Describe cot death (Sudden Unexplained Infant Death), it’s risk factors and Preventative measures
Refers to unexpected death of infant less than 12 months where a cause is not immediately obvious prior to investigation. It is due to infection, metabolic errors, accidental suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome which is a still unexpected death after investigation.
Risk increased if:
Recommend:
Describe Oppositional Defiant Disorder, its symptoms, and management
A lesser version of conduct disorder, Enduring pattern of negative hostile and defiant behaviour without serious violation of societal norms or the rights of others, which may only be present in one environment.
Symptoms:
Management:
Describe Conduct Disorder, its symptoms, and it’s management
It is a type of behavioural disorder, defined as persistent failure to control behaviour appropriately within socially defined rules.
Symptoms:
Management:
Describe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it’s symptoms, and management.
Most common neurobehavioural disorder in childhood. Commoner in learning-disabled children and if prenatal cannabis exposure.
Symptoms:
Management:
Describe haemolytic uraemia syndrome and its symptoms
It is most common cause of AKI in children. Endothelial damage commonly (90%) from E.coli strain O157 leads to thrombosis, platelet consumption and fibrin strand deposition mainly in renal microvasculature. Strands cause mechanical destruction of RBC’s giving triad of haemolysis, thrombocytopenia and AKI.
Symptoms: Clinical features include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea and AKI.
Describe the six-week baby check, it’s main purpose, and what it entails.
It includes a physical examination, a review of development, an opportunity to give health promotion advice, and an opportunity for the parent to express concerns
Main Purpose:
Physical Examination:
Review of development:
Parent concerns?
Health promotion:
Describe Pertussis (Whooping cough), it’s signs, and management
Bordetella pertussis, peak age in infants with second peak in those over 14. Whoops are caused by inspiration against a closed glottis.
Signs: apnoea, bouts of coughing ending with vomiting +/- cyanosis worse at night or after feeds.
Management:
Describe Hand Foot and Mouth disease, its symptoms and management.
Very common viral infection of children typically caused by Coxsackievirus A16
Symptoms: the child is mildly unwell, develops vesicles on palms, soles and mouth. They may cause discomfort until they heal.
Treatment:
Describe Kawasaki Disease and its symptoms
Medium vessel vasculitis of children similar to PAN. Median age is 10 months. Can lead to coronary artery aneurysm and infarction.
Symptoms: Child may present with bilateral non-purulent conjuncitivits, pharyngeal injection, strawberry tongue, pyrexia, diarrohea, neck lymphadenopathy, rash, palmar erythema, fingertip desquamation.
What is meconium?
The first stool of a mammalian infant, unlike faeces it is composed of materials ingested during the time spent in the uterus such as intestinal epithelial cells, mucus, main iota fluid. It is a viscous and stick like tar and is usually a dark olive green and almost oderless.
Describe Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) and its management.
Occurs in the term/near term infant when meconium, the faecal material that accumulates in the foetal colon during gestation, is passed in utero, leading to meconium stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). MSAF occurs in around 8-25% of births, usually due to foetal distress or advance foetal age. MAS occurs only in 5% of these infants; it is defined as respiratory distress in the infant born through MSAF which cannot otherwise be explained. Aspiration of meconium mostly occur pre-birth. It may lead to airway obstruction, surfactant dysfunction, pulmonary vasoconstriction, infection, and chemical pneumonia is.
Management:
What are the reference intervals for paediatric observations?
Less than 1 year:
2-5yrs:
5-12yrs:
Older than 12yrs:
Describe Retinopathy of Prematurity, its screening, and management.
A disorder of the developing retina. Major risk factors are low birth weight and prematurity. Exposure to supplemental oxygen is a cause, in particular large fluctuations in PaO2, so careful titration of O2 levels has led to a decrease in the incidence of RoP. Abnormal fibrovascular proliferation or retinal vessels am lead to retinal detachment and visual loss.
Screening:
Management:
-Diode laser therapy causes less myopia than cryotherapy.
Describe IntraVentricular Haemorrhage (IVH), it’s signs, tests, complications, and management.
Occurs in 25% if birthweight less than 1500g. Preterm infants are at risk of IVH due to unsupported blood vessels in the subependymal germinal matrix and the instability of blood pressure associated with birth trauma and respiratory distress. Delayed cord clamping in press may decrease risk.
Signs: Suspect in neonates who detioriate rapidly, especially in week 1. There may be seizures, bulging fontanelle, and cerebral irritability but many will have no clinical symptoms.
Tests: ultrasound is preferred
Complications: decreased IQ, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus.
Management: Meticulous nursing, head elevation, circulatory support, seizure control (1st line phenobarbital loading dose 20mg/kg IV as slow injection).
What is Transient Tachypnoea of the Newborn (TTN)?
Respiratory distress due to excess lung fluid, usually resolves after 24h. Treatment is supportive and may include supplemental oxygen and antibiotics.
Describe Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), it’s signs, prevention, and treatment.
RDS is due to a deficiency of alveolar surfactant, which is mainly confined to premature babies. Insufficient surfactant leads to alveolar collapse; re-inflation, with each breath exhausts the baby, and respiratory failure follows. Hypoxia leads to decreased cardiac output, hypotension, acidosis and renal failure. It is the major cause of death from prematurity.
Signs: Respiratory distress shortly after birth (1st 4h) I.e. Tachypnoea more than 60/min, grunting, nasal flaring, intercostal, subcostal and/or sternal recession, and cyanosis. CXR shows diffuse granular patterns (ground glass appearance).
Prevention: Betamethasone or dexamethasone should be offered to all women at risk of preterm delivery from 23-35 weeks, mothers at high risk should be transferred to perinatal centres with experience in managing RDS.
Treatment:
Describe PeriVentricular Leukomalacia (PVL), it’s causes, signs, and management.
A form of white matter injury, characterised by the necrosis of white matter near the lateral ventricles. Affected individuals generally exhibit motor control problems and other developmental delays and often develop cerebral palsy or epilepsy later in life.
Causes: It is thought to be due to two major factors, decreased blood or oxygen flow to the PeriVentricular region, and damage to the glial cells. It is thought that initial hypocrite events cause damage to blood-brain barrier which leads to further hypoxic difficulties.
Presentation: Delayed motor development, vision deficits, apnoeas, low heart rates, and seizures. Found on routine US of head.
Management:
What is the definition of preterm?
A neonate whose calculated gestational age from the last menstrual period is less than 37 weeks
What is the definition of the neonatal period and thus a neonate?
The neonatal period is the 1st 28days of life in a term baby, in a preterm baby it is up to 44 completed weeks of the infants conceptional age I.e. Gestational age + chronological age (e.g. 37+7).
Describe growth charts and how preterm infants are corrected for.
Preterm infants may be plotted on the preterm growth chart or the low birth weight chart if less than 32 weeks gestation. There may be some weight loss in the early days after birth.
Gestational correction: Plot actual age then draw a line back the number of weeks the infant was preterm and mark the spot with an arrow. This is the gestationally corrected centile.
Describe the Child Immunization schedule.
2 months: 5in1 DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine to protect against five separate diseases, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough(pertussis), polio, and haemophilus infleunza type b. PCV vaccine for pneumococcal disease. Rotavirus vaccine. Men B vaccine.
3 months: 5in1 DTaP/IPV/Hib second dose, Men C vaccine, Rotaviris second dose.
4 months: 5in1 DTaP/IPV/Hib third dose. PCV second dose, Men B second dose.
12-13months: Hib/Men C booster, MMR vaccine, PCV third dose, Men B third dose.
2,3 and 4 years pls school years one and two: Annual children flu vaccine.
From 3years and 4 months up to starting school: MMR second dose, DTaP/IPV pre school booster.
12-13 Years girls only: HPV vaccine
At what age does one have capacity to consent to sexual activity?
13 years, sexual activity under this age is considered rape regardless of consent. Legally consent is not possible until 16.
Describe Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy, it’s symptoms, management
Brain injury due to birth asphyxia/RDS.
Symptoms: Lethargic, hypotonia, sluggish or absent grasping, Moro and sucking reflexes. Period of apnoea. Seizures. Pupils may be dilated, fixed or poorly reactive to light.
Management:
Describe Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), its symptoms, and management.
An acyanotic cause of congenital heart disease. Due to failure of the Ductus Arteriosus to close after birth. Normally PDA closes in response to a rise in PaO2.
Symptoms: Failure to thrive, Pneumoniae, CCF, SBE, collapsing pulse, thrill, loud S2, systolic pulmonary area murmur, or continuous machinery hum that may radiate to back. ECG may show LVH.
Management: