Week 4- Pediatrics Flashcards
What age is considered a neonate?
Birth to 1 month
What age is an infant considered?
1 month to 1 year
What age is a child considered?
1 to 12 years
What age is a adolescent considered?
12 to 18 years
By what age does a child anatomy become similar to and adults?
8 years old
Pediatrics head & neck
- They have a large head, short neck and a prominent occiput
- The tongue is relatively large
Pediatrics Airway
- The larynx is high and anterior, at the level of C3-C4.
- The epiglottis is long, stiff and U-shaped. It flops posteriorly
- Their narrow nasal passages are easily blocked by secretions
- The larynx is funnel shaped with the most narrowest region located at the cricoid ring
- Small amounts of secretions/ edema can lead to airway obstructions & breathing difficulties
Pediatric chest & lungs
- Chest wall is thin, with little musculature and less subcutaneous fat
Chest wall more pliable and don’t afford same protection to internal structures; prone to splenic injury in trauma - Diaphragmatic breathers and prone to gastric distention (prevent by positioning and using the proper mask)
- Organs are closer together, contributes to risks of trauma
- Muscle of ventilations are easily subject to fatigue
- More vulnerable to pulmonary contusion, cardiac tamponade, and diaphragmatic rupture
- Look for signs of these injuries in children with suspected chest trauma (note that the signs pf pnemo or hemo are often subtle in children)
Pediatric hearts
- Myocardium is less contractile causing ventricles to be less compliant and less able to generate tension during contraction
- Cardiac output is rate dependent
- Vagal parasympathetic tone is the most dominant, which makes neonates & infants more prone to bradycardia (which affects cardiac output)
Why do infants have a distended abdomen?
- Weak abdominal wall muscles
- The size of solid organs (vulnerable to blunt trauma)
- Liver and spleen extend below the rib cage
Circulating blood volume in pediatrics
Children= 80ml/kg
- Small losses of blood can be truly devastating
- They have a great ability to compensate by constricting their peripheral vasculature= increase to systemic vascular resistance (maintaining a BP & increased HR)
- BP is a very late sign- falling vitals indicate a child who will be difficult to resus
Pediatrics Central Nervous System
- CNS develops throughout childhood an this immature system is susceptible to influx in temp regulation (this is why peds are prone to febrile seizures)
- Brain/ Spinal cord are less protected
- Fontanelle’s remain open until 18 months, causing more risk of direct trauma
- Blood brain barrier is poorly formed (very susceptible to overdoses)
Pediatric Temperature Control
- Babies and infants have a large surface area to weight ratio with minimal subcutaneous fat. They have poorly developed shivering, sweating and vasoconstriction mechanisms
- Low body temp causes resp depression, acidosis, decreased cardiac output, increases the duration of action of drugs, decreases platelet function and increases the risk of infection
Pediatric Musculoskeletal System
- Growth plates of the child’s bones are made of cartilage; they are relatively weak and easily fractured
- Bones are weaker than their ligaments, making fractures more common than sprains
- Children’s ligaments are sturdier than the long bones, sprains are uncommon; joint dislocations without associated fractures are not often encountered
How do we calculate a pediatric pulse?
150 bpm - (5 x age)
How do we calculate Pediatric BP?
Normotension: (2 x age) + 90
Hypotension: (2 x age) + 70
How do we calculate a pediatric weight?
(2 x age) + 10kg
To change to pounds multiply this # by 2.2
Pediatric Low Blood Glucose
<2 yr= <3.0 mmol/L
>2 yr= <4.0 mmol/L
Pediatric Assessment Triangle
Appearance: tone, interactiveness, consolability, look/ gaze, speech
Circulation: pallor, mottling, cyanosis
Work of Breathing: breath sounds, positioning, retractions, flaring, apnea/ gasping
What is the revised AVPU for infants/ toddlers?
- Verbal: include cooing & babbles
- Motor: reaching & grabbing
- Point to mother & ask who that is for talking children
- Is it the child’s sleeping time? Are they tired?
What should you observe for WOB?
- Grunting
- Wheezing
- Tripod position
- Retractions
How to apply oxygen to pediatrics?
- Have parent/ escort hold mask close to pt’s face
- Demonstrate oxygen use by placing the mask on a doll/ stuffed animal 1st
- Blow by oxygen- hold tubing close to face
- Decrease O2 admin if child’s anxiety/ anxiety appears to be getting worse & fearful of subsequent airway compromise- ex. epiglottis pt
Airway assessment for peds
- Gurgling- air moving thru a liquid; common with mucus in oro
- Snoring- air moving thru a partial obstruction, can be positional
- Stridor- high pitch sound usually during inspiration, caused by blockage to the airway- larynx/ trachea
- Audible wheezing- audible wheezing during expiration