...Seizure Precautions for Pediatric Bedside Nurses Over the course of their careers, many inpatient pediatric nurses will care for a patient with seizures or who is at risk for seizures. Although often anxiety-provoking, the fear can be diminished by thinking critically about each child’s seizure. The nursing management of pediatric seizures, for which patient safety is the priority, should be driven by the clinical presentation of the child’s event. This article will present an algorithm to assist bedside nurses in safely caring for children with a variety of seizure types. The algorithm can be used as a road map to assist staff nurses in safely and appropriately stocking patients’ bedsides with emergency equipment as needed for children with seizures. However, to understand the clinical symptoms of a seizure, it is important to first review basic pathophysiology and seizure classification. What Is a Seizure? Seizures are a common neurologic disorder of childhood, and many pediatric nurses will care for children with epilepsy during their careers. The term “seizure precautions” is used frequently in nursing practice; however, its definition varies among institutions. Childhood epilepsy has many phenotypes, and while some children require airway clearance and ventilatory support in the event of a seizure, many will not. The bedside equipment for a child with seizures should reflect the patient’s symptoms. To that end, an algorithm based on seizure classification and current...
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...Febrile seizure is a convulsion that a pediatric can experience that is instigated by a rapid increase or decrease in a fever. An episode of febrile seizure can be extremely terrifying to a parent or caretaker. One important piece of knowledge can help ease the discomforting witness of a febrile seizer. For most febrile seizure episodes, harm usually does not come to the febrile seizure patient and it also does not mean that the child has a more serious underlying health problem. When a febrile seizure occurs, the pediatric will more often than not lose consciousness and experience tonic-clonic moving all extremities about in possible a thrashing motion. Although tonic-clonic is most common, in rare instances the pediatric will have periods of muscle rigidity or have localized seizures, like an arm or a leg on only one side. Febrile seizures can last ranging from a few seconds up to an astonishing 15 minutes or more, on average a febrile seizure commonly lasts only a few minutes. According to research and studies that have been done on febrile seizures, most of the febrile seizures occur when the rectal temperature of the pediatric reaches or exceeds one hundred and two degrees Fahrenheit. The onset of a febrile seizure usually occurs in the first twenty four hours of the fevers onset. With pediatrics who...
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...Pediatric Febrile Seizures 2 Whitney Wang What are Pediatric Febrile Seizures? 3 They are convulsions brought on by a fever in small infants and children. These fevers are usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection in the child’s body and accompanied by certain vaccinations. Vaccinations DO NOT cause fevers. 2 More commonly, during this kind of seizure, the child loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. 4 Less commonly, during this kind of seizure, the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two. Some seizures can be as brief as seconds or continue for more than 15 minutes. 2 Majority of children with febrile seizures have rectal temperatures...
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...50 Celiac Disease Dascha C. Weir, MD Ciaran Kelly, MD Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy secondary to permanent sensitivity to wheat gluten and related proteins in rye and barley. It results in characteristic histologic changes consisting of inflammation, crypt hyperplasia, and villous atrophy of the small intestine in genetically susceptible individuals. Significant variability in the clinical presentation of CD in the pediatric population complicates recognition of the disease in many patients. Treatment for CD consists of a lifelong strict gluten-free diet (GFD). Adherence to this diet is associated with resolution of most related signs and symptoms and a decreased risk of related complications. With an explosion of new knowledge over the span of two decades, our understanding of CD has changed dramatically. CD has gone from a rare condition causing gastrointestinal symptoms in children of European origin to a common disorder causing symptoms that affect multiple organ systems in all ages virtually worldwide.1 The overall prevalence of CD is similar in Europe and North America affecting up to 1% of the population.2,3 A large multicenter study in the United States, using serologic screening with biopsy confirmation to identify cases of CD, showed a prevalence of CD of 1:133 in individuals with no evident risk factors. Prevalence of CD in symptomatic patients was 1:56. The prevalence of diagnosed CD is much lower, especially in the...
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...their adulthood. The education required to become a pediatrician is to follow the usual courses of medical education, starting with college, then medical school, then residency and occasionally, a fellowship. In total, a pediatrician's training may take up to twelve to fifteen years but may also take longer. They can be doctors of medicine and also be board certified in pediatrics and must complete continuing education course or have to retake a certification exam every five years to stay certified. Pediatricians must be licensed to practice in their state. Pediatricians who want to specialize in a specific area have a variety of choices to choose from. If they may decide to specifically care for newborns who are premature, have birth defects, infections or other problems, they may specialize in Neonatology. Pediatric hematologist-oncologist specialize in the care for children in heart problems. Other pediatricians may specialize in the care for disabled children, or pediatric surgery. 12 percent of pediatricians work in solo or private practice with at least one other physician, while 33 percent work with a pediatric group. They generally work about 47 hours a week. They also work with a variety or other medical professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and dieticians. The average annual salary of a pediatrician in 2011 was $168,650, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. O'Connor Hospital offers quality services and community support since the...
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...there are four different subsections titled Falls and Pediatric Inpatients Falls, Fall Risk Assessment Tools, Caregivers, and Aim. This website allows one to click on each of the sections/ subsections, and to go straight to their paragraphs. Under the first subsection, Falls and Pediatric Inpatients Falls, it talks about the authors and their opinion on falls. The authors are MD's in pediatric nursing. Hospitals are a very busy place to work, especially since they’re dealing with people all day. Many MDs and RNs have a ton of experience with dealing with healthcare and dangerous situations. I believe a hospital being considered a safe place is in greater focus rather than dangerous even with all the risk factors involved; simply because of all the experience within the building. “In terms of being an indicator of the quality of health care, many hospitals are trying to take all necessary measures to reduce falls that occur in hospitals.“ Hospitals are meant to keep the patient safe, and heal them.” I believe they wrote this article to inform everyone that hospitals are so strict because of the possibility that a child could fall and further injure himself. “Caregivers' attention, concentration, fatigue and sleep conditions, stress level and anxiety are the most important factors influencing inpatient pediatric falls. This makes caregivers the most important environmental factor associated with falls in hospitalized children.” Caregivers are known to keep a safe environment and...
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...The use of medical marijuana has been met with both acceptance and disdain for many years now. In the article “The case for medical marijuana in epilepsy” in the journal Epilepsia, Edward Maa gives us insight into the story of Charlotte Figi. Charlotte is a young girl in Colorado that had been diagnosed with Dravet syndrome. Her mother Paige Figi tried an exhaustive regimen of medications, therapy’s, and hospital stays to try and combat this disease. Convulsions were hitting a high mark of around 50 per day and after the use of specific cannabis extracts, specifically CBD, they were lowered to 2-3 per month. Medical marijuana has been used to treat epilepsy successfully, the case of Charlotte Figi shows us its usefulness and the effects cannabis had on her convulsions....
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...for the United States Marijuana should be legalized in the US because it would aid in alleviating symptoms of certain medical conditions, reduce the cost of manpower associated with prosecuting these crimes and create job, which would stimulate the economy for positive growth. Marijuana for Medical use National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine have shown that marijuana can help curb pain, nausea, AID-related weight loss and increase appetite. Studies have shown that patients who were using marijuana report easing of symptoms from a variety of conditions including MS, glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers also found that the active components found in cannabinoids may treat symptoms from Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Epilepsy. In the journal “AIDS Care” (2007; 19(2): 295-301) it shows that with the use of marijuana there are positive effects for people living with AIDS/HIV. This study shows that people living with AIDS/HIV chose to administer marijuana to help with nausea. (Braitstein et al., 2001; Fairfield et al., 1998; Furler et al., 2004; Prentiss et al., 2004) “Marijuana and oral THC can also stimulate the appetite and have been associated with significant increases in weight in people with cancer”. (Guzman, 2003; Walsh et al., 2003) The same has also been observed in PLWHA (Abrams et al., 2003; Beal et al., 1995; Prentiss etal., 2004), sometimes with a 25-35% increase in food intake”. (Haney, 2002) Then you have the therapeutic benefits found from the...
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...Pediatric Chiropractic Care: Scientifically Indefensible? Published by Sam Homola under Chiropractic,Science and Medicine Comments: 37 In a paper published in 2008, two academic chiropractors offered this observation: “The health claims made by chiropractors with respect to the application of manipulation as a health care intervention for pediatric health conditions continue to be supported by only low levels of scientific evidence. Chiropractors continue to treat a wide variety of pediatric health conditions.”1 Despite lack of support by the medical and scientific community, chiropractic treatment of children is growing in popularity, and more chiropractors are specializing in “chiropractic pediatrics.” The International Chiropractic Association offers a post-graduate “Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics” (DICCP) and publishes a “peer reviewed” Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. The diplomate syllabus is a 30-module, 360+ hours classroom course during weekends over a three-year period. There is no hospital training and no contact with diseased or injured children — only a “mandatory observational/training weekend at a chiropractic center for special needs children under multi-disciplinary care.”2 A post-graduate certification in chiropractic pediatrics (CICCP) can be earned after 180 hours of classroom instruction. In a June 2008 joint press release, the American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA) Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics and the Council...
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...A review paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal provides a summary of the current understanding of ASD and suggests a comprehensive set of guidelines on best practices for detection, diagnosis and treatment for children with autism based on the currently available evidence randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or systematic reviews. - See more at: "We have come to understand ASD as a remarkably heterogeneous constellation of conditions that covary with other disabilities and disorders (e.g., intellectual disability, epilepsy, ADHD, anxiety disorders) and various medical problems," writes Dr. Stephen Scherer, senior scientist and director of The Centre for Applied Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and director of the McLaughlin Centre at the University of Toronto, with coauthors. "Recent discoveries of underlying genomic factors have shown great complexity and implicate various networks of causal factors." ASD, which includes a variety of traits that range from mild to severe, is estimated to affect about 1% of the population, although it is under-recognized in the developing world. The review, by specialists in pediatrics, psychiatry, epidemiology, neurology and genetics from across Canada, outlines the current understanding of ASD and best practices for pediatricians, family doctors and specialist clinics, and identifies resources for clinicians. Topics include: What causes autism? The causes are thought to be multi-factorial: genetic...
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...the 1940’s, the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, murdered thousands of men, women, and children of the Jewish religion or Gypsy lifestyle. During the Holocaust, the Germans murdered any individual that did not fit into Hitler’s purified race. This “cleansing” of the German race began with the sterilization program. After Hitler reaped the successes of the sterilization program, he advanced to his euthanasia program. Hitler did not only euthanize Jews and Gypsies, he also executed people with disabilities. People define euthanasia as, the act of killing or allowing the death of a hopelessly sick or injured individual in a quick and painless way. However, Hitler did not kill those innocent people in a quick, painless way. To maximize the...
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...The loss of a child to cancer is one of the worst tragedies a family can face. Each death means the loss of a lifetime (Goodman, 2014). Survivors face serious medical complications, and secondary cancers along with cognitive impairments and shortened life spans (Goodman, 2014). Over the last 20 years childhood cancers have been diagnosed to be invasive more than 29% (Childhood Cancer Facts, 2014). Annually, more than 13,500 children are diagnosed with some form of childhood cancer that is more than an average classroom of children (Childhood Cancer Facts, 2014). This issue is not only a state issue but a national one, possibly worse in the third world countries due to lack of doctors and technology. More than 35,000 children are currently in...
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...Studies have shown that in 2014, marijuana use among high school students have declined. Legalization has taken marijuana from the “black markets” and “back alleys” that have sometimes been known to target children, and placed it into responsible businesses and put an age limit on it. Not a single dispensary in Colorado has been found to be selling to a minor. Mason Tvert, co-director of the Amendment 64 legalization campaign states, “The drop in teen use reflects the fact that the state and local authorities have far more control over marijuana than ever before.” He argues that “Our goal should not be increasing teens’ perception of risk surrounding marijuana. It should be increasing teens’ knowledge of the actual relative harms of marijuana, alcohol, and other substances so that they can make smart decisions.” Legal marijuana means safer marijuana for those who are “just going to smoke it anyways”. In illegal states, no one can really know...
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...Studies have shown that in 2014, marijuana use among high school students have declined. Legalization has taken marijuana from the “black markets” and “back alleys” that have sometimes been known to target children, and placed it into responsible businesses and put an age limit on it. Not a single dispensary in Colorado has been found to be selling to a minor. Mason Tvert, co-director of the Amendment 64 legalization campaign states, “The drop in teen use reflects the fact that the state and local authorities have far more control over marijuana than ever before.” He argues that “Our goal should not be increasing teens’ perception of risk surrounding marijuana. It should be increasing teens’ knowledge of the actual relative harms of marijuana, alcohol, and other substances so that they can make smart decisions.” Legal marijuana means safer marijuana for those who are “just going to smoke it anyways”. In illegal states, no one can really know...
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...visual system for sign language. Such body parts are controlled by the brain for their functions. E. Bruce Goldstein (2008) defines language as a system of communication using sounds or symbols that enable us to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas and experience. lastly Language can be defined as a means of communication. Cooper(1989) defines language Development as the result of the series of on-going planned actions that language communities take to ensure that that they can effectively use their languages to achieve their social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual goals. In summary Language development is the process which starts early in human life where children grow in their acquisition of human language from a single word to rich sentences. 1....
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