Category: Paeds

DKA in Kids

Diabetic Ketoacidosis – remember in paediatrics this may be the 1st presentation of diabetes.

  • Fluid – are more considered than adults due to the risk of cerebral oedema
  • Insulin – WAIT – need 1hr of fluid first
  • Paeds – involve them early
  • USE the BSPED DKA Management flow charts, calculators and full guidelines for when electrolytes won’t play ball which are all linked below.

DKA Management Calculator (recommended by paediatrics)- HERE

DKA Management Flow Chart – HERE

Full BSPED DKA Guideline – HERE

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Diabetic Hyperglycaemia (Kids)

Diabetic children sometimes attend ED with hyperglycaemia, but not in DKA (what should we do?)

Paeds have produced some advice to follow:

  1. Ketones over 0.6?
    • <0.6: Encourage fluids & food, may need an insulin correction
    • >0.6: ask Question 2
  2. Are there clinical features of DKA?
    • NO: Encourage fluids & food, decide Insulin correction, will need to be monitored
    • YES: Will need Paeds admission

Faltering Growth

Failure to Thrive | Obgyn Key

Faltering growth and poor weight gain in neonates are handled very differently.

Fortunately for us our paediatric colleagues have developed a very robust (read long) guideline to help us understand what we may need to do for these children.

They also appreciated we aren’t so good in PED at reading long guidelines so please refer to the bottom of the linked document for the appendices – one for babies and one for children.

Enjoy

 

Time Critical Medications

Time Critical Medication (TCM) is scheduled medication that the patient is already on when they present to the Emergency Department (ED).

The medications are “time critical” because a
delayed or missed dose can result in harm with exacerbation of symptoms and the development of complications leading to an increased mortality.

Movement disorders – Parkinson’s / Myasthenia medication
Immunomodulators including HIV medication
Sugar (Insulin)
Steroids – Addison’s and adrenal insufficiency
Epilepsy – anticonvulsants
DOACs and warfarin

Its really important for our patients that these medications are prescribed and given while in ED/uSDEC/fSDEC.

If you are withholding these medication (which may be necessary) -please the reason for this clearly in the notes.

Paediatric Flow at HRI

There is rapidly growing evidence, outcomes for children are improved by early attendance at specialist sites. As there is NO onsite paediatric speciality provision at HRI. It has been agreed that children likely to benefit from early Paediatric/Neonatal care move to CRH as swiftly as possible. This will be done using the agreed pathway, to reduce treatment and speciality input delay.

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