Paeds Flashcards
Age based weight, HR, (RR), BP
Weight = (age+4)x2
Heart rate:
* < 28days 100-200
* 1-12months 100-190
* 1-2yrs 100-150
* 3-11yrs 80-120
* > 12yrs 60-100
Resp rate:
* < 1yr 30-53
* 1-2yrs 22-37
* 3-5yrs 20-28
* 6-11yrs 18-25
* 12-15yrs 12-20
MAP = 1.5 x age
Systolic
*Newborn < 1kg aim > 40
*Newborn 3kg aim >50
*1-12months aim>70
* 1-11 years aim > 70 + (agex2)
* >12years aim >90
Analgesic options for circumcision
- Caudal block
- Local anaesthetic infiltration
- Specific penile block
- Paracetamol
- Opiates (fent intraop, dihidrocodeine post-op)
- NSAIDs
Complete the labels
i. Sacral hiatus/sacrococcygeal membrane
ii. Epidural/caudal space
iii. Subarachnoid space
iv. Spinal cord
v. Dura mater
vi. Filum terminale
Where does the dural sac end?
S4 at birth
S2 at 1 yr
Spinal cord ends L3 in <1yr old
L1/2 in adults and children
List complications of caudal block
- Block failure
- Intrathecal injection
- Intravascular injection
- Hypotension
- Motor blockage
- Urinary retention
- Infection/epidural abscess
- Needle insertion into rectum/periosteum
State the name, concentration and volume of LA you would use in a caudal block by age
Bupivicaine/levobupivicaine 0.25%
Armitage formula:
* 0.5ml/kg lumbosacral (enough for circumcision)
* 1ml/kg thoracolumbar
* 1.25ml/kg mid thoracic
What could you add to LA mixture to prolong duration or quality of caudal block?
- Fentanyl 1-2mcg/kg
- Clonidine 1-2mcg/kg
- Preservative free ketamine 0.5mg/kg
List methods of assessing pain in paediatrics
- Physiological (HR, BP, RR)
- Behavioural
- Self reporting scales (piece of hurt scale, faces pain scale, visual analogue scale)
- Parent/carer reporting
What is the characteristic chromosomal abnormality that leads to Down’s syndrome
Trisomy 21
List airway issues associated with Down’s syndrome giving an implication for anaesthetic management
- Subglottic stenosis: consider need for smaller tube size
- Atlantoaxial instability: maintain neutral cervical spine positioning for intubation e.g. using hyperangulated blade videolaryngoscope
- Craniofacial changes predispose to OSA: avoid long acting opiayes, use multimodal analgesia
- Midfacial hypoplasia: difficult facemask ventilation, may require oropharyngeal airway
- Reflux disease: increased risk of aspiration, consider RSI
Other than Down’s syndrome, which genetic syndromes predispose to difficult paediatric airway
- Pierre Robin
- Treacher Collins
List congential cardiac conditions associated with Down’s syndrome
- ASD/VSD
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Tetralogy of Fallot
List contributing causes for the development of pulmonary hypertension in a patient with Down’s syndrome
- Uncorrected left-to-right cardiac shunt from congenital cardiac defect
- Chronic hypoxaemia due to OSA
- Chronic hypoxaemia recurrent respiratory infections
Give characteristic ECG changes associated with pulmonary hypertension
- Right axis deviation
- RBBB
- Dominant R wave in V1
- P pulmonale lead II
List congenital neurological issues associated with Down’s syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Vaiable global developmental delay
- Autism
List the clinical features of meningococcal septicaemia
- Capillary refill time > 2s
- Skin colour change
- Cold hands or feet
- Moribund state
- Altered mental state
- Poor urine output
- Non-blanching rash
- Fever
List five anatomical features of young children < 3 years old which may adversely affect upper airway management
- Large head, prominent occiput: tendency to flex neck, use folded towel under shoulder for neutral positioning
- Large tongue: obstruction of airway possible with digital pressure, ensure fingers applied to bony surfaces
- No teeth: difficulty maintaining face mask ventilation, use appropriately sized ororpharyngeal airway
- Long U-shaped epiglottis: difficulty with laryngoscopic view, consider straight blade or VL
- Short trachea: risk of endobronchial intubation, auscultate chest
List patient factors that increase the risk of perioperative laryngospasm in children
- Younger age
- Recent upper respiratory tract infection
- Asthma
- Structural airway abnormality
List anaesthetic factors that increase risk of laryngospasm
- Inadequate depth of anaesthesia
- Airway instrumentation
- Intubation without neuromuscular blocker
- Anaesthetist with limited paediatric anaesthetic experience
Give four reasons it would be inappropriate to cancel a grommet surgery for a 5 year old with nasal discharge
- Nasal discharge may be associated with the reason for surgery and may not improve with more time
- Inefficient list usage
- Wasted time off school for child
- Wasted parental time off work with possible financial loss
- Loss of trust between child, parents and healthcare
List features in a paediatric history that might cause you to postpone an elective grommet surgery due to increased risk of airway complications in a 5-year old with nasal discharge
- Recent fever
- Unwell in self/too unwell for school
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Loss of appetite
- Significant cardiorespiratory comorbidities e.g. congential heart defect
List features on examination that might cause you to postpone an elective grommet surgery due to increased risk of airway complications in a 5-year old with nasal discharge
- Fever
- Listless
- Tachpnoea or respiratory distress
- Purulent nasal discharge
- Delayed capillary refill
Give social factors that may prevent paediatric treatment as a day case
- Poor housing conditions
- Distance > 1 hour from hospital that could appropriately manage complications
- Parents unable to care for child post-operatively
- No access to private transport
State organisational recommendations from the RCOA regarding provision of ay case surgery for children
- Aim to book cases with longer recovery times earlier in day
- Minimise starvation time
- Separation from adult patients by using facilities at a different time or use of a dedicated unit
- Provide preoperative information to caregiver and children including safetynetting advice
Define autistic spectrum disorder
- Life long condition affecting brain development
- Present from early childhood
- Significantly limits of impairs activities of daily living
Give clinical features of autistic spectrum disorder
- Communication problems e.g. language delay
- Social interaction difficulties e.g. poor eye contact
- Abstract thought difficulties e.g. reduced ability to understand metaphorical explanations
- Adherence to routines and stereotyped behaviours e.g. repetitive behavours
- Sensory issues e.g. over- reactivity to textures
- Associated learning difficulties and mental health disorders
Give organisational considerations when providing anaesthesia for dental extractions in children
- Availability of paediatric anaesthetic equipment
- Staff trained in care of paediatric patients including resuscitation
List perioperative considerations when providing anaesthesia for dental extractoins in children
- Shared small airway distant to anaesthetist and anaesthetic machine, risk of airway dislodgement and kinking
- Blood from extractions may result in blood inhalation or laryngospasm
- Throat pack may be used and need to be removed
- Analgesic requirements are low, paracetamol and NSAID may be sufficient
- Antiemetics given intraoperatively can facilitate day case
Describe problems providing anaesthesia for children with autism and give possible solutions for each
- Distress in unfamiliar setting may make preoperative assessment difficult: pre-operative assessment in community, quiet separate waiting area
- Language issues may mean child cannot understand what is happening: play specialists and visual information
- Preoperative starvation may be poorly tolerated as it breaks routine: first on list
- May dislike physical contact: warn prior to contact
- May have issues with consent
- May have difficulty co-operating with procedures e.g. blood tests
Define appropriate resuscitation goals for a 2 year old with meningcoccal sepsis
- Cap refill < 2s
- Normalisation of blood pressure
- Normalisation of heart rate
- Urine output greater than 1ml/kg/hour
- Normal lactate
- Normal mental status
List physical injuries that may prompt concerns of non accidental injury in a 5 year old with a forearm fracture
- Fractures of different ages
- Cigarette burns or thermal injuries
- Bite marks
- Injuries in inaccessible places e.g. neck, feet
- Ano-genital trauma
- Unusual bruise pattern e.g. strangulation bruises, hand shaped bruising
Give immediate actions to take if you suspect non-accidental injury
- Check hospital notes for known safeguarding issues
- Inform supervising anaesthetic consultant
- Inform wider theatre team including surgeon and ODP
- Inform child’s paediatrician or on-call paediatric consultant
- Paediatrician to make visual assessment
- Full documentation of findings and actions
Give parental factors that increase the risk of child abuse
- Substance misuse
- Single parent
- History of violent offending
- History of own domestic abuse/maltreatment as child
- Poor education
- Lack of support from family or friends
State features of a child’s past medical history that are associated with increased risk of abuse
- Chronic physical illness
- Mental disability
- Prematurity or low birth rate
Give respiratory issues associated with Down’s syndrome
- OSA
- Respiratory tract infections
- Subglottic stenosis
Define:
- Preterm
- Very preterm
- Extremely preterm
- Low birth weight
- Extremely low birth weight
- Neonate
- Infant
- Child
- Preterm 32-37 weeks gestational age at birth
- Very preterm 28- 32 weeks gestational age at birth
- Extremely preterm < 28 weeks gestational age at birth
- Low birth weight < 2.5kg
- Extremely low birth weight < 1.5kg
- Neonate 0-28 days
- Infant < 1yr
- Child 1yr +
What are the airway and respiratory concerns when anaesthetising an ex-preterm baby
- Complications of previous prolonged intubation e.g. tracheomalacia
- Poor muscle co-ordination in upper airways increases risk of airway obstruction on induction of GA
- Dirsupted vasculogenesis causes abnormal distribution of pulmonary capillaries causing V/Q mismatch
- Reduced type 1 muscle fibres in intercostal muscles and diaphragm, risk of respiratory fatigue
- Low lung elasticity leads to collapse of small airways and gas trapping
Aside from airway and respiratory issues, give other complications of prematurity which may need to be considered when planning a GA for an ex-preterm baby
Cardiac
* Increased risk of congential cardiac defects
* Difficult IV access due to multiple previous cannulations
* High ratio of fibrous to contractile tissue resulting in fixed stroke volume and HR dependent CO
Neurological
* Risk of intraventricular haemorrhage with consequences such as cerebral palsy or hydrocephalus
Endocrine/Metabolic
* Reduced glycogen stores, risk of hypoglycaemia with preoperative starvation
* Defective glucose regulation exacerbated by stress risks hyperglycaemia
* Increased risk of hypothermia due to paucity of adipose tissue
GI
* Reflux due to underdevelopment of gastro-oesophageal sphincter
* Necrotising enterocolitis in 10% of premature infants
Haem
* Anaemia from frequent blood sampling
* Coagulopathies
Give pharmacokinetic differences that may be observed in a preterm baby
- Reduced oral absorption due to reflux
- Relative increase in total body water, increased Vd of water soluble drugs
- Reduced plasma protein binding so increased availability of free drug
- Metabolism slow due to immature liver enzymes
- Excretion slower due to immature renal system
Give the advantages and disdvantages of GA for inguinal hernia repair for an ex-preterm baby
Advantages:
* Optimal operating conditions with still baby
* Avoids failed regional technique with need for on-table conversion to GA
Disadvantages:
* Risk of desaturation at induction with consequent risks of hypoxaemia
* Risk of apnoeas is increased following GA
Regional (spinal, caudal, epidural)
- analgesic effect
- but if sedation is used, risk of apnoeas
You are asked to assess a 15 kg 4-year-old child who is scheduled for a strabismus (squint) correction as a day case procedure.
List the anaesthetic considerations of this case with regards to the age of the patient.
- Limited understanding of surgery at 4 years old: use play therapist, parent and other techniques to maximise co-operation at induction
- Consider need for premedication
- Topical local anaesthetic for cannulation
- Ensure availability of paediatric equipment, drug doses and staffing
You are asked to assess a 15 kg 4-year-old child who is scheduled for a strabismus (squint) correction as a day case procedure.
List the anaesthetic considerations of this case with regards to day surgery
- Assurance of social factors e.g. within 1 hour from hospital in case of complications, parents happy to care for post-operative child at home
- Adequate management of pain and nausea to allow return to normal function and diet before discharge
- Use of short-acting agents
- Absence of major comorbidities that would contraindicate day surgery
Give specific anaesthetic considerations of strabismus surgery
- Increased incidence of PONV, use multi-agent approach
- Oculocardiac reflex risk intraoperatively, consider pretreatment with atropine or glycopyrrolate
- Airway under drapes and away from anaesthetist - ensure airway securely fastened e.g. with tapes
- Still eyes with neutral gaze required for surgery, anaesthetsia should be sufficiently deep
- Potential difficult airway if co-existing syndrome e.g. Trisomy 21
During strabismus surgery in a 5-year-old, the patient develops profound bradycardia. Give steps in your management
- Ask for a pause to surgical stimulation
- Give atropine 20mcg/kg
How can you reduce risk of PONV in paediatric strabismus surgery
- TIVA for maintenance
- Minimise preoperative fasting time
- Multimodal analgesia to minimise long acting opiates
- Multimodal antiemetic use including intraoperative dexamethasone and ondansetron
- Avoid nitrous oxide
Give three elements of post-operative analgesia in paediatric strabismus surgery
- Multimodeal analgesia including paracetamol and NSAIDs as premed and continued postoperatively
- Topical local anaesthetic drops by surgeon
- Sub-tenon’s block by surgery
- Intraoperative single dose long acting opioid
Give indications for adenotonsillectomy in children
- Frequent tonsillitis
- Obstructive sleep apnoea due to enlarged tonsils
- Peritonsillar abscess
How can anxiety in a child be managed preoperatively
- Give age-appropriate information
- Premedication e.g. oral midazolam/ketamine, intranasal dexmedetomidine
- Play therapist
- Active involvement of care-giver
- Psychological input prior to admission in severe cases
Give medical, surgical and social factors that determine suitability for day case surgery in paediatrics
- No major co-morbidities
- Over 60 weeks corrected age
- Minimal risk of serious complications
- Post-operative pain is expected to be manageable from procedure
- Caregiver happy to look after post-operative child
- Home is < 1 hour from hospital that can treat for potential complications