Paediatrics

Appraisal and reflections on the recently published ConSEPT and EcLiPSE trials - what do they mean for the treatment of paediatric status epilepticus?

Neonates are more than miniature adults. Using a Micro Machines analogy, Natalie May’s 2018 teaching session revisits neonatal resuscitation and common emergency presentations, from feeding and cardiac problems to sepsis and seizures. It highlights the physiological differences that make assessment and early specialist support so important.

Does the speed or composition of intravenous rehydration affect neurological outcomes in children with DKA? This review examines the 2018 PECARN trial, its four fluid regimens and the limits of its findings. Simon Carley explains why challenging established assumptions does not remove the need for careful fluid management.

Should injured children receive whole-body or selective CT? Natalie May examines a 2018 observational study of paediatric trauma, explaining propensity-score adjustment and what its mortality findings can—and cannot—tell us. The discussion challenges the assumption that adult imaging practice should automatically transfer to children.

Intranasal ketamine or fentanyl for children with painful fractures? This 2018 appraisal compares pain relief and reported side effects in a small randomised trial. It explains why similar pain scores do not prove equivalence, and why the selected patient group limits how widely the results can be applied.

Natalie May introduces the e-book collecting her reflections from Sydney HEMS, with 104 lessons drawn from the original blog series. This 2017 announcement explains the collection’s additional photographs, foreword and chapter on entering prehospital and retrieval medicine, and links back to the seven source posts.