Reccurrent illness in children

Question 1

What are some risk factors for recurrent URTIs in children?

Answer 1

Day care attendance, older siblings, exposure to smoking, atopic conditions, premature birth

Question 2

What are some indicators of immunodeficiency in children?

Answer 2

6 or more new infections in 12 months
2 or more serious sinus infections, pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis in 12 months
2 or more months on antibiotics with little effect
failure to gain weight/grow normally
Resistant superficial candidiasis (fungal infection of skin)
Recurrent tissue or organ abcesses
Family history

Question 3

What happens in otitis media with effusion?

Answer 3

Persistent inflammation of middle ear mucosa leading to blockage of nasopharyngeal tube and hearing loss

Question 4

What are risk factors of otitis media with effusion?

Answer 4

Smoking exposure
Bottle feeding
older siblings
Atopic rhinitis
cleft palate
Down's syndrome
Cystic fibrosis

Question 5

Signs and symptoms of otitis media with effusion?

Answer 5

Hearing difficulties
Indistinct speech or delayed language skills
repeated ear infections
Poor educational progress
reccurent URTIs
Behavioral problems
balance issues (rare)

Question 6

Otitis media with effusion treatments?

Answer 6

Auditory testing
Gromets
Surgical intervention

Question 7

When are hearing tests carried out in childhood?

Answer 7

9 months - 2.5 years

4-5 years