Clerkship Ready: Pediatrics

In this episode, we will discuss everything you need to know before seeing your first pediatric patient with eczema. We will review its pathogenesis, who gets eczema, what to look for on exam, and potential differential diagnoses. We will also elaborate upon the most recent AAP guidelines for treatment of eczema, which focuses on skin care maintenance, topical steroids, and avoidance of triggers. ...

In this episode, we will discuss all things related to food allergies, including the difference between IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated allergies, clinical manifestations, the important questions to ask when taking a history, the options for doing allergy testing, and treatment.  Definition of food allergies Rates of food allergies Possible pathophysiology of food allergies Clinical manifestatio...

In this episode, we will discuss when and how to advise parents on introducing complementary foods (aka “solids”), including foods that are potentially allergenic. This is a topic that will invariably come up for you during your rotation. We’ll discuss the timing and sequence of introducing solids, and then talk about the rationale behind early introduction of potentially allergenic foods.  Defini...

In this episode, we will be reviewing what you need to know before your first discussion about infant formula.  We will cover the characteristics and types of formulas, why infants might require different types, the correct way to prepare formula and how much infants need, common concerns from parents, indications for changing formulas, and when to transition away from it. Reasons for formula feed...

Listen along as we dive into the many causes of sore throat. Learn about the common causes such as allergies and viral illnesses while also what to do when a child with epiglottitis comes in.  We will cover CENTOR criteria as well and when you should think about Group A strep testing. Common Causes Viral Presentation HSV Mononucleosis Allergic Presentation Group A Strep  CENTOR Criteria Emergency...

Asthma is a common chronic disease of childhood that affects 1 in 12 children in the United States. It can range from mild respiratory symptoms to life threatening respiratory failure, with a range of treatment options in-between from the primary care setting to the pediatric ICU. In this episode, we will discuss the underlying pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of patients wit...

In this episode, we discuss lead toxicity and lead screening. We will talk about what lead is, what happens when a child is exposed to lead, what to ask parents about if you’re worried about lead exposure, how to screen for lead toxicity, and what to do if your patient has an elevated lead level.  Sources of lead exposure  Ingestion of contaminated food or water Ingestion or breathing in of lead d...

In this episode of Clerkship Ready – Pediatrics Dr. Jared Barkes, a Child Neurology resident at The University of Virginia, will be walking you through how to complete the neurologic exam! Throughout the episode he will cover in detail the different parts of a formal neuro exam while also providing useful tips for remembering commonly tested facts, reviewing specific examples of abnormal findings...

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome in which an infection leads to an inflammatory response throughout the body that rapidly progresses to organ dysfunction or even death. Worldwide, neonatal sepsis affects 2,202 infants per 100,000 live births, and has a mortality rate of >11%. In the United States, early onset sepsis affects 50 in 100,000 live births, with a mortality rate of about 3%. So it’s a bi...

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency that occurs in children in United States. Iron plays a vital role in cellular function in all organ systems. Today, we will be reviewing what you need to know before you first see a patient with possible iron deficiency. We will discuss why iron is so important, when and why iron deficiency occurs, screening, diagnosis, and treatment for ir...

Ear pain is one of the most common chief complaints pediatricians encounter in the outpatient setting and there are quite a few things you need to consider to make a thoughtful diagnosis, assessment, and plan. In this episode, we will discuss the differential diagnosis of ear pain in children, physical exam findings that will help you make a diagnosis, and treatment for the most common causes of e...

Child abuse, which is sometimes called non-accidental trauma, is a public health problem with life-long health consequences for survivors and their families. In this episode, we will review what you need to know before you encounter your first patient who may have or has been abused. We will focus on physical and sexual abuse of children.  Long term health consequences of child abuse Why identific...

Discussing menses and pregnancy prevention is an important part of preventative care and reproductive health. Patients and parents come in with a wide range of preconceptions and understanding. It can be daunting to counsel about the many types of contraception to come to a shared decision about what is best for the patient. This podcast will review the following about contraception: Medical contr...

In today’s episode, we are talking about normal child development. We will talk about why this is important and how you will be evaluating children’s development. We will go over major milestones in the 4 developmental domains: movement/physical development – or gross and fine motor, language/communication, cognitive, and social/emotional. We will go over some common cases. Finally, we will briefl...

Neonatal hypoglycemia is a common and often transient issue for newborns during a period of transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. Many infants with hypoglycemia are screened for it and treated for it in the nursery, and a handful will require NICU admissions. This podcast will help you understand these things about neonatal hypoglycemia: Why we worry  What causes it Which infants are...

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. In this episode, we will discuss ADHD, including the different types, evaluation, management, and follow up. General definition of ADHD and its types Preparing for your first visit Initial evaluation of ADHD vs. med check Reviewing prior visits During an initial visit: Evaluating his...

In this episode, we discuss things you’ll need to know and think about before seeing an infant with jaundice. We will focus on infants from birth to 2 months of age. We will discuss the pathophysiology of hyperbilirubinemia, the difference between unconjugated and conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, the differential diagnosis, key elements of the history and physical exam, laboratory and imaging workup...

Many of the pediatric inpatients you care for will need intravenous fluids and electrolytes. This episode describes what you need to know before you order fluids or electrolyte replacement for your patient. We will discuss maintenance fluid needs and talk more in depth about what fluids to order and at what rate. We will also talk about managing patients with dehydration and how to replete fluids....

This episode is a follow-up to “Before Your First Time Working with a Breastfeeding Mother”. We’ll be reviewing additional details about breastfeeding that can help you to answer some of the most common questions that come up for families. We will discuss strategies to improve milk production, newborn stomach volumes, how to know if baby is getting enough milk, what to do if baby isn’t getting eno...

This episode describes what you need to know before your first time working with a breastfeeding parent. This will include topics such as how to ensure families feel comfortable, benefits of and contraindications to breastfeeding, how to approach conversations about breastfeeding, and the science behind lactation or milk production. Making families feel comfortable Benefits of breastfeeding for mo...

Today we will talk about what to expect before attending your first delivery as part of the pediatrics team while on the Newborn rotation. Each delivery is different and what is needed for each infant at the delivery can be different depending on the status of the infant at birth. In this episode, we will focus on the lower risk deliveries that you are most likely to attend during your newborn rot...

Today, we’ll be discussing how to evaluate and work up a patient with a suspected eating disorder. We’ll use a general case for an adolescent with an eating disorder to examine the different aspects of care you should be thinking about, from lab work to admission criteria and what to do once the diagnosis is made. How to identify an eating disorder  What to do if you suspect an eating disorder  Ho...

Antibiotic selection can be complicated. In this episode, we discuss how you should approach choosing the appropriate antibiotic for your pediatric patient. There are multiple considerations, including: What organisms do you want to treat? What does anatomy have to do with antibiotic selection? You also have to think about individual circumstances, such as immunzation status, chronic disease, drug...

Prescribing medicines in pediatrics is different than prescribing medicines for adults. In this episode, we discuss what you need to know before prescribing medications for the pediatric population, including calculating dose for the child’s weight, choosing IV vs PO medications, and other considerations. 1)    References to look up pediatric drug doses and frequencies. 2)    Calculating weight-ba...

Many of our patients and their families are not proficient in English, and it's important to be able to communicate effectively with them.  In this episode, you’ll learn about how to work with an interpreter during encounters with patients who are not proficient in English. We’ll discuss dos and don’ts, common challenges, and tips for interacting with interpreters and families.   Definitions   Int...