Red Flags (Paed) Flashcards
(16 cards)
What are the red flags for a paed
What are yellow flags for a paed?
What are the care objectives for assessing paediatric patients?
Accurately assess patient safety risk
Transport patients at risk of deterioration or adverse outcome
Care objectives focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of paediatric patients during assessment and transport.
Who does the paediatric guideline apply to?
All paediatric patients under 16 years of age.
This age group is critical for tailored healthcare approaches.
What are the four main categories of patient safety risk?
- Diagnostic error
- Risk of deterioration
- Social/environmental risk
- Access to care
Understanding these categories helps in identifying and mitigating risks in paediatric care.
List five factors that increase the risk of diagnostic error in paediatric patients.
- Diagnostic uncertainty
- Bias and human factors
- Age, comorbidities, and baseline function
- Communication difficulties (e.g. non-verbal, NESB, intellectual disability)
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background
- Drug or alcohol intoxication (if relevant)
- History of mental health problems
- Rare or complex medical condition
- Highly emotive scene
These factors can complicate the diagnostic process in children.
What role does parental concern play in paediatric safety risk?
Parental concern is a valid reason to transport or escalate care and should not be discounted.
Parents often have insights into their child’s condition that are crucial for decision-making.
What three indicators suggest a child may deteriorate?
- Expected clinical trajectory
- Borderline vital signs
- Failure to improve with community-based treatment
Monitoring these indicators can help in timely interventions.
Name two social or environmental risk factors.
- Unsafe environment or risks to the patient’s safety
- Poor health literacy or lack of adequate shelter/warmth
These factors can impact a child’s health and safety significantly.
What two access to care issues should be considered?
- Inability to access necessary medication
- Inability to access health services or further help if needed
Access to care is critical for effective treatment and management.
What vital sign abnormalities are Red Flags by age group?
Age Group HR (bpm) RR (breaths/min) SBP (mmHg)
Newborn (<24 hrs) <110 or >170 <25 or >60 <60
Small infant (<3 mo) <110 or >170 <25 or >60 <60
Large infant (3–12 mo) <105 or >165 <25 or >55 <65
Small child (1–4 y) <85 or >150 <20 or >40 <70
Medium child (5–11 y) <70 or >135 <16 or >34 <80
Adolescent (12–15 y) <60 or >120 <14 or >26 <90
These vital sign parameters are essential for identifying urgent care needs.
What are additional red flags outside of vital signs?
- GCS <15 or not alert (per AVPU)
- SpO₂ < 96%
- Unexplained pain or behavioural cues in non-verbal children
- Second AV or medical presentation within 48 hrs
- Febrile >38°C in infant <3 months
- Stridor (unless mild/moderate croup managed as per guideline)
- First presentation seizure
- Anaphylaxis (current or resolved)
- Unable to walk (when normally able)
- Post-tonsillectomy bleeding (any amount up to 14 days)
- Testicular pain
- Ingestion/inhalation of toxic substance
- Inhaled foreign body
- Non-blanching rash
Recognizing these red flags is critical for timely intervention.
What are the Yellow Flag criteria for paediatric patients?
- Ongoing parental concern
- Recent surgery (<14 days)
- Ingestion of a dangerous foreign body (e.g., button battery, magnet)
- Carer must be capable of getting child to GP/ED
- Carer must be read the Referral Advice Script
Yellow flags indicate situations that require urgent review.
What is the key message of the Referral Advice Script if VED is not available?
The child needs to be reviewed by a medical doctor within the next two hours, and parents should attend ED/GP. If they cannot do so, ambulance transport can be arranged.
This ensures that urgent medical needs are addressed promptly.
What rules apply for infants under 3 months when no red/yellow flags are present?
- ≤ 28 days: Must have VED consultation before non-transport
- 29 days – 3 months: Strongly recommended VED consultation
- Homebirths: If hospital involvement is expected (e.g. planned hospital birth), VED must be contacted.
These rules help manage the unique risks associated with very young infants.
If no red or yellow flags are present, and the child is not a small infant, what should you do?
Consider the patient suitable for non-transport and advise follow-up with GP within 48 hours.
This allows for safe management of less critical cases.
