Differential diagnosis of stridor in infants & children
Diagnosis Distinguishing Features
Croup
(Laryngotracheobronchitis)
- Most common from age 6 months to 6 years
- Associated with “barky” cough, fever, rhinorrhe
...
Differential diagnosis of stridor in infants & children
Diagnosis Distinguishing Features
Croup
(Laryngotracheobronchitis)
- Most common from age 6 months to 6 years
- Associated with “barky” cough, fever, rhinorrhea & congestion
Laryngomalacia - Stridor most severe at age 4-8 months
- Persistent stridor that worsens in supine position & improves in prone position
Foreign body aspiration - Stridor caused by laryngotracheal foreign bodies has acute onset
- Associated with moderate-to-severe respiratory distress
Vascular Ring - Presents before age 1 year
- Persistent stridor that improves with neck extension
- Associated with cardiac abnormalities (50%)
Croup (laryngotracheitis)
Pathogenesis - Parainfluenza viral infection – inflammation of larynx &
trachea
Epidemiology - Age 6 months to 3 years
- Fall, early winter
Clinical Features - Inspiratory stridor
- “Barky” seal-like cough
- Hoarse voice
Treatment - Mild (no stridor at rest: corticosteroids)
- Moderate/severe (stridor at rest): corticosteroids +
nebulized epinephrine
Key respiratory tract infection in children
Diagnosis Classic pathogen Presentation
Laryngotracheitis (croup) - Parainfluenza virus - Age 6 months to 3 years
- “Barky” coughing, stridor,
hoarse voice
Epiglottitis - Haemophilus influenza - Unvaccinated children
- Sore throat, dysphagia,
drooling, “tripod position”
Bronchiolitis - Respiratory Syncytial
Virus
- Age <2 years
- Wheezing, coughing
Pertussis in Infants and Children
Clinical Phases Catarrhal
1-2 weeks
Paroxysmal
2-6 weeks
Convalescent
weeks to months
- Mild cough,
Rhinitis
- Coughing paroxysms with
inspiratory “whoops”
- Symptoms
resolve
gradually
Diagnosis - Pertussis Culture or PCR
- Lymphocyte predominant leukocytosis
Treatment - Macrolides (azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin)
Prevention - Acellular Pertussis Vaccine
Complications - Pneumonia, weight loss, subconjunctival hemorrhages, pneumothorax,
respiratory failure, death (infants)
2
Measles (Rubeola) – Paramyxovirus SS -RNA
Clinical Presentation Prodromal:
- Fever, malaise, & anorexia
- Conjunctivitis, coryza, cough, Koplik spots
Exanthema
- Blanching, reddish-brown maculopapular rash
- Cephalocaudal & centrifugal spread
- Usually spares palms/soles
Diagnosis - Polymerase chain reaction
- Acute & convalescent serology for Antimeasles IgM & IgG
Prevention - Live attenuated measles vaccine
Treatment - Supportive care
- Vitamin A for hospitalized children
Complication - Otitis media
- Pneumonia
Neurologic
- Encephalitis (within days)
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (within weeks)
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (within years)
- Gastroenteritis
Rubella (German measles) – Togavirus SS +RNA
Clinical Presentation Congenital disease:
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Intellectual disability
- Cardiac anomalies
- Cataracts, glaucoma
Children:
- Low-grade fever
- Conjunctivitis, coryza, cervical lymphadenopathy, Forschemier spots
- Cephalocaudal spread of blanching, erythematous maculopapular rash
Adolescents/Adults:
Same as children _ arthralgia/arthritis
Diagnosis - Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Acute & Convalescent serology for anti-rubella IgM & IgG
Prevention - Live attenuate rubella vaccine
Treatment - Supportive care
Beckwith-Weidman syndrome
Pathogenesis - Deregulation of imprinted gene expression in
chromosome 11p15**** à IGF-2
Physical Examination - Fetal macrosomia, rapid growth until late
childhood
- Omphalocele or umbilical hernia
- Macroglossia
- Hemihyperplasia
Complications - Monitor closely for hypoglycemia
- Wilms tumor**
- Hepatoblastoma
Surveillance - Serum alpha fetoprotein
- Abdominal/renal ultrasound
3
Differential Diagnosis of Regurgitation & vomiting in infants
Diagnosis Clinical features Management
Gastroesophageal reflux
- Physiologic
- Asymptomatic
- “Happy spitter”
- Reassurance
- Positioning therapy
- Pathologic (GERD)
- Failure to thrive
- Significant irritability
- Sandifer Syndrome
- Thickened feed
- Antacid therapy
- If severe, esophageal pH
probe monitoring & upper
endoscopy
Milk-Protein Allergy - Regurgitation/vomiting
- Eczema
- Bloody stools
- Elimination of dairy & soy
protein from diet
Pyloric Stenosis - Projectile vomiting
- Olive-shaped abdominal mass
- Dehydration, weight loss
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Pylormyotomy
Prader-Willi Syndrome
Clinical Features - Hypotonia
- Weak suck/feeding problems in
infancy
- Hyperphagia/obesity
- Short stature
- Hypogonadism
- Intellectual disability
- Dysmorphic facies: Narrow
forehead, Almond-shaped eyes,
Downturned mouth
Diagnosis - Deletion on paternal 15q11-q13
Complications - Sleep apnea
- Type 2 DM
- Gastric distension/rupture
- Death by choking
Differential Diagnosis of Otalgia
Diagnosis Clinical Features
Acute Otitis Media - Middle ear effusion plus acute eardrum
inflammation (eg, bulging ear drum, fever)
Otitis Media
w/effusion
- Middle ear effusion without acute inflammation
Bullous Myringitis - Serous liquid filled blisters on the tympanic
membrane
Cerumen Impaction - Liquid or hard wax in auditory canal obstructing
eardrum visualization
Hemotympanum - Purple or red eardrum +/- bulging
Otitis externa - Pain with tragal traction, erythematous &
swollen external auditory canal +/- otorrhea
4
Acute Otitis Media
Microbiology - Streptococcus pneumonia
- Nontypable Haemophilus influenza
- Moraxella catarrhalis
Clinical Features - Middle ear effusion
- PLUS
- Bulging tympanic membrane
Treatment - Initial: Amoxicillin
- 2nd Line: Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid
Complication - Conductive hearing loss
- Mastoiditis
- Meningitis
Otitis Externa
Risk Factors
- Trauma/foreign material (eg, cotton swab,
hearing aid)
- Exposure to outdoor water sources (eg,
swimming)
- Skin disruption (eg, psoriasis, eczema, contact
dermatitis)
Clinical
Manifestations
- Pruritus, pain & discharge, hearing loss
- Tenderness with tragal pressure/auricle
manipulation
- Ear canal with erythema edema &
cerumen/purulent debris
Management
- Remove debris from canal (eg, wire loop)
- Ototopical corticosteroid (inflammation) plus
antibiotic (infection)
- Culture of exudate in recalcitrant cases
Gaucher Disease
Etiology - AR, ↑prevalence in Ashkenazi Jews
- Glucocerebrosidase deficiency à
gluocerebroside accumulation in
macrophages
Typical
Features
- Sever splenomegaly
- Anemia, thrombocytopenia
- Bony pain
- FTT, delayed puberty
Management - Enzyme Replacement
5
Cyanotic heart disease in newborns
Diagnosis Examination X-ray FIndings
Transposition of the
Great Vessels
- Single S2
- +/- VSD
- “Egg on a String Heart” (narrow
mediastinum)
Tetralogy of Fallot - Harsh pulmonic
stenosis murmur
- VSD murmur
- “Bootshaped” heart (RV
hypertrophy)
Tricuspid atresia - Single S2
- VSD murmur
- Minimal pulmonary blood flow
Truncus Arteriosus - Single S2
- Systolic ejection
murmur (decreased
flow through truncal
valve)
- Increased pulmonary blood flow,
edema
Total Anomalous
venous return with
obstruction
- Severe cyanosis
- Respiratory Distress
- Pulmonary edema, “snowma”
sign (enlarged supracardiac veins
& SVC)
Pediatric Viral Myocarditis
Etiology - Coxsackie B Virus
- Adenovirus
Clinical Presentation - Viral prodrome
- Heart failure: Dyspnea, syncope, tachycardia, nausea,
vomiting, hepatosplenomegaly
Diagnostic Studies - Chest x-ray:
- Cardiomegaly
- Pulmonary edema
- ECG Sinus Tachycardia
- Echocardiogram
- Decreased ejection fraction
- Diffuse hypokinesis
- Endomyocardial biopsy: (Gold standard) Inflammatory
infiltrate of the myocardium with myocyte necrosis
Prognosis - Mortality
- Newborns: ~75%
- Older infants/children: ~25%
- Outcome of survivors
- Full recovery within 203 months ~60%
- Dilated cardiomyopathy/CHF ~33%
Neonatal Conjunctivitis
Type Age of Onset Findings Treatment
Chemical - < 24 hr - Frequently occurs after application of silver
nitrate prophylaxis
- Mild conjunctiva irritation/injection & tearing
after silver nitrate ophthalmic prophylactics
- Eye lubricant
Gonococci - 2-5 days - Marked eyelid swelling, profuse purulent
discharge, corneal edema/ulceration
- IV or IM ceftriaxone or
cefoxaime
Chlamydial - 5-14 days - Eyelid swelling, chemosis; watery, bloody, or
mucopurulent eye discharge
- Oral erythromycin
6
Risk factors for brain abscess
Predisposing Problem Pathogenesis Affected Area
Otitis media, mastoiditis - Direct Spread - Temporal lobe, cerebellum
Frontal/Ethmoid Sinusitis - Direct Spread - Frontal Lobe
Dental infection - Direct Spread - Frontal Lobe
Bacteremia from other sites of
infection, cyanotic heart disease
- Hematogenous Spread - Multiple abscesses along
distribution of middle
cerebral artery (gray white
junction)
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