Paeds Flashcards
List the coryzal symptoms
- Runny/snotty nose
- Watery eyes
- Sneezing
- Mucus in throat
List the signs of respiratory distress
- Raised resp rate
- Use of accessory muscles - scalene, sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major, trapezius, external intercostals
- Head bobbing
- Nasal flaring
- Recessions/indrawing of chest - intercostal and abdo muscles so ribs are visible
- Supraclavicular retractions
- Tracheal tugging
- Cyanosis
- Abnormal airway noises
List the abnormal airway noises
Wheeze - narrowing of airways leading to whistle on expiration
Grunt -
Stridor - obstruction of upper airway leading to high pitch sound on inspiration
What is bronchiolitis and what causes it?
Inflammation or infection of bronchioles usually caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Swollen bronchioles and mucus
Obstruction to airflow
How does bronchiolitis present and typical patient?
Under 1 year but usually 6 months
Can be up to 2 years if premature
Poor feed
Resp distress
Tachypnoea
Mild fever (39 degrees)
Apnoea
More likely to develop viral induced wheeze later on
How does the chest sound in bronchiolitis?
Harsh breath sounds
Wheeze
Crackles
Manage bronchiolitis?
Supportive
Ensure adequate intake
Avoid full stomach as this restricts breathing
Nasal drops/clearing
Supplementary O2
Ventilation if severe
Admission if under 3 months, pre existing condition, less than normal intake of milk, dehydrated, decreased resp rate or O2 sats low
How does virally induced wheeze present and typical patient?
fever, coryzal, cough 1-2 days proceeding SOB, resp distress
Under 3
hereditary element so may have a family history
increased risk of asthma in children prone to it
What is virally induced wheeze and what causes it?
Inflammation and oedema caused by RSV or rhinovirus
This triggers smooth muscle to constrict which leads to restricted airflow
= wheeze and resp distress
Virally induced wheeze vs asthma?
asthma - history of atopy, triggers eg. cold weather, pets, dust, emotions, exercise
VIW - presents before 3, symptoms only during viral infections
How does the chest sound in Virally induced wheeze?
expiratory wheeze throughout chest
Listening to chest: Harsh breath sounds, Wheeze, Crackles means?
Bronchiolitis
Listening to chest: focal wheeze means?
Obstruction such as inhalation of an object or a tumour
Listening to the chest: Expiratory wheeze throughout chest means?
Asthma
Virally induced wheeze
What is acute asthma and how does it present?
A rapid deterioration in symptoms
- progressive worsening SOB
- resp distress
- tachypnoea
- exp wheeze throughout chest
- chest may sound tight
How might the chest sound in acute asthma?
- expiratory wheeze throughout chest
- tight
- silent chest (urgent)
List the asthma treatment ladder?
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How would a Moderate asthma status be categorised?
Moderate – PEFR more than 50–75% best or predicted and normal speech
How would a Severe asthma status be categorised?
Severe - PEFR 33–50% best or predicted OR RR of 30/min in 5 - 12 years, and 40/min in 2 - 5 OR pulse rate of 125/min in 5 - 12 years, and 140/min in 2 - 5
OR inability to complete sentences in one breath, accessory muscle use, or inability to feed (infants), with oxygen saturation of at least 92%
How would a Life threatening asthma status be categorised?
Life threatening - PEFR less than 33% best or predicted, or oxygen saturation of less than 92%, or altered consciousness, or exhaustion, or cardiac arrhythmia, or hypotension, or cyanosis, or poor respiratory effort, or silent chest, or confusion
What type of inheritance is cystic fibrosis?
autosomal recessive
Explain the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis
It is caused by a genetic mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulatory gene on chromosome 7. This gene codes for transmembrane cAMP-activated chloride channels.
The defect leads to defective ion transport, airway surface liquid depletion and defective mucocilliary clearance.
The build up of mucus causes obstruction, infection and inflammation.
Which gene is mutated in cystic fibrosis and what does it code for? What is the most common variant of this mutation?
the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulatory gene on chromosome 7
it codes transmembrane cAMP-activated chloride channel
most common variant is the delta-F508
3 key consequences of cystic fibrosis?
Thick pancreatic and biliary secretions
Low volume thick airway secretions
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens in males
How does CF affect the pancreas, intestines and liver?
CF causes thick pancreatic and biliary secretions.
The secretions cause blockage of the ducts, resulting in a lack of digestive enzymes (such as pancreatic lipase) in the digestive tract.
This leads to poor nutrient absorption in the intestines.
How does CF affect the lungs?
CF causes low volume thick airway secretions that reduce airway clearance, resulting in bacterial colonisation, widened airways and susceptibility to airway infections
Why are men with CF usually infertile?
There is usually congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens in males. Patients generally have healthy sperm, but the sperm have no way of getting from the testes to the ejaculate, resulting in male infertility
how is CF screened? what other condition at birth may point towards CF? how does it present?
screened for at birth using the newborn bloodspot test
babies may have meconium ileus:
20% of babies with CF have thick and sticky meconium
it gets stuck and obstructs the bowel
it presents as not passing meconium within 24 hours, abdominal distention and vomiting.
What condition may be suggested by the following: recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, failure to thrive or pancreatitis? Name other symptoms.
cystic fibrosis
other symptoms:
Chronic cough
Thick sputum production
Loose, greasy stools (steatorrhoea) due to a lack of fat digesting lipase enzymes
Abdominal pain and bloating
Parents may report the child tastes particularly salty when they kiss them, due to the concentrated salt in the sweat
Poor weight and height gain (failure to thrive)
examination findings on a child with suspected CF?
Low weight or height on growth charts
Nasal polyps (due to the chronic congestion and infection that CF can cause)
Finger clubbing (caused by chronically low blood levels of oxygen)
Crackles and wheezes on auscultation
Abdominal distention
what causes clubbing in children?
Hereditary clubbing
Cyanotic heart disease
Infective endocarditis
Cystic fibrosis
Tuberculosis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Liver cirrhosis
3 methods of diagnosis for CF?
Newborn blood spot testing is performed on all children shortly after birth and picks up most cases
The sweat test is the gold standard for diagnosis
Genetic testing for CFTR gene can be performed during pregnancy by amniocentesis or chorionic villous sampling, or as a blood test after birth
how is the sweat test performed for CF? what is the diagnostic chloride concentration for cystic fibrosis?
patch of skin is chosen for the test, Pilocarpine is applied to the skin. Electrodes are placed either side of the patch and a small current is passed between the electrodes. This causes the skin to sweat. The sweat is absorbed with lab issued gauze or filter paper and sent to the lab for testing for the chloride concentration. The diagnostic chloride concentration for cystic fibrosis is more than 60mmol/l.
What are the 2 key bacteria that CF patients are at risk of? What is taken to prevent one of these? What is used to treat the other?
Staph aureus - patients take prophylactic flucloxacillin to prevent infection
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - hard to treat and worsens prognosis, can often become resistant to antibiotics hence CF children should avoid each other to minimise transmission. can be treated with long term nebulised antibiotics such as tobramycin. Oral ciprofloxacin is also used.
How is CF managed? how often are they monitored?
Chest physiotherapy - clears mucus
exercise - improve resp function
high calorie diet - for malabsorption
CREON tablets - contain digestive enzymes
prophylactic flucloxacillin - to reduce staph aureus infections
treating chest infections as they occur
bronchodilators eg. salbutamol
nebulised DNase - breaks down dna material in resp secretions to make them less thick
vaccinations up to date
lung and liver transplant in end stage
Fertility treatment involving testicular sperm extraction for infertile males
Genetic counselling
followed up every 6 mponths
conditions CF patients are at risk of?
90% of patients with CF develop pancreatic insufficiency
50% of adults with CF develop cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and require treatment with insulin
30% of adults with CF develop liver disease
Most males are infertile due to absent vas deferens
What is epiglottitis? Caused by which pathogen? How serious is it and why?
Inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis caused by infection, typically with haemophilus influenza type B.
The epiglottis can swell to the point of completely obscuring the airway within hours of symptoms developing. Therefore, epiglottitis is a life threatening emergency.
Epiglottitis vs croup?
Both upper airway infections
epiglottitis = unwell looking, abrupt onset, high fever, usually more severe stridor, minimal/absent cough, unable to swallow/speak
croup = well looking, viral prodrome and slower onset, moderate fever, mild stridor, barking cough, able to swallow
you see an unvaccinated child presenting with a fever, sore throat and difficulty swallowing. They are sitting forward and drooling. What is this? Why is being unvaccinated relevant?
Epiglottitis
Epiglottitis is now rare due to the routine vaccination program, which vaccinates all children against haemophilus.
Typical epiglottitis presentation?
Patient presenting with a sore throat and stridor
Drooling
Tripod position, sat forward with a hand on each knee
High fever
Difficulty or painful swallowing
Muffled voice
Scared and quiet child
Septic and unwell appearance
Describe an xray of a child with epiglottitis? What causes this? What can the xray exclude?
Performing a lateral xray of the neck shows a characteristic “thumb sign” or “thumbprint sign”. This is a soft tissue shadow that looks like a thumb pressed into the trachea.
This is caused by the oedematous and swollen epiglottis.
Neck xrays are also useful for excluding a foreign body.