Heart murmurs
Heart murmurs are very common in infants and young children. Most are ‘functional’ or ‘innocent’ and are not associated with structural abnormalities. It is important to learn to distinguish these…
The collapsed child
Collapse and Cardiorespiratory Arrest Not all children who collapse will proceed to a full respiratory or cardiac arrest. Causes of sudden collapse in children are listed in the box and…
Assessing the acutely ill child
Respiratory Failure Respiratory failure is defined as inadequate respiration to maintain normal arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. Respiratory failure is obvious if the child is apnoeic or deeply cyanosed,…
Understanding investigations:
Understanding Investigations: II Radiology Chest Radiography As respiratory disorders are so common in paediatric practice, it is very important to be able to accurately interpret chest radiographs. If there is…
Child care and school
Common Problems at School Age Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Hyperactivity is characterised by overactivity, difficulty keeping still and restlessness. It can be so extreme as to impair learning and…
Learning disability and autism
Children are said to have a learning disability when they experience significantly greater difficulty than their peers in making progress with intellectual developmental skills. Intellect overlaps with all other developmental…
Congenital heart disease
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the commonest congenital malformation (7–8 per 1000 livebirths). About 8% are associated with chromosomal abnormality (e.g. AVSD in Down’s syndrome) or genetic abnormalities, such as…
The fitting child
Generalized Convulsions The term convulsion is synonymous with fit or seizure. Convulsions are due to synchronous discharge of electrical activity from a number of neurons, usually with loss of consciousness…
Immunization and the diseases it protects against
In the UK we immunize against the following diseases. Diphtheria Diphtheria is now very rare in developed countries. It is caused by the organism Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Infection occurs in the…
