Thyroid emergencies
10.3 Thyroid emergencies Malcolm Higgins Essentials 1. Life-threatening paediatric thyroid emergencies are rare. 2. Children with undiagnosed thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism may present to the ED with a range of acute…
Acute ataxia
8.5 Acute ataxia Joanne Grindlay Essentials 1 The most common causes of acute cerebellar ataxia in children are post-infectious (acute cerebellar ataxia), drug intoxication and posterior fossa tumours. 2 Clinical…
Raised intracranial pressure
8.2 Raised intracranial pressure Richard Lennon Essentials 1 A rapidly expanding head circumference in an infant prior to suture fusion, is an important sign of raised ICP. 2 The open…
CSF shunt complications
8.1 CSF shunt complications Richard Lennon Essentials 1 Emergency physicians should consider the possibility of a shunt complication in any child with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt presenting to an…
Congenital heart disease
5.5 Congenital heart disease Matthew O’Meara Essentials 1 Congenital cardiac disease is uncommon in children, but should be considered as a possible diagnosis in an infant or child with respiratory…
Ingested foreign bodies
7.6 Ingested foreign bodies Scott Pearson Essentials 1 Foreign bodies in the stomach or intestines are expected to pass spontaneously about 99% of the time if the child has normal…
Abdominal and pelvic trauma
3.4 Abdominal and pelvic trauma Scott Pearson Essentials 1 Children may have significant internal injury with little evidence of external trauma. The abdominal viscera are less well protected by the…
Acute rheumatic fever
5.6 Acute rheumatic fever Sarah Dalton Essentials 1 Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a disease of connective tissue inflammation that may follow 2 to 4 weeks after a Group A…
Bronchiolitis
6.6 Bronchiolitis Tom Beattie Essentials 1 The diagnosis of bronchiolitis is clinical, based on history and examination. 2 Bronchiolitis typically affects children under the age of 12 months, but may…
