Brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE)
Brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE) refers to an episode in infants characterized by sudden, brief, and unexplained changes in breathing, color, tone, or responsiveness. If the cause is identified, the event is no longer considered a BRUE. While often alarming to caregivers and clinicians, these events typically resolve spontaneously and are usually not associated with […]
Bronchiolitis
Bronchiolitis is an extremely common lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children. Symptoms can include fever, coughing, and signs of lower respiratory tract obstruction such as tachypnea, nasal flaring, belly breathing, retractions, head bobbing, and in young infants, apneas. Epidemiology Bronchiolitis is the most frequent cause of hospitalization for respiratory illness in infants […]
Anaphylactic shock
Anaphylactic shock is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur rapidly and requires immediate medical intervention. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of anaphylactic shock in children, tailored for pediatric residents. Epidemiology Anaphylaxis is a relatively rare but serious condition in children, with an […]
Acute asthma
Pathophysiology Asthma involves the triad of: Airway edema/inflammation that leads to mucosal swelling. Excess mucus production and subsequent mucous plugging. Bronchospasm/bronchoconstriction that leads to: Increased airways resistance: Causes increased work of breathing. Atelectasis and ventilation: Perfusion (V:Q). Mismatch: Causes hypoxemia. Image credit: Encyclopedia Britannica. Symptoms Occur after trigger exposure and resolve with trigger avoidance or […]
Guide to systems-based assessments and plans for inpatient pediatric clerkship
On the pediatric ward and in ICU environments, having a systems-based approach to the assessment and plan ensures comprehensive patient care by systematically evaluating each organ system, and other important domains of care that may otherwise be overlooked. In working through the encounter of a newly admitted patient, we use our clinical reasoning to collate […]
Failure to thrive and growth faltering in pediatric patients
Failure to thrive (FTT), also known as growth faltering, is a clinical condition in which an infant or child fails to achieve expected growth milestones based on established growth parameters (e.g., weight, height, and head circumference). It is a nonspecific but concerning finding that often indicates underlying issues of inadequate nutritional intake, inadequate absorption, and/or […]
Emergency room
As the front door to the hospital, whether a children’s hospital or community hospital, the ER is often the first touch point for most pediatric patients who end up on the inpatient floor. Although there are certain pathologies that are often seen in the ER but rarely require admission to the inpatient floor, there is […]
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Newborn care is a large part of a general pediatrician’s practice, ranging from routine nursery care to pathologies in normal newborns to the sickest of our babies in the NICU. This page includes guidelines to manage the more common pathologies seen in the newborn population, where the pathophysiology often drastically differs from all other groups […]
Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
Here you will find the bread and butter for the pediatric ICU setting. You will notice some overlap with the Acute Inpatient page, and that is purposeful as pediatric pathologies are very much a spectrum in presentation. Take note of the escalations of care noted when reading through these guidelines. Guide to systems-based assessments and […]
Acute inpatient
Acute inpatient pediatric care encompasses what you will often encounter on the medical/surgical floor of a children’s hospital, but also the bread and butter of the community setting. While in no way all encompassing, this page contains the more common pathologies you will encounter on the inpatient side. We hope that these guidelines serve as […]