In children suspected of having a UTI, what clinical and radiological features diagnoses pylonephritis, and what mode of antibiotic treatment is necessary to produce clinical improvement and avoid chronic renal impairment? With the publication of the NICE guidance in the UK on the management of UTI in childhood, many paediatricians have been spurred to review […]
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Question: Hip scans for clubfoot babies?
Do infants born with an isolated clubfoot (talipes equinovarus) require radiological investigations to rule out congenital hip dysplasia? You are a neonatal SHO. The midwife asks you to see a term baby who has just been born. She has noticed the baby to have a clubfoot and wants you to examine the baby.Physical examination confirms […]
Are there effective strategies to reduce the length of stay for “well” near-term babies?
Length of stay for ‘well’ near term (30-36 week gestation) babies varies between units and between countries, with the UK average being discharge at 36+2 weeks corrected. What strategies are in place in your unit to help these ‘small but well’ babies get out of precious neonatal cots into their own lovingly decorated cribs at […]
Azithromycin for chest infections in severe CP?
Is the frequency of recurrent chest infections, in children with chronic neurological problems, reduced by prophylactic Azithromycin? You see Jonny, an 8 yr old boy with severe dystonic CP as a result of his premature birth at 26 wks gestation with another chest infection. He is mainly gastrostomy fed and had a Nissen’s fundoplication 5 […]
GnRH analogues to prevent ovarian failure?
Should gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue be administered to prevent premature ovarian failure in young women with systemic lupus erythematosus on cyclophosphamide therapy? A 15 year old girl with acute renal failure was found to have class IV systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis on renal biopsy. A decision was taken to start her on the routine […]
Question: Insulin for hyperglycaemic PICU patients?
Should paediatric critically ill patients receive insulin therapy to maintain strict normoglycaemia? Joseph, a 4 year old boy with septic shock, lactic acidosis and multi-organ failure has been admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit. Mechanical ventilation, vaso-active support, and renal replacement therapy (CVVHD) are initiated. His serum glucose level is 10.5 mmol/l. The senior […]
New things in evidence synthesis
The days of a meta-analysis being the simple adding up of lots of studies, pretending that they are all just tiny pieces of the One Big Trial that was performed before the world was made are on their way out. Newer ways of using synthesised evidence – like meta-regression and individual patient data analysis – […]
Unanswered Question: Do children with autism and developmental regression need EEG investigation in the absence of clinical seizures?
John diagnosed with autism at 18 months old presents to your developmental clinic at 30 months old. His mother reports developmental regression of previously acquired developmental milestones. He has now lost his previously acquired language skills and only makes incomprehensible babbles. He is otherwise clinically well and does not have any clinical seizures. You wonder […]
Unanswered Question: Is LDH a good predictor of malignancy in children?
A four-year old girl presents to the accident and emergency department with a history of being generally unwell for the preceding week and on examination is found to have cervical lymphadenopathy. In addition to a volley of tests, a Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) was requested by a registrar who had read that this was a predictor […]
Unanswered Question: Is cranio-sacral therapy useful in the management of crying babies?
An eight week old baby is admitted with mild bronchiolitis. His parents mention that he has always cried a lot and that he is having a course of cranio-sacral therapy to try and improve things. You wonder whether there is any evidence for this. […]