Short description:

This book assembles the acquired wisdom of experienced paediatricians and other clinicians involved in the care of children of all ages and stages. Its broad applicability will assist and improve healthcare of children around the world.

The art of paediatrics is complex, and the scope of clinical medicine extends far beyond that for which there is a scientific evidence base. In fact, there are many aspects of paediatrics that have not been tested in a clinical trial, nor are they easily amenable to research. With the belief that the best clinical practice is a combination of evidence-based medicine and collective anecdotal wisdom of experienced clinicians, this book offers a unique perspective on the practice of paediatric medicine.

The book is divided into four sections organised by ‘Ages and Stages’ rather than organ systems, reflecting the developmental nature of paediatric practice. One section contains pearls of wisdom that are applicable to all ages. Each chapter begins with a clinical case that demonstrates how the pearl can be applied in clinical practice. This is followed by a discussion of the topic with relevant evidence-based references. The ‘Other Gems’ section allows authors to share other practice points relevant to but not directly related to the clinical pearl. The purpose of this book is a desire to share information to improve the lives of our patients by helping those who care for them.

Long description:

This book assembles the acquired wisdom of experienced paediatricians and other clinicians involved in the care of children of all ages and stages. Its broad applicability will assist and improve healthcare of children around the world.

The art of paediatrics is complex, and the scope of clinical medicine extends far beyond that for which there is a scientific evidence base. In fact, there are many aspects of paediatrics that have not been tested in a clinical trial, nor are they easily amenable to research. With the belief that the best clinical practice is a combination of evidence-based medicine and collective anecdotal wisdom of experienced clinicians, this book offers a unique perspective on the practice of paediatric medicine.

The book is divided into four sections organised by ‘Ages and Stages’ rather than organ systems, reflecting the developmental nature of paediatric practice. One section contains pearls of wisdom that are applicable to all ages. Each chapter begins with a clinical case that demonstrates how the pearl can be applied in clinical practice. This is followed by a discussion of the topic with relevant evidence-based references. The ‘Other Gems’ section allows authors to share other practice points relevant to but not directly related to the clinical pearl. The purpose of this book is a desire to share information to improve the lives of our patients by helping those who care for them.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1. If you Only See One Hole, It’s the Wrong One.- Chapter 2. Keep an Open Mind.- Chapter 3.  I Thought it was a Soft Murmur!.- Chapter 4. Collapse on Day Three of Life.- Chapter 5. When Salt is Vital.- Chapter 6. Think Outside the Box.- Chapter 7. Ubiquitous and Silently Consuming.- Chapter 8. Keep your Eyes, Ears and Mind Open.- Chapter 9. Unsettled/Irritable Babies – is it Angina?.- Chapter 10. Strawberry Birthmarks: When Early Treatment Counts.- Chapter 11. Birthmarks: Should we see the Surgeon?.- Chapter 12. Anaesthetic Safety in Children.- Chapter 13. Food Allergy is an Uncommon Cause of Eczema.- Chapter 14. Children may have Hidden Congenital Issues.- Chapter 15. It’s Not Inappropriate.- Chapter 16. Persistent Fever in Babies.- Chapter 17. Not All Thermometers are Created Equal.- Chapter 18. They Aren’t Going to Melt.- Chapter 19. Urine Trouble.- Chapter 20. When Little Girls Will Not Pee.- Chapter 21. Not as Clear as it May Seem.- Chapter 22. Collateral Damage Caused by Thumb Sucking.- Chapter 23. Optimising Scar Outcomes in Children.- Chapter 24. 15 Seconds of Silence is Golden.- Chapter 25. If you Always Look, You Sometimes Find Zebras.- Chapter 26. Have you Thought About Quitting?.- Chapter 27. Enhancing Attachment Between Young Children with Autism and their Parents.- Chapter 28. Define Normal.- Chapter 29. Salbutamol and Elevated Lactate.- Chapter 30. Children Don’t Read Textbooks.- Chapter 31. A Masquerader of an Acute Surgical Abdomen.- Chapter 32. Manage the Patient, Not the Numbers.- Chapter 33. A Pinch of Salt.- Chapter 34. Too Hot to Play: Heat Stroke in Children.- Chapter 35. Beware the Child with Unequal Leg Length.- Chapter 36. Beware the Child with a Swollen Joint.- Chapter 37. First Ask Yourself – How Young is Too Young?.- Chapter 38. Diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be a Challenge.- Chapter 39. Children and Alcohol.- Chapter 40. Don’t Forget to Look!.- Chapter 41. Scratching the Surface.- Chapter 42. Keep the Child at the Centre of the Consultation.- Chapter 43. The ‘Three Magic Wishes’ Question can Open a Window to the Child’s Mind.- Chapter 44. Talk to the Hand: Part 1.- Chapter 45. Let’s Be Aware of Trauma from our System.- Chapter 46. Difficult Behaviour in Children has Meaning.- Chapter 47. A Spoonful of Medicine Makes the Sugar Go Down?.- Chapter 48.  A, B, C …. DEFG.- Chapter 49. To Block or not to Block?.- Chapter 49. Caution, but Perspective, in Paediatric Bone Lesions.- Chapter 50. Learning at School is Everyone's Business: the Paediatrician’s Role.- Chapter 51. Dysphonia in Children – When Should I be Worried.- Chapter 52. An Online Friend is a Real-Life Stranger.- Chapter 53. Adolescence – Opportunities in the Clinical Encounter.- Chapter 54. Children with Disability Need Teeth too.- Chapter 55. Beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).- Chapter 56. Everyone Blooms.- Chapter 57. It Takes a Team to Transition.- Chapter 58. Too Tired to Teen.- Chapter 59. Breathing Difficulty During Exercise.- Chapter 60. Why does Nocturnal Enuresis Sometimes Continue into Adolescence?.- Chapter 61. Don’t Ignore Period Pain.- Chapter 62. Act Fast on Acne.- Chapter 63. Reasons for a Racing Heart.- Chapter 64. Not all Depressive Symptoms are Depression.- Chapter 65. Weaning SSRI Medications Thoughtfully.- Chapter 66. Look Beyond What You See.- Chapter 67.Talk to the Hand: Part 2.- Chapter 68. Context is Always Important.- Chapter 69. Are Big Ears a Big Problem?.- Chapter 70. The Judicious Use of Silliness.- Chapter 71. Assumption is the Birthplace of Poor Decision Making.- Chapter 72. The Do’s, Don’ts, and Don’t Knows.- Chapter 73. Managing Family Expectations: Uncertainty is Common in Paediatric practice.- Chapter 74. Travelling Overseas to Visit Family and Friends is more Dangerous than Disneyland.- Chapter 75. Do All Child Travellers Need BCG Vaccination?.- Chapter 76. There is no Such Thing as a Difficult Parent.- Chapter 77. One Team: Parents as Experts in their Child.- Chapter 78.Help Parents Help You.- Chapter 79. A Worried Parent is the Most Important Vital Sign.- Chapter 80. Three Strikes and you’re in.- Chapter 81. A Sick Child in ED Who Needs an Airway: HELP.- Chapter 82. Critically Ill Patients: Oxygen is Essential; an Endotracheal Tube is Not.- Chapter 83. Venous Access: We Can - and Should - Do Better.- Chapter 84. It’s Just a Needle.- Chapter 85. Knowledge is Power.- Chapter 86. Improving Medication Safety During Resuscitation.- Chapter 87. The Other Side of the Bed.- Chapter 89. To Heal the Body, We Must Also Comfort the Soul.