Paeds 2 Flashcards
when would you refer someone with impetigo to secondary care?
- if complications (e.g. sepsis, glomerulonephritis or deeper soft tissue infection) are suspected
- if the patient is immunocompromised
- in more widespread disease
Causative organism in whooping cough
bordatella pertussis
presentation of whooping cough
- week of coryzal sx
- followed by development of paroxysmal outs of coughing
- typically worse at night
- may be so severe that the cough causes vomiting
- gasping for air between coughs may give rise to โwhoopโ
- vigorous coughing can lead to nosebleeds or subconjunctival haemorrhages
- pts may experience bouts of coughing for up to 3 months
When might patients with whooping cough benefit from medication?
- if presenting within first 21 days of onset
- macrolide abx (e.g. azithromycin)
Antibiotic for whooping cough
macrolide
- clarithromycin if under 1 month of age
- azithromycin if >1month of age
(can prescribe cotrimoxazole if macrolide are not tolerated; not under 6 weeks of age)
how long should children with whooping cough isolate for?
- 48h of antibioticsc have been completed
or
21 days following the onset of symptoms
What abx for pregnant women with whooping cough?
erythromycin
most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children?
minimal change disease
nephrotic syndrome triad
proteinuria
hypoalbuminaemia
oedema
main complications of minimal change disease
- thrombosis (loss of antithrombin III in the urine; additionally steroids used to treat MCD can lead to thrombocytosis; there is an increased risk of both venous and arterial thrombosis in MCD)
- increased risk of infection (due to loss of immunoglobulins in the urine)
- hypercholesterolaemia (loss of albumin in urine leads to drop in oncotic pressure which triggers increased hepatic cholesterol synthesis; this increases cardiovascular risk)
Why is it important to vaccinate children with minimal change disease?
- in minimal change disease there is increased urinary loss of protein
- this includes immunoglobulins
- loss of IGs leads to an increased risk of infection (especially from encapsulated bacteria such as strep pneumoniae)
- make sure you vaccinate these children appropriately!
What is seen on glomeruli in minimal change disease?
- on light microscopy nothing is seen (hence minimal change)
- electron microscopy shows effacement of podocytes
- no immune complexes on staining
underlying pathology in minimal change disease
- cytokines cause effacement of podocytes
- podocytes are usually negatively charged and thereby reject albumin and other negatively charged molecules
- therefore if the podocyes are damaged, more proteins pass into the urine because the charge barrier has been disrupted
How do you manage minimal change disease?
steroids
90% children respond well
there is a risk of relapse
prednisolone doses as per BNFC:
- 60 mg/m2 once daily for 4โ6 weeks until proteinuria ceases
- then reduced to 40 mg/m2 once daily on alternate days for 4โ6 weeks
- then withdraw by reducing dose gradually
- maximum 80 mg per day.
Inflation breaths vs rescue breaths
- inflation breaths are used in neonatal resuscitation
- they are slower and more prolonged than rescue breaths
- the aim is to inflate and clear fluid from the lungs of a neonate
Neonatal Resus
- 5 inflation breaths
reassess
- repeat inflation breaths (consider 2-person airway control)
- if chest moving but HR <60 bpm -> ventilate for 30s
reassess
- if HR <60 bpm strart chest compressions with ventilation breaths (3:1)
reassess every 30s
- if HR remains <60 bpm => consider venous access and drugs (e.g. atropine)
Resus: what is the main cause of bradycardia?
hypoxia
therefore neonatal Resus focuses on resp as opposed to cardio resus
Chonrdomalacia patellae
anterior knee pain caused by degeneration of the articular cartilage on the posterior surface of the patella
particularly common in children as a result of overuse in physical activities
may be exacerbated by running, climbing stairs and getting up from a chair
passive movements are generally painless
pts should receive physiotherapy to strengthen the quadriceps
How do growing pains present?
episodes of generalised aching in the legs that is symmetrical, worse at night, and never present at the start of the day
there is no limitation of physical activities and no abnormalities on examination
Features of TORCH infections
prematurity
jaundice
microcephaly
hepatosplenomegaly
thrombocytopenia
anaemia
seizures
Features of TORCH infections
prematurity
jaundice
microcephaly
hepatosplenomegaly
thrombocytopenia
anaemia
seizures
TORCH pathogens
toxoplasmosis
other (e.g. syphylis)
Rubella
cytomegalovirus
herpes simplex virus
What is formed from the neural tube?
- spinal cord
- brain
- meninges
What is spina bifida?
- it is a neural tube defect
- occurs when the neural tube fails to close properly. particularly in the lower back
What are the different types of spina bifida?
- spina bifida occulta
- meningocele
- myelomeningocele
Myelomenongocoele
Meningocle
= meningeal cyst
- least common form of spina bifida
- only meninges (not the spinal nerves) slip through the gaps between the deformed vertebrae
- usually no severe Sx
Spina bifida occulta
- most common and least severe form of spina bifida
- spinal tissue and spinal cord DO NOT protrude
- no tissue is forced into spaces between vertebrae
- no Sx
- can be incidental finding on imaging
- can have an overlying skin lesion (e.g. tuft of hair, lipoma, birth mark or dermal sinus)
What causes spina bifida?
- cause unknown
- RF: folate (B9) deficiency in pregnancy -> prenatal vitamins
- spina bifida development occurs at around 4w of gestational age so a woman might not know that she is pregnant then yet, therefore food (e.g. bread, cereal) is often supplemented with folate.
RFs for spina bifida
- folate deficiency
- obesity
- poorly controlled diabetes
- taking meds that interfere with folate metabolism (e.g. anti-seizure meds)
Diagnosis of spina bifida:
- myelomeningocoele: often diagnosed prenatally. Measure AFP in the blood, would be elevated. Also measure b-HCG, inhibin A, estriol and do an US. amniocentesis can also be performed.
- spina bifida occulta: often accidental finding
Management of Myelomeningocoele
pre-natal surgery:
- can be dangerous to foetus and mother
- to close myelomeningocele
post-natal surgery
- done in the first few days of life to minimise the risk of infection (meningitis)
Even with the surgery additional measures have to be taken (e.g. urinary catheterisation, wheelchair/crutches) because of the damage to the underdeveloped spinal nerves cannot be repaired
DEFINE BRONCHIECTASIS
permanent dilatation of the bronchi resulting in chronic SOB productive of copious volumes of purulent sputum
typically results from chronic lung inflammation leading to fibrosis and permanent dilatation of the bronchi
it may be generalised or restricted to a lobe
causes of bronchiectasis
generalised:
- cystic fibrosis
- post-infectious (e.g. whooping cough)
- primary ciliary dyskinesia
- immunodeficiency
- chronic aspiration
focal:
- severe previous pneumonia
- congenital lung abnormality
- foreign body obstruction
What are muscular dystrophies?
A group of X-linked recessive disorders caused by the deletion of the dystrophin gene.
a deficiency in dystrophin leads to myocyte necrosis and a consequent release of CK.
Why do children with muscular dystrophy have bulky calves?
this is โpseudohypertrophyโ
atrophied muscle has been replaced by fat and fibrous tissue
Becker muscular dystrophy life expectancy
normal
(whereas DMD is 20-30 yo)
Is bacterial or viral meningitis more common?
viral
(also called aseptic meningitis because of the inability to demonstrate presence of bacteria)
which viruses cause meningitis?
often enteroviruses e.g. coxsackie and echovirus)
herpes simplex can also cause meningitis (and encephalitis)