Airway clearance techniques
- Offer training for parents and carers (involve physiotherapist)
- These techniques should be done at least twice per day
- Regularly assess effectiveness and technique
- Consider non-invasive ventilation in patients who are unable to sufficiently clear their airways using conventional techniques
- Mucoactive agents
- Offer in patients with CF who have clinical evidence of lung disease
- First-line: rhDNase
- If clinical response with rhDNase is inadequate, consider BOTH rhDNase AND hypertonic saline
- Consider mannitol dry powder inhalation for children who cannot use the above agents
- New Agents
- Lumacaftor and Ivacaftor are new agents known as potentiators and correctors that may be effective in treating CF caused by the F508 mutation
- Regular exercise is beneficial and should be encouraged
What is the infection management of cystic fibrosis?
- Common infections in CF patients
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Burkholderia cepacia complex
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Non-tuberculous mycobacteria
- Aspergillus fumigatus
- Prophylactic antibiotics (usually flucloxacillin) and additional oral antibiotics for any increase in symptoms or lung decline
- Persistent symptoms require prompt and vigorous IV therapy to limit lung damage, usually given for 14 days via a PIC line
- Chronic Pseudomonas infection is associated with a more rapid decline in lung function
- This can be slowed by the use of daily nebulised anti-pseudomonal antibiotics
- Regular azithromycin (macrolide) decreases respiratory exacerbations, probably due to an immunomodulatory effect
- Bilateral sequential lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option for end-stage CF lung disease
What is the nutritional management of cystic fibrosis?
- Oral enteric-coated pancreatic replacement therapy (with meals and snacks to account for pancreatic insufficiency)
- High-calorie diet (recommended intake is 150% of normal)- overnight feeding via a gastrostomy may be used
- Need fat-soluble vitamin supplements
What is the psychological management of cystic fibrosis?
- Review the mental health and wellbeing of the patient and their family members
- Support: Cystic Fibrosis Trust
What is the teenage and adult management of cystic fibrosis?
- As the life expectancy of CF has increased, other complications have come to the forefront
- Diabetes mellitus is increasingly common due to decreasing pancreatic endocrine function
- About 1/3 of adolescent patients will have evidence of liver disease, with hepatomegaly on liver palpation, abnormal LFTs or an abnormal ultrasound
- Regular ursodeoxycholic acid to improve flow of bile may be useful
- RARELY, the liver disease could progress to cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure
- Liver transplant may be necessary
- Distal Intestinal Obstruction Syndrome
- Viscid mucofaeculent material obstructs the bowel
- Usually cleared by a combination of oral laxatives
- As the disease progresses in adolescents and adults, there may be an increase in chest infections, as well as complications such as pneumothorax and life-threatening haemoptysis
- Females have normal fertility and should be able to tolerate pregnancy well
- Males are virtually always infertile but can father children through intracytoplasmic sperm injection
- The psychological impact of this disease is immense, so the CF team should provide emotional and psychological support
What are complications of cystic fibrosis?
- Respiratory: Bronchiectasis, cor pulmonale, pneumothorax, haemoptysis.
- GI: Cirrhosis, portal hypertension, distal intestinal obstruction syndrome; viscid mucofaeculent material obstructs the bowel.
- Endocrine: DM, decreased fertility. 99% of males are infertile due to obstruction and abnormal development of vas deferens. Females are often subfertile but there have been many successful pregnancies
- Psychological/behavioural problems: Due to compromised lifestyle and morbidity
What is the prognosis of cystic fibrosis?
- Median survival 40 years.
- Children with Pseudomonas colonization have a 2–3-fold increased mortality over 8 years
What is global developmental delay?
- A significant delay (>2 SD) in >2 areas of development (motor, speech/language, cognition, social/personal, and activities of daily living) in child <5 years of age.
What is the aetiology of global developmental delay?
- In many cases no cause is found. A review of 261 GDD children <5 years identified a cause in 38%:
- Intrapartum asphyxia (22%)
- Cerebral dysgenesis (16%)
- Chromosome abnormalities (13%): Down, fragile X syndrome
- Genetic syndromes (11%): tuberous sclerosis, Angelman/Prader-Willi syndrome
- Psychosocial deprivation (11%)
- Term periventricular leucomalacia (9%)
- Fetal alcohol syndrome (6%).
- Other causes: Metabolic (congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria), traumatic brain injury, lead poisoning, congenital infections (rubella, CMV), child abuse.
What are features in the history of global developmental delay?
- Consanguinity
- Antenatal and birth history
- Maternal alcohol/substance abuse in pregnancy,
- Family history of development delay/chromosomal abnormality,
- Social history.
- Assess whether child has developmental delay, arrest or regression
What are signs of global developmental delay?
- Growth parameters (head circumference), physical/neurological examination, developmental assessment (schedule of growing skills, Bailey or Griffith scales).
- Fragile X: Large ears, narrow facies, strabismus, macro-orchidism, gaze aversion.
- Tuberous sclerosis: Ash leaf macules (depigmentation), adenoma sebaceum (facial
angiofibromas) , shagreen patch over the sacrum/back. - Angelman syndrome: Strabismus, hypopigmented skin and eyes, prominent mandible, wide mouth, wide-spaced teeth.
- Prader-Willi syndrome: Obesity, almond-shaped eyes, narrow forehead, down-turned mouth, small hands and feet.
What are investigations for global developmental delay?
- Diagnostic
1. Chromosomal analysis and fragile X screening
- TFTs (hypothyroid now rare since neonatal screening)
- Neuroimaging: especially in children with microcephaly (congenital infection, metabolic disorders) or macrocephaly (fragile X, hydrocephaly)
- Metabolic testing: especially if developmental regression; plasma and urinary amino and organic acids, acid/base, plasma VLCFA, lyzosomal enzyme analysis, ammonia
- EEG: seizure activity or developmental regression (epileptic encephalopathy, Rett syndrome)
- Co-morbidities: Echocardiogram, spinal X-ray.
What is the management of global development delay?
- Multidisciplinary team approach: Co-ordinated by a community paediatrician.
- Educational input: Mainstream school/SENCO or special needs school
- Assessment of vision and hearing:
- Therapist input: SALT, physiotherapy, occupational therapy.
- Orthopaedic referral: Scoliosis or muscle spasticity/contractures.
- Treatment of co-morbidity: Physical and mental health problems.
- Genetic counselling: Screening in future pregnancies
What are complications of global developmental delay?
- Depends on the aetiology.
- Psychological/emotional: may result in aggressive or self-injurious behaviour
What is the prognosis of global developmental delay?
- Varies with the degree of learning impairment.
- Early input of resources can encourage child to attain milestones with the appropriate support and learning environment.
- Most children with GDD are dependent on parents/carers for support in activities of daily living.
What is developmental dysplasia of the hip?
- Abnormal growth of the hip resulting in dislocation or instability
What is the aetiology of developmental dysplasia of the hip?
- Multifactorial;
- Racial association
- Intrauterine positioning
- Gender
- Ligamentous laxity.
What is the epidemiology of developmental dysplasia of the hip?
- 1–2/1000; M : F = 1 : 4. Caucasians > Asians
What features in the history of DDH?
- Family history
- Any risk factors
What are the examinations for DDH?
- DDH examined for routinely in newborn checks. With a relaxed child, the hip and knee are flexed to 90, examiner’s thumbs placed on the medial proximal thigh, and long fingers placed over the greater trochanter
- Ortolani manoeuvre: Contralateral hip is held still while the thigh of the hip being tested is abducted and gently pulled anteriorly. With a þve Ortolani test, the femoral head glides over the ridge of pathological hypertrophic acetabular cartilage into the acetabulum. A palpable clunk occurs with the reduction. Therefore manoeuvre relocates a dislocated hip
- Barlow manoeuvre: The hip is adducted while pushing the thigh posteriorly. With a +ve
Barlow test, the femoral head is dislocated posteriorly from the acetabulum. Dislocation is confirmed by performing the Ortolani manoeuvre to relocate the hip. Therefore manoeuvre dislocates an unstable hip. - Other physical signs: Decreased abduction on the affected side, standing or walking with external
rotation, and asymmetry; leg positions, leg length, gluteal thigh or labral skin folds.
What are investigations for DDH?
- USS hip: Reveals relationship between femoral head and acetabulum, existence of any acetabular dysplasia. High false +ve rate in infants <6 weeks.
- X-ray hip: >4 months (2 views: adduction and abduction).
What is the management of DDH?
- Supportive: Pavlik harness abduction splints until age 5–6 months. USS monitoring.
- Surgical correction: Late diagnosis (>6 months): preoperative traction (2–3 weeks) then closed reduction (arthrography guided). Surgical release of the hip adductor longus and iliopsoas muscles may be required. >18 months: open reduction with femoral þ / pelvic osteotomy may be required to correct severe deformities.
What are complications of DDH?
- Iatrogenic: Skin irritation from reduction devices, 1–5% incidence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head with Pavlik harness splinting.
- Long-term: Osteoarthritis of hip.
What is the prognosis of DDH?
- Pavlik harness has good results <6/12. Increased age at diagnosis = worse outcome.
- Untreated, can be severely disabling.
What is diabetes (type 1)?
- Chronic metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycaemia secondary to an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin secretion.