Respiratory Distress
This respiratory sign is characterized by a high-pitched sound heard primarily on inspiration and suggests upper airway obstruction.
What is stridor?
This is the most common cause of pediatric medication errors in the prehospital setting.
What is dosing errors related to weight errors?
A medication is ordered at 0.1 mg/kg for a 10-kg child. This is the correct total dose.
What is 1mg?
This is the most common type of seizure encountered in young children in the prehospital setting.
What is a febrile seizure?
This class of medications are first line for seizure management. (Name 2)
What are benzodiazepines? (Midazolam, diazepam, lorazepam)
In infants and young children, this is the earliest and most reliable sign of respiratory distress.
What is an increased respiratory rate, or increased work of breathing?
This simple action can significantly reduce medication errors before drug administration.
What is a cross check?
A patient weighs 33lbs, so this should be used for medication administration.
What is 14.9kg? (15kg)
This is the first priority when managing an actively seizing pediatric patient.
What is bodily safety and airway positioning?
This common intervention should not be attempted during an active seizure.
What is inserting anything into the mouth?
This physical exam finding—caused by increased negative intrathoracic pressure—is commonly seen in moderate to severe pediatric respiratory distress.
What are retractions?
A 10-kg child requires epinephrine. This step should be performed before drawing up the medication.
What is confirming the dose, concentration, and route?
This safety practice is most effective at preventing catastrophic pediatric medication math errors.
What is using a standardized reference card/resource?
A seizure lasting longer than this duration meets the definition of status epilepticus.
What is 5 minutes?
This lab abnormality should be ruled out early in any pediatric seizure.
What is hypoglycemia?
This condition typically presents in young children with barking cough, hoarse voice, and inspiratory stridor, often worse at night.
What is croup?
This administration standard involves clearly stating the medication name and dose out loud prior to delivery.
What is closed loop communication?
A child weighs 15 kg and needs a medication dosed at 0.2 mg/kg. The vial concentration is 2 mg/mL. This is the correct volume to draw up.
What is 1.5mL?
This seizure type involves brief staring spells and is often mistaken for daydreaming.
What is absence seizure?
This condition is the most common seizure mimic in children.
What is syncope?
This change in breath sounds may indicate impending respiratory failure rather than improvement in a child with severe distress.
What is decreased or absent wheezing?
These six rights are a tenant of safe medication administration.
What are right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right patient?
A 12-kg child needs epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg (1:10,000 = 0.1 mg/mL). This is the correct volume to administer.
What is 1.2mL?
A 6-year-old continues to seize after two appropriate doses of benzodiazepines. IV access is established. According to prehospital seizure management principles, what condition are you now treating?
What is refractory status epilepticus?
You respond to a 9-year-old who fell off a bike without a helmet. Bystanders report a brief loss of consciousness followed by generalized tonic-clonic seizure activity lasting about 2 minutes. On your arrival, the seizure has stopped. The child is confused, vomiting, and has unequal pupils. This is likely cause.
What is TBI?