Paediatric Emergency Life Support and Cultural Care Practice

Vocabulary flashcards covering clinical terminology, diagnostic mnemonics, neurological formulas, pain assessment scales, trauma protocols, and cultural safety concepts derived from paediatric emergency medical guidelines.

Stridor

A high-pitched, inspiratory sound indicative of upper airway obstruction, commonly associated with conditions like Croup or Epiglottitis.

$DOPE$ mnemonic

A clinical troubleshooting framework for deteriorating intubated patients: Displaced tube, Obstructed tube, Pneumothorax, and Equipment failure.

Capnometry

The gold-standard monitoring tool for intubated patients; a sudden drop in expired $CO_{2}$ to $0$ indicates disconnection, extubation, or ventilator failure.

Compensated Shock

A phase where neuro-hormonal mechanisms maintain vital organ perfusion; signs include tachycardia and cold peripheries while systolic blood pressure remains normal.

DEFG

A vital clinical reminder standing for 'Don’t Ever Forget Glucose,' used because hypoglycaemia often mimics or coexists with shock and coma.

Cerebral Perfusion Pressure ($CPP$)

The pressure gradient driving blood flow to the brain, calculated as Mean Arterial Pressure ($MAP$) minus Intracranial Pressure ($ICP$), with a target of $40-60\,mmHg$.

FLACC Scale

A behavioral pain assessment tool for children aged $2\,\text{months}$ to $7\,\text{years}$, scoring Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability.

CRIES Scale

A pain scale for neonates and young infants that scores Crying, Requires $O_{2}$, Increased vital signs, Expression, and Sleeplessness.

$xABCDE$ approach

A modified systematic resuscitation framework that prioritizes the control of catastrophic haemorrhage ($x$) before addressing airway and breathing.

TEN-4-FACES-P Rule

A screening tool for identifying suspicious bruising on the Thorax, Ears, or Neck in children under $4$, or any bruise on the Face, Angle of jaw, Cheeks, Eyelids, or Sclera.

Hot Topic protocol

An acronym used to prioritize reversible causes in traumatic cardiac arrest: Hypovolemia, Oxygenation, and Tension Pneumothorax.

Brief Resolved Unexplained Event ($BRUE$)

A sudden, short-lived infant event involving changes in color, breathing, or muscle tone that is resolved by the time help arrives.

Clinical Yarning

A social-first conversational approach to healthcare used to build rapport and trust, particularly with Indigenous patients.

Birthing on Country

A culturally safe maternity model where Indigenous traditions are honored, taking place in either a hospital or remote environment.

Lotus Birth

A specialized post-birth practice where the umbilical cord is not clamped or cut, leaving the baby attached to the placenta for $7-10\,\text{days}$.

Neisseria meningitidis

A gram-negative, aerobic diplococcus bacterium that is the causative agent of the most rapidly progressive infectious disease known to man.

Purpura fulminans

Large, blotchy bruises indicative of advanced meningococcal sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation ($DIC$).

Gross Motor Function Classification Scale ($GMFCS$)

A $5$-level system used to describe the motor functional abilities and support requirements of children with Cerebral Palsy.

Distal Intestinal Obstruction Syndrome ($DIOS$)

An acute emergency intestinal complication specifically associated with patients who have Cystic Fibrosis.

Uncal Syndrome

A condition where supratentorial pressure forces the uncus through the tentorial opening, indicated by a unilateral dilated pupil and third nerve palsy.

Greenstick fracture

A pediatric skeletal injury occurring due to bone flexibility, where the bone splinters on one side rather than breaking completely.

AMIC Workers

Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care workers who provide essential cultural and clinical support to mothers alongside midwives.