Paediatrics - Vomiting and Diarrhoea Flashcards
Differential diagnosis of acute-onset bloody stool, fever and abdominal cramps
Infective pathogens: Campylobacter Shigella Salmonella Enteroinvasive E.coli Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (O157:H7) Clostridium difficile Yersinia enterocolitis Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Ddx causative pathogens of watery vs bloody diarrhea
Watery:
Enterotoxin
Virus
Protozoan
Bloody with mucus:
Cytotoxin-producing bacteria causing mucosal inflammation
Enteric parasite
Outline history taking questions for acute diarrhea in children
- Confirm diarrhea: alteration in bowel movement with change in stool consistency to loose/ watery, and increase stool frequency and volume
- Character of diarrhea: watery vs bloody, presence of mucus
- Severity:
- Frequency
- Number of episodes
- Estimated amount/ trend over time - Any associated symptoms:
- Vomiting: appearance, frequency, volume, projectile
- Fever
- Appetite and recent food intake
- Abdominal pain/ colic
- Irritability - Risk of dehydration
- Source of infection: TOCC
- Past health, recent management and birth history
Symptoms of dehydration in children
Risk factors of dehydration
Symptoms:
Dry lips
Cool limbs
Urine output
Risk factors:
Children <1 year, particularly <6 months
Infants of low birthweight
Frequent profuse watery diarrhea
Vomiting (>2 in previous 24hrs)
Poor fluid intake: malnutrition, intolerance to fluid
Concurrent fever (increased insensible fluid loss)
Possible sources of infection causing diarrhea in children
Contacts having similar symptoms (most common)
Change in food content
Change in preparation: the person, the method, the utensils
‘Unhygienic food’, e.g. undercooked food, raw food, eating out
Nursery outbreak
Family member occupations:
a) Cooks, kitchen workers (contact with raw food or carriers of Salmonella)
b) Health care workers (exposure to enteric pathogens)
Causes of diarrhea in an immunocompromised child
Chemotherapy, prolonged antibiotics use
» hospital-acquired, multiple antibiotic-resistant enteral bacteria
X-linked agammaglobulinemia (absent B cells, reduced humoral immunity)»_space; Giardia infection
Antimicrobial-associated diarrhea»_space; Clostridium infection
Birth, family and social history relevant to diarrhea in a child
Birth:
Preterm babies at risk of necrotizing enterocolitis
bowel surgery: short gut syndrome, blind loop syndrome (bacterial overgrowth)
Family history:
Recent GE, GI symptoms in immediate family members
Chronic diarrhea in childhood
Inborn errors of immunity: cellular immunodeficiency or lack of IgA protective mucosal response
Social history (who look after child, change in carer)
Ddx acute diarrhea in a child
Infective:
Bacterial vs. virus (majority in children)
Secretory (toxins cause secretion of electrolytes and fluids into gut)
Inflammatory (cytotoxic effect damages mucosal cells, influx of white
cells and immune cells)
Food intolerance
Osmotic agents
Drugs
Acute infective gastroenteritis in children
Most common causative pathogens
Virus: Rotavirus
Bacteria:
Campylobacter spp.
Salmonella spp.
E. coli: O157, Non-O157
Protozoa: Cryptosporidium parvum (uncommon, specific to T cell defects)
List all viruses that can cause Acute infective gastroenteritis in children
Rotavirus
Norovirus Adenovirus group F Calicivirus Astrovirus Small round structured virus
List all bacteria that can cause Acute infective gastroenteritis in children
Campylobacter spp.
Salmonella spp.
E. coli
Shigella spp. Clostridium difficile Clostridium perfringens Staphylococcus aureus Bacillius spp. Vibrio spp. Yersinia spp. Aeromonas spp.
Pathogens a/w traveler’s diarrhea
Most common: Salmonella
Others: Campylobacter, E. coli, Cryptosporidium
Shigella, Giardia, Entamoeba (Indian subcontinent, sub-Saharan, southern Africa)
Ddx non-gastrointestinal infection causes of diarrhea and vomiting
1. Non-enteric infections: Pneumonia Urinary tract infection Meningitis Acute otitis media Toxic shock syndrome
- Non-infective gastrointestinal disorders
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Coeliac disease - Surgical disorder
Bowel obstruction
Intussusceptions
Ischemic bowel - Drug-related: antibiotics esp.
Key symptoms and signs of meningitis in children
Key symptoms Persistent vomiting Altered consciousness Irritability Photophobia
Key signs
Petechial purpuric rash
Neck stiffness
Bulging fontanelle in infants
Key symptoms and signs of toxic shock syndrome in children
Key symptoms
Non-specific muscle aches
Faintness
Key signs
Clinical shock
Red non-specific rash
Possible site of bacterial entry (e.g. small burn, injury)
Factors a/w more prolonged course of infective gastroenteritis
Co-infection of enteric pathogen
Bloody and/ or mucoid stools
Malnutrition
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics
Explain why infants are more susceptible to dehydration from diarrhea
A greater portion of their bodies is made of water
Higher surface to mass ratio - higher loss through skin
Children have a high metabolic rate
A child’s kidneys do not conserve water as well as an adult’s kidneys
Low ability to express thirst