The Sick Child Flashcards
Describe the trends in HR, RR and BP of children
HR and RR start off much higher than adult values and get lower with age
BP starts off low and gets higher
What are the main anatomical differences in children
Large head and prominent occiput
High anterior larynx and floppy epiglottis - important in CPR and intubation
Relatively large surface area to volume - significant in burns cases
Flexible ribs - ‘sucking’ sign when in resp distress
Lower blood volume - bleed out fast
What are some of the most common illnesses that children present with
Bronchiolitis URTI Croup Gastroenteritis Seizures Pneumonia/ LRTI Asthma Viruses Head injury Abdominal pain UTI
What is the most common reason for acute illness in kids
Sepsis
Overwhelming infection
Describe the presentation of bronchiolitis
Starts with coryzal symptoms - cough (wet sounding), wheeze, runny nose, sometimes a temperature
Congestion causes breathing difficulty
Kids will struggle with feeding due to breathing difficulty - leads to dehydration
Widespread fine crackles in all areas
May cause apnoea’s
Describe the presentation of croup
Most common in toddlers - will be miserable and have a temp
Get stridor due to narrowing of upper airway
Hoarseness and barking cough
Increased WOB
Will get worse when they are upset and crying - keep calm
List potential causes of stridor
Anything that causes upper airway obstruction Bacterial tracheitis Croup Epiglottitis Inhaled foreign body
Describe asthma presentation and treatment in young kids
Not every kid who wheezes has asthma
Prolonged expiration is also a sign of asthma in children
Young kids cannot do peak flow
Treat with O2, bronchodilators and steroids (not in under 2s)
What CNS disease can kids present with
Meningitis: bacterial and viral
- varied symptoms
Encephalitis: commonly viral (coxsackie)
What would make you suspect meningitis and what would you do
Obvious signs like rash - not always there
Headache and photophobia not common complaints until about age 6
May have an unusual cry
Vomiting and fits
Generalised symptoms such as high temp and ‘not themselves’
Children are often irritable, hard to console
Treat as if they have meningitis - lumbar puncture, bloods and antibiotics
What type of meningitis causes the classic rash
Meningococcus meningitis
Rash is purpuric and doesn’t blanche
What can cause fits in children
Febrile seizures - reaction to temp
Vasovagal episode - fainting
Reflex anoxic seizure - stop breathing when they get a fright
Breath holding attack
Behavioural - looks like they’re blacking out but may just not be listening
Epilepsy
Arrhythmia
List signs of non-accidental injury
Broken ribs - kids have flexible ribs so have to really be damaged to break
Bruising in odd places
Retinal haemorrhages - sign of shaking
List common GI and urogenital presentations in kids
Viral gastroenteritis GI obstruction - pyloric stenosis, volvulus, intussusception Appendicitis UTI Testicular torsion
Describe pyloric stenosis
Presents at around 4-6 weeks -purely a paediatric problem
Kids will be skinny, undernourished and get dehydrated quickly
They omit every time they try and eat – projectile, milky
Caused by thickened stomach wall at the pylorus which causes obstruction
What heart conditions might you see in young children
Congenital heart disease
Arrhythmias - SVT’s
Cardiac issues very rare in kids
What are some of the most common but vague symptoms that kids present with
Difficulty breathing Poor feeding Fever Rash Lethargy / depressed conscious level dehydration
What is the most common cause of arrest in children
Respiratory failure leading to respiratory arrest
Cardiac arrest may occur secondary to resp but rarely primary in children
What has a better prognosis - respiratory or cardiac arrest
Respiratory
Why cant you do a full head tilt, chin lift in a young child
Kids have a high anterior larynx so tilting their head back like in adult BEC you can compress their airway
List signs of breathing difficulty in young children
Grunting - baby basically giving themselves CPAP
Nasal flaring
Use of accessory muscles - head will bob, abdominal breathing
Recession - chest moves inwards
You get sternal. subcostal and intercostal
Tracheal tug
Why might young children make a grunting noise
Cold
Hypoglycemia
Breathing problems - basically giving themselves CPAP by closing glottis
Is low blood pressure normal in a child?
NO
Children are really good at maintaining their BP so if it drops they are very unwell
This is because they have really good peripheral vasoconstriction to compensate
Pre-terminal sign
Where do you perform cap refill on a child
Centrally by pressing on the sternum
If a child is in shock, how do you treat them
Fluids - based on body weight
Saline is best
Give blood if it is a trauma case
List the key signs of dehydration
Dry mucous membranes, eyes or fontanelle Decreased skin turgor Low urine output Shock Lethargy Altered conscious level - severe
What is posturing
It describes abnormal movements made in fits
It means there is something wrong with the brain stem
Decorticate - hands pulled up to chest
Decerebrate - arms by sides, palm rotated to ground - more severe
How do you treat pyloric stenosis
Surgery
Pyloromyotomy - cut out the thickened muscle in the wall to reduce obstruction
What is intussusception
Part of the bowel folds in on itself like a telescope
List symptoms of intussusception
Blood in nappy - red currant jelly sign
Vomiting - comes in waves
Colicky pain - child will settle in between bouts
Floppy baby
Sausage like mass in abdomen - often right side
How does intussusception appear on US
When ‘face on’ it looks like a target or tree rings
From the side it looks like a kidney - pseudokidney
How do you treat intussusception
Place a tube into the bowel via back passage and blow air up it to try and push it back into place – works in 70-80%
If this doesn’t work, it will require surgery
How will appendicitis in a child appear on US
Usually just being able to see the appendix on US in a child means that it is inflamed
What is the jump test for appendicitis
If they get up and are more than happy to jump around then they probably don’t have peritonitis
If they are too sore, they do and will need surgery
If a baby is vomiting up green stuff, what diagnosis must be excluded
Malrotation with midgut volvulus
It is a surgical emergency and if not caught in time then the gut and baby can die
Describe the normal fixed position of the gut
There are 2 fixed points in the normal abdomen
Distance between these is the longest distance in the abdomen
Blood supply in the middle of this is the superior mesenteric artery
What can cause a malformation with midgut volvulus
Congenital malformation where the fixed points of the gut are not in the correct place
Distance is shorter, as is blood supply so gut is more unstable and likely to twist
List causes of acute scrotum problems
Testicular torsion - surgical emergency
Inflammation of the epididymis
Torsion of the hydatid - small area of necrosis on top of testicle (most common)
What is BXO
Abnormality of the penis
White scarring on the head around the urethral opening
Requires circumcision
Urological system is a common site of congenital malformation - true or false
TRUE
What is hypospadias
Abnormal opening in penis - e.g. urethra comes out below penis
What do you do if a testicle is stuck in the groin
Must be located and moved down to the scrotum
This puts it in a place where it can be examined which is important for cancer risk in later life
How do you treat an absent testicle
You don’t
There is no need to move anything as nothing there to cause cancer risk
How do you move a testicle from the groin to scrotum
2 phase operation
Cut the testicular artery to free the testicle
Leave to let heal and aim for the blood supply from below to take over
If blood supply is successful then push the testicle through the deep ring into the scrotum
In an ABCDE situation, what differences must be done in Airway in a child
DO NOT do a full head tilt chin lift
Just tilt head slightly so that head is parallel to the surface it is on
This is because children have floppier airways and a high anterior larynx that make it easy to occlude the child’s airway by tilting back too far
In an ABCDE situation, if a child is not breathing what do you do (only breathing tasks)
Give 5 rescue breaths
Check for chest rising with each breath
In an ABCDE situation, if a child is not breathing and the rescue breaths are ineffective - what do you do
If no signs of life give 15 chest compressions
Feel for brachial pulse
Anything below 100bpm is abnormal
Start CPR at a rate of 15:2
How do you treat a choking child (older)
Encourage them to cough
Give 5 back blows - check for object removal after each
Then go onto Heimlich manoeuvre
Repeat until it clears or until they fall unconscious
How do you treat a choking child (infant)
5 back blows with them pointing downwards - check for object removal after each
Then do 5 strong chest compressions
Repeat until it clears or until they fall unconscious
Why cant you do the Heimlich manoeuvre on infants
High risk of rupturing abdominal organs
What is the WETFLAG procedure for a child in arrest situation
Weight - allows you to work out doses Energy Tube Fluids Lorazepam Adrenaline Glucose
List common signs of hypoglycemia in children
Tiredness Feeling shaky Lips tingling Feeling tearful or irritable Blurry vision Lack of concentration Going pale Sweating Headache Feeling hungry
Children who are decompensating often appear well - true or false
True
Children are very good at compensating for illness
They are often severely unwell by the time they present as such
List the steps in the 3 minute exam for children
ABCDETT
Airway - secretions, stridor, foreign body
Breathing - RR, WOB, O2 sats, auscultation
Circulation - colour, HR, cap refill, temp of hands and feet
Disability - pupils, limb tone and movement, AVPU, glucose if very unwell or drowsy
ENT exam - look in ears and throat
Temperature
Tummy - soft, distended, tender, bowel sounds etc
How can you determine if a child has an unprotected airway
Test their gag reflex
Try and place an artificial airway and see how they react = they should cough and not tolerate
If they tolerate it then they are at risk of unprotected airway - maintain a jaw thrust and call anaesthetist
At what stage of hypoxia does cyanosis present
Roughly below 85%
Why might a sats probe give artificially low readings in children
If the child is moving and you don’t get good contact with the probe
Where do you place the sats probe on a small child
O2 sats taken from foot or whole hand on a baby as their fingers are too small
What is the target O2 sats for a child
Should have sats of 98% or more
94% or less is hypoxia
Once sats get down to 90% there is a more rapid deterioration - best to catch early
Auscultation is less useful in children than in adults - true or false
True
Children have much smaller chests so the noises will transmit across the whole chest - harder to localise
What is mottling a sign of
Poor perfusion
What affect can crying have on the obs
A distressed child will have an increased HR
What conditions can lead to poor perfusion
Sepsis
Dehydration
Why is central cap refill more reliable than peripheral
It is not affected by environmental temperature
List signs of poor perfusion in children
Poor cap refill - peripheral affected first, then central
Mottled skin
Cold hands and feet
What does asymmetrical pupils suggest
SOL in the brain
This includes haemorrhage
What condition can lead to sluggish pupils
Fits
Drug overdose
Changing pupil size is suggestive of what
May suggest an ongoing fit even if there is no tonic clonic movements
What is true irritability and what does it suggest
When a baby truly cannot be consoled or distracted
It is suggestive of raised ICP or meningitis
Why do boys with abdominal pain need a testicular exam
To exclude testicular torsion - emergency
Should also look in groin for hernias
Persistant drowsiness is a red flag sign - true or false
True
Often seen after fits or in fever
What type of thermometer is used on a young baby
Axillary thermometers are used in babies if ear too small for tympanic
List common causes of breathlessness in children
Asthma
Bronchiolitis
Pneumonia
Croup
Most severe resp infections usually occur in the first 3 years of life - true or false
True
Includes strep pneumo, Hib, pertussis
A prolonged expiration phase is seen in which conditions
Asthma
Bronchiolitis
B-agonists less effective for the treatment of asthma in children under 1 - true or false
True
This is because asthma in this age group is usually atypical
How do you treat croup
Responds really well to steroids - oral or inhaled
Usually a single dose of dexamethasone
In severe cases, nebulised adrenaline is used alongside O2 for immediate relief
How do you treat bronchiolitis
Supportive treatment only as it is viral
May need O2 and feeding support if severe
What caused croup
It is typically caused by parainfluenza
It is technically laryngotracheobronchitis
What causes bronchiolitis
Typically RSV
Leads to acute inflammatory injury of the bronchioles - LRTI
How does pneumonia present in kids
Present with non-specific symptoms compared to adults
Diagnosis is often based on general signs of infection as this is what kids present with - tachycardia, fever, lethargy, low O2 sats , resp distress
Will be more lethargic with a higher temp than with viruses
They often refuse food/drink
Cough is a less reliable symptom in kids, may be absent
-
Children may have persistent wheeze following pneumonia - true or false
True
Common for a few months after illness
Should grow out of it by age 2
List risk factors for respiratory illness in children
Prematurity
Required neonatal care
Exisiting cardio or resp disease
Respiratory distress can lead to dehydration in children - true or false
True
The breathing difficulty makes it hard for them to feed properly leading to dehydration
Kids become more distressed as they decompensate - true or false
False
They become less distressed as they become very tired/drowsy
Wheeze is an upper airway noise - true or false
False it is a lower airway noise
Heard in asthma and bronchiolitis
Stridor is an upper airway noise - true or false
True
Occurs on inspiration
Stridor is heard in which conditions
Heard in croup, foreign body aspiration, epiglottis etc.
Chest recessions are more common in younger children - true or false
True
They have softer smaller chests so less effort needed to indraw
Older kids with recessions are very sick
Intercostal and subcostal recession usually occur together - true or false
True
They have the same clinical significance
Which type of chest indrawing most indicates severe respiratory distress and why
Sternal indrawing
Lot of effort is needed to move such a large bone
Why do children in respiratory distress bob their heads
Head bob caused by pulling on sternocleidomastoid - they are using their accessory muscles
At which O2 saturation should you give a child supplemental oxygen
Give O2 if sats are below 92% - should get up to 100% quickly on high flow
Where might you hear bronchial breathing in a child
Heard just over an area of consolidation - harsh breathing noise
How would a child present if they have swallowed an foreign object
They will be very uncomfortable
Will be drooling due to swallowing difficulty
Which is more common, children swallowing foreign bodies or inhaling them
Swallowing is more common
List the potential outcomes of an inhaled foreign body
Coughed up
Brought up by Heimlich
Can go down into the bronchi = will present with wheeze
Life threatening choking cases are rare - hypoxic and LOC
A foreign body causing discomfort is most likely where - oesophagus or trachea
Oesophagus
How may children appear during an apnoea
May go floppy and cyanosed
In young infants (1-4 months old) apnoeas are a sign of what
Usually due to another underlying illness
Not necessarily respiratory in origin
Must be sent to hospital
Describe the difference in whooping cough presentation between older and younger kids
Older kids present with the classic whooping cough
Younger kids may present with apnoeas
Tachycardia can be an indicator for respiratory distress - true or false
True
How do you manage status asthmaticus
Requires intubation and ventilation to take over breathing
Can lead to respiratory failure without it
If a child has a silent chest, what must you do
You must call for intensive care
It is a sign of severe respiratory distress
What is the most common cause of fever in children
Most are caused by mild viral illnesses which get better on their own
Why are infants more vulnerable to infection
They still have an immature immune system
Takes around 2 years for the immune system to mature = thymus and spleen developing
The younger the child, the higher the risk of a local infection becoming sepsis - true or false
True
This is due to their immature immune system
Children are more likely to present with non-specific infection symptoms than adults - true or false
True
Why is CRP not a useful blood test in the acute setting
It takes time for levels to rise so doesn’t provide an accurate picture in the acute setting
What causes the purpuric rash seen in meningitis
It is caused by the release of endotoxin by the meningococcus bacteria
It makes the blood vessels leaky and blood escapes to the skin leading to the purple areas
Which blood tests should you perform on a child with suspected sepsis
Venous blood gas
WCC
Can also check lactate - significant if >3
The degree of the fever is a great predictor of illness severity - true or false
False
It is a poor predictor
Still important to ask about the degree and duration of the fever
At which point does a temperature becoming concerning in a child
Particularly concerning if temp is over 39.5C
Though in those under 3 months 38 is considered significant
Which children are at particularly high risk of infection
Cerebral palsy
Prematurity
Those on steroids
History of leukaemia
How does fever influence HR and RR
Fever itself can increase HR and RR
Rule is an increase of 10bpm for each degree of fever
They should both fall in response to anti-pyrectics
How should a fever respond to anti-pyrectics
Should fall into an up and down pattern - goes down after dose and then rises again
This is a reassuring sign
What does tachypnoea without signs of resp distress suggest
It is a sign of sepsis
Which examinations would you do to find an infection focus in a child
Typical ABCDE
Check all over for rash (include glass test)
Check fontanelles
Check for photophobia
ENT exam - look for runny nose
Abdominal exam
Check a urine sample if no obvious focus
Use the NICE traffic light system to determine next steps
What signs are required for a diagnosis of ear infection in children
Redness alone isn’t enough - can be a general/non-specific sign
Only diagnose if there’s a fluid level behind it, if it’s dull or non-reflective or if its different from the other ear
How can fever affect the findings on ENT exam
Temp can make the eardrums pink/flushed - does not mean it’s an ear infection
Same with the tonsils
How will the tonsils appear in true tonsillitis
They will be large with a whitish exudate
May be red - not enough on its own
Babies sometimes present with hypothermia in response to infection - true or false
True
Babies under 8 weeks old often present without a fever even with a severe infection - may drop their temp instead
Hypothermia is a red flag
Good fever control can prevent a febrile convulsion - true or false
False
There is no evidence of this
When would a child be sent for a chest X-ray
CXR done in those under 3 with signs of sepsis or a raised RR
How do you diagnose a UTI in children
Get a clean catch urine if not toilet trained
Parents given a pot and baby left without nappy to catch urine
When should you suspect a UTI in children
Should be considered if you have a fever of unknown source
Children often present without the classic symptoms - more non-specific
Can rapidly turn to sepsis in babies
List signs of bone or joint infection in children
Reluctance to use limb or limping (atraumatic limp)
Joint may be warm and red
General signs of infection
Consider osteomyelitis or septic arthritis
How does Kawasaki disease present
Child will be very irritable and unwell
High temp goes on for several days
Non-specific rash - usually maculopapular
Red eyes and sore mouths
Large lymph node on one side of neck
Rash fades then peeling of fingers and toes occurs
Kawasaki disease is a disease of childhood - true or false
True
Most common in the under 2’s
Kawasaki disease can lead to complications with which major organ
The heart
Can also affect the coronary arteries
Kawasaki disease can lead to complications with which major organ
The heart
Can also affect the coronary arteries
Kawasaki disease can lead to complications with which major organ
The heart
Can also affect the coronary arteries
How do children with influenza present
Headache, muscle ache, tiredness, fever, may have a cough
Babies have less specific symptoms - D&V and rash
Sepsis caused by meningitis is more fatal than meningitis alone - true or false
True
How do you treat a child with suspected bacterial meningitis (immediate treatment)
Give empirical penicillin or ceftriaxone to any older child with suspected meningitis
Viral meningitis can have a mild presentation - true or false
True
Can occur alongside viruses - mild and presents with headache
Its the bacterial one that’s severe
List possible causes of rash in children
Allergies Med reaction Stings and insect bites Chemical reactions Infection Systemic disease
A rash combined with a cough and sore throat is suggestive of what
Measles
A rash combined with sore/red eyes is suggestive of what
Kawasaki disease
A rash combined with abdominal pain is suggestive of what
HSP
A rash combined with a recent burn is suggestive of what
Toxic shock syndrome
A rash combined with a bleeding gums, bruising, joint pain and lethargy is suggestive of what
Leukemia
Meningitis will always present with a non-blanching rash - true or false
False
Can have a blanching erythematous rash to start with so don’t rule it out
What is erythema toxicum neonatorum
A transient rash seen in babies under the age of 1
Appears as raised, red, blotchy areas
Which common childhood rashes present as macules or papules
Mild viral rashes, measles, rubella and Kawasaki disease
Macular - splotchy but under skin so cant feel
Papular is the same but with raised area
May be combined as maculopapular
Which common childhood rashes appear as vesicles
Vesicles - small blisters
Chickenpox, herpes simplex, shingles
Which common childhood rashes appear as pustules
Pustules - pus filled blisters
Strep or staph infections
Which common childhood rashes appear as petichiae or purpura
HSP
Meningococcal sepsis
What is the difference between petichiae and purpura
Petechiae - 1mm or less in size and flat
Purpura - purple areas 2mm or larger
Which conditions can cause an urticariral rash in children
- Allergy and anaphylaxis
- Can come up and down again
What is cradle cap
Seborrheic dermatitis on the head causing flaky scalp
Common in babies
List common sites for eczema in children
Necks, elbows, knees, armpits and face
How does eczema appear when there is a secondary bacterial infection in it
Will be weepy with scabs
How does Neisseria meningitidis spread
Neisseria meningitidis can be found in the nose of carriers
In some people it spreads to the bloodstream then the brain
Most common in children under 5
How does Stevens Johnsons syndrome present in children
Rash and blistering of mucous membrane
Rash is target lesions
Children tend to be miserable and need admission if they need fluids (wont want to drink due to blistering)
What causes toxic shock syndrome in children
Caused by toxin secreting bacteria like strep or staph
Can occur after minor burn
How do you treat toxic shock syndrome
Immediate antibiotic treatment
How does toxic shock present following a burn
Burn looks normal but kid has a fever, diarrhoea, erythematous rash and generally unwell
Can become critically unwell very fast
What is HSP
It is an immune disease causing bleeding into the skin
How does HSP present in children
Child is usually well - obs normal
Presents with the purpuric rash - worst on back of legs and bum