Acute Life Threatening Event (ATLE)

Question 1

What is an acute life threatening event?

Answer 1

These occur in infants and are a combination of apnoea, colour change, alteration in muscle tone, choking or gagging.

Question 2

Which age group do they most commonly occur in?

Answer 2

Infants under 10 weeks old

Question 3

What are the common causes of ATLEs?

Answer 3

Can be serious causes although causes are often not identified.

Common causes:

• Infections
• Upper airway obstruction
• GORD
• Seizures
• Idiopathic

Can also more rarely be caused by:

• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Anaemia

Question 4

What is the immediate management for a child an acute life threatening event?

Answer 4

Obviously if choking, back slaps etc.

General principle is admit, do a detail history and examination. Monitor overnight.

Majority episode is brief, the child will recover quickly and be clinically well.

Question 5

What investigations should be done in hospital?

Answer 5

Obs:
Temp
BP
HR
RR
O2 sats

Bedside:
Urine dip
ECG

Bloods:
BM (important)
Blood gases (important)
FBC/U/e’s/LFT’s

Others as indicated.