Things We Like This Month – February 2020

As Storm Ciara redistributes trampolines across the country, and people stare hard at hail and convince themselves that it has snowed, February has been an interesting month so far. But as intriguing as the weather has been, a storm has been brewing in the world of #FOAMed as well. Thankfully, the coping strategy for both is the same – gather up a duvet, grab a hot beverage, and settle in. So here, for your enjoyment, is the Things We Like This Month for February, our round up of the goings on in the world of paediatrics.

Journal Articles we like

Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guideline for Children

Sepsis, as we are all too aware, is a syndrome that is both difficult to diagnose, and requires prompt and decisive management. This month, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine published their new consensus guidelines on the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction. Given the number of acute patients that receive treatment for ?sepsis in most hospitals, it’s a fascinating document to look through, and as ever, the team at DFTB have a balanced and rational run down of the document, and what it might mean for us on the shop floor.

Antipyretics and Immunisations

Fever after immunisations, specifically the first set of immunisations, has probably caused significant sleep disruption for most doctors dealing with acute admissions. Sure, it’s most likely related to the immunisation. But what if…

As a result, guidance on giving antipyretics around the time of immunisation has been given. However, by co-administering antipyretics, are we reducing the effectiveness of vaccines that we are giving? As ever, the devil is in the details, but it is a good reminder that the burgeoning parental burden of fever-phobia may be doing more harm than good.

#FOAMed we like

Something or Nothing – Edward Snelson

A favourite here at Norwich PEM, Dr Snelson turns his eye to newborn children, and common conditions in children that are either something serious, or nothing at all. Half-hearted treatments “just to be safe” in the form of topical antibiotics are either unnecessary, or fall short of the treatment required for the more serious conditions, and this guide to what to look out for to help differentiate your somethings from your nothings is a fantastic rundown to help those more nervous with newborn babies.

New BSPED DKA Guidelines – St Emlyns

Following the landmark Kuppermann trial comparing fluid rates in DKA, and the publication of the ISPAD guidelines moving away from the traditional conservative fluid management, all eyes have been on the BSPED to update their guidelines to bring them alongside the others. Sure enough, earlier this month, BSPED’s update has made some significant changes in light of new evidence, and our friends at St Emlyn’s have published a fantastic run-down of the changes, why, and what they mean in practice. For a full look at the guidelines, they can be found here

Twitter stuff we like

Dr Steven Chen on Staph Scalded Skin Syndrome

Podcasts we like

Paediatric Sports Injuries – PEM Playbook

Someday soon, we may recommend a podcast here that isn’t made by Tim Horeczko. Unfortunately, he keeps knocking it out of the park, so we’re just going to have to keep going for the time being. Here, we look at paediatric sports injuries, and how best to manage them in an acute setting.