I’ve been interested in Paediatrics for a long time (actually since I was a first year medical student, which makes it about thirteen years and makes me far older than I feel) so I’ll be the first to hold up my hands and admit I sometimes forget how utterly bewildering the medical world of small people can seem to those who don’t routinely see children (although spare a thought for those poor paediatricians who are similarly terrified when an adult near them gets chest pain and non-medical friends and relatives volunteer their services as a doctor…)
For us in the UK, August changeover is drawing closer and many medical students, newly qualified doctors and rotating junior docs may be just weeks from finding themselves seeing paediatric patients in the ED, general practice or even paediatric ward jobs for the first time.
If this is you – don’t worry. You are not alone! Our transatlantic colleagues have the same anxieties about seeing children!
(Thanks to Andrew Tagg for tweeting this conversation into my timeline)
Thankfully, the world of #FOAMed – and now #FOAMped, a new hashtag to collect tweets and conversation specifically relevant to paediatric emergency medicine – has plenty of resources to help.
Here are some great places to start
PEM for Dummies – a fantastic short talk (Pecha Kucha or PK) on the basics of PEM from the fabulous Colin Parker of EMPEM.org.
How to Examine Children – my 6-minute PK on paediatric examination, full of tips to start you off on the right foot.
Recognising Life-Threatening Illness in Children – the wonderful Minh Le Cong invited me to guest on his great PHARM podcast and here we talk through some tricky sick kid cases and when to quit stalling and go for intraosseus access.
Sick Babies (under three months) – an excellent podcast from the EMPEM team which talks you through a structured and sensible approach to the scariest thing in paeds – the sick neonate – and featuring the fantastic Rachel Rowlands (now a PEM Consultant)
And of course I couldn’t leave out St Emlyn’s own Prof C’s acclaimed talk from SMACC 2013 – Relax – Children are Just Little Adults.
And if you want more after that?
– Join the conversation on twitter: use the #FOAMped hashtag
– Check out my (slightly out of date but still relevant) Storify on Paediatric EM Resources
– Consider a paediatric resuscitation course: in the UK, the APLS course is expensive but a great starting point, and the Advanced Life Support Group also run courses aimed at different levels including PLS – I can also recommend the Manchester Paediatric AIM course although as one of the course developers I should state I have no financial interest in it!
– Post a comment below!
Nat
And please don’t forget http://www.spottingthesickchild.com ! Contains hundreds of video clips of well and unwell children. It’s a #FOAMed resource (that means it is FREE!)
Great resource – thanks Damian!
Follow @PEMTweets he’s legit
Hey there Nat- thanks for the shout out! Happy to offer advice to any new folk starting o their paeds and/ or ED journey.
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