Overview Historically there have been several accounts of the use of various forms of anesthesia from cannabis and other herbs to carotid compression. The earliest account of modern anesthesia was in the 1840s when ether was used to excise a…
Meningitis in Children Meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the meninges. Definition of terms Term Definition Acute bacterial meningitis Rapid onset of symptoms. Can be identified using routine laboratory techniques. Chronic meningitis Ongoing symptoms of meningitis for ≥ 4 weeks…
Overview Malaria is an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium spp. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in children < 5yo in Kenya. Plasmodium falciparum is the MCC of malaria. A parasitological dx of malaria…
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Neonatal Death or Cot Death) Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death or neonatal death, is a sudden, unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant < 1-year-old. It occurs during sleeping or when…
Pneumonia is an acute lower respiratory tract infection of the lungs. It is characterised by fast breathing and chest indrawing in children. It is still the leading killer of children worldwide, 29% of pediatric deaths worldwide, 158 million cases per…
Bronchiolitis is an infectious inflammation of the bronchioles. It is primarily a disease of the very young – 95% of cases occur in children < 2 years old. It is almost always viral in origin, most commonly caused by the…
Overview Causes of upper airway diseases in children Condition Pathogen Laryngitis Viruses, Corynebacterium diphtheria, in non-vaccinated individuals Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis) Parainfluenza virus Spasmodic croup Several viruses and allergic causes Epiglottitis Haemophilus influenzae Type B; Gram-positive bacteria Bacterial tracheitis Staphylococcus aureus Foreign…
Rickets Rickets is a serious condition that is due to impaired bone mineralization before epiphyseal closure. It is caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, calcium, or phosphorus, and mainly manifests as skeletal malformations. It peaks between 6 and 15…
Overview Failure to thrive is characterized by insufficient weight gain or inappropriate growth at the expected rate given a child’s age. It is currently defined as a weight-for-age below the fifth percentile on a standardized age-based growth chart, a decrease…
Malnutrition is defined as a lack of macronutrients (calories) OR a lack of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Here, we will consider undernutrition in terms of inadequate consumption of macronutrients. Anthropometric indices Indices Description Weight for age (W/A) This is used…