Paeds - Safeguarding Flashcards
What steps should you take if you have any suspicion of NAI in a child?
- Seek an explanation - from both the carer and the child for any injury / presentation
- Record - what was said, by whom and when and note any concern of NAI and why that is your impression
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Discuss - your concerns with one of the following:
- More experienced colleague
- Peadiatrician
- Designated proffesional for child safeguarding
- Child & adolescent mental health service colleague
- Refer - if there are continuing cues that child maltreatment is occuring then under advisment refer the child/young person to children’s social care
Which organisms are most likley to cause Meningitis for the age range, neonate - 3 months?
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Group B Streptococcus
- Usually acquired from the mother at birth
- More common if; 1) low birth weight babies or 2) following prolonged rupture of the membranes
- E. coli & other Gram -ve organisms
- Listeria monocytogenes
Which organisms are most likley to cause Meningitis for the age range, 1 month to 6 years old?
- Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
- Haemophilus influenzae
Which organisms are most likley to cause Meningitis for the age range, older than 6 years up to 60 years?
- Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
What organism can cause meningitis in immunosuppressed patients?
Listeria monocytogenes
What are 5 signs of raised ICP are contraindications to doing a LP to test for meningitis in a child?
Signs of raised ICP:
- Focal neurological signs
- Papilloedema
- Significant bulging of the fontanelle
- Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
- Signs of cerebral herniation
How is meningitis managed in a child?
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Abx
- < 3 months –> IV amoxicillin + IV cefotaxime
- > 3 months –> IV cefotaxime
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Steroids
- < 3 months –> NO steroids (NICE guidelines)
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IV Dexamethasone if LP shows any of the following:
- Frank purulent CSF
- CSF WBC count > 1000/μL
- Raised CSF WBC count + protein concentration > 1 g/L
- Bacteria on Gram stain
- Fluids - any shock –> treat with colloid
Why is IV Dexamethasone given in meningitis?
To ↓ risk of neurological sequalae via
anti-inflammatory action
A patient is suspected of having meningitis but is also diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia - LP or no?
Pt has meningococcal speticaemia = NO LP
do blood cultures + PCR for meningococcus
What subsequent (sequalae) can meningitis cause?
- Sensorineural hearing loss (most common)
- Epilepsy
- Paralysis
- Infective –> sepsis, intracerebral abscess
- Pressure –> brain herniation, hydrocephalus
What are some common features of meningitis?
- headache
- papilloedema
- drowsiness
- decreased / change in conciousness
- neck stiffness
- fever
- purpuric non-blanching rash (particularly with meningococcal disease)
- nausea & vomiting
- photophobia
- seizures
- Kernig’s sign - pt supine, thigh flexed to 90, straightening leg at knee is met with resistance
- Infants: poor feeding, irritability, hypothermia, bulging fontanelle
- Rare: focal neurological deficit, facial palsy, balance problems (CN VIII)
What is ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’?
Caused by intentional shaking of a child (0-5 years old)
Triad of:
- Retinal haemorrhages
- Subdural haematoma (see pic)
- Encephalopathy
What is meningitis?
An infection of the subarachnoid space which subsequently causes meningeal inflammation
What investigations might you suggest for a pt with suspected meningitis?
- FBC
- CRP
- coagulation screen
- blood culture
- whole-blood PCR
- blood glucose
- ABG or VBG
- Lumbar puncture (if no signs of raised ICP)
If you suspect shaken baby syndrome what agencies need to be contacted?
- Child safeguarding
- Social services (they will contact police if needed)