Due to the increased prevalence of Group A Strep (GAS) during winter 2022-23 national guidance on how we treat sore throats was updated (National advice to lower the threshold for antibiotics was rescinded 15ht Feb 2023)
Category: Paeds-Infect
Underage Sexual Activity
This applies to all children/young people under 16 years old and those 16-18 years who are considered vulnerable, engaging in sexual activity. Getting this right is immensely challenging, as it is impossible to cover all variables influencing decision making within this guidance, further more you need to carefully weight the often conlicting needs of the child. (Involve seniors early if you have any doubts) Read more
Vaccination Schedules UK & International
Working out what your patient might have been vaccinated for can be tricky, and more so if they were raised outside of the UK. Luckily there are a couple of tools online you can use to make this easier.
Neonatal Seizures
Seizures are a common neurological emergency in the neonatal period, occurring in 1–5 per 1000 live births.1 The majority of neonatal seizures are provoked by an acute illness or brain insult with an underlying aetiology either documented or suspected, that is, these are acute provoked seizures (as opposed to epilepsy). They are also invariably focal in nature.
Clinical diagnosis of neonatal seizures is difficult. This is in part because there may be no, or very subtle, clinical features, and also because neonates frequently exhibit non-epileptic movements that can be mistaken for epileptic seizures.
Measles
Suspected/Confirmed patients should be ISOLATED & wear PPE
Treating Staff – (should not be; non-immunised, pregnant or immunocompromised)
- single-use, disposable gloves
- single-use, disposable apron (or gown if extensive splashing or spraying, or performing an aerosol generating procedure (AGP))
- FFP3 – respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
- eye/face protection (goggles or visor)
Patient
- Surgical face mask
Background
- Measles is highly infectious – (4 day prior to and after rash appears) suspected patients should be isolated within the ED
- Measles Immunisation – 1 dose 90% effective, 2 doses 95% effective
- Measles is a notifiable disease
Non-Blanching Rash
Joint Paed-ED pathway for the management of Non-Blanching Rash in Children.
Limping Child
This is a relatively common presentation within the ED that has a myriad of possible diagnoses ranging from sprain to malignancy. One thing to remember is that patients and relatives will look for a traumatic reason for limb pain, and may link it to minor injuries that would not have caused it. Read more
Paediatric Infections – School Exclusion/Isolation
Prevent the spread of infections by ensuring: routine immunisation, high standards of personal hygiene and practice, particularly hand-washing, and maintaining a clean environment. However, Public Health England recommend exclusion in some conditions.
Quick-Wee method
Have you ever wanted an infant to PU faster?
Gentle suprapubic cutaneous stimulation with gauze soaked in cold fluid (the Quick-Wee method) led to a clinically and statistically significant increase in voiding and successful urine collection within five minutes for infants aged 1-12 months
An ideal job to be given to parents/carers
