Pediatric Clerkship: A Medical Student Guide: Recent Episodes
Traci Bourne
Pediatric Clerkship is a podcast made by a fourth-year medical student aimed at medical, PA, and NP students who are entering their clinical rotation in pediatrics. In my experience during my third year clerkship, podcasts were a fundamental part of my day and education. This podcast is meant to supplement reading textbooks, participating in clinical experiences, or attending lectures during your pediatric clerkship or sub-internship. Each episode will cover a different topic which you are likely to encounter on the exam and on the wards. We will provide tips and tricks for how to stand out and how you can spend your time most wisely during your rotation.
In this episode, we discuss respiratory distress with Dr. Melanie Rudnick
What is respiratory distress?
Respiratory distress is all-encompassing for symptoms related to breathing problems. In children, causes can be broken up into the general categories of upper airway, lower airway, cardiac, and metabolic.
What are the symptoms and signs?
- Vital signs: tachypnea (unless neurologic or muscular impairment), tachycardia, normal to low oxygen saturation
- Nasal flaring
- Retractions
- Cyanosis (rare)
- Infants: Head bobbing, belly breathing
History-taking:
- General:
- Preceding symptoms (fever, hx of asthma, happened before)
- Impacted ADLs
- PO and urine output
- Gestational age
- Sick contacts
- Body positions that make symptoms better/worse
- Airway (laryngomalacia, FBA):
- Noises from airway: stridor? barking cough?
- Acute onset - think foreign body aspiration or allergy to new food
- Cardiac (see cardiac episode):
- Sweating, fatigue with feeds, FTT
- Metabolic:
- Tachycardia, tachypnea, sweating
- Significant FTT
- Dysmorphic features
- Organomegaly
PE:
- Lung:
- Expiratory = obstructive
- Rhonchi = general inflammation
- Crackles = fluid overload (cardiac)
- Wheezing = larger airway (asthma, FBA)
Concerns by age group:
- Neonates:
- Full term: Transient tachypnea of newborn, MAS, RDS of newborn
- PPV at birth: pneumothorax
- Infants:
- Infectious (bronchiolitis, GBS)
- Cardiac/metabolic
- Toddlers/school age:
- Infectious (croup, viral/bac pneumonia)
- Age 5+: atypical pneumonia
- FBA
- Anaphylaxis
- Adolescents:
- DKA
- Ask HEEADSSS questions: smoking and vaping hx
- Home environment, Education and employment, Eating, peer-related Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicide/depression, and Safety from injury and violence
- COVID-19 pneumonia
For questions or suggestions, please email us at pediclerkshippod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro Music:
Inspirational by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5454-inspirational-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and research expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policies or position of Quinnipiac University or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity, other than the author(s). While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to serve as the standard of care and any comments, suggestions or correction of errors is welcome. Privacy is of utmost importance. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality. Any direct similarities to any real person or case is purely coincidental and unintentional. Any mention of drugs or medical products is done in the setting of clinical and educational discussion and does not represent the author(s) endorsement of those drugs or products. The content is for informational purposes only, please consult a healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns that you may have. The information in this podcast is only intended for use by medical students, resident
Quick rundown of the vaccine schedule for children and how to remember certain developmental milestones.
For more information on vaccines, please see the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
For questions or suggestions, please email us at pediclerkshippod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro Music:
Inspirational by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5454-inspirational-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and research expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policies or position of Quinnipiac University or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity, other than the author(s). While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to serve as the standard of care and any comments, suggestions or correction of errors is welcome. Privacy is of utmost importance. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality. Any direct similarities to any real person or case is purely coincidental and unintentional. Any mention of drugs or medical products is done in the setting of clinical and educational discussion and does not represent the author(s) endorsement of those drugs or products. The content is for informational purposes only, please consult a healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns that you may have. The information in this podcast is only intended for use by medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, midlevel providers and qualified medical personnel in their education.
We spoke with Dr. Spencer Church, a pediatric resident at Yale University. He goes through the presentation and management of congenital heart diseases.
For questions or suggestions, please email us at pediclerkshippod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro Music:
Inspirational by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5454-inspirational-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and research expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policies or position of Quinnipiac University or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity, other than the author(s). While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to serve as the standard of care and any comments, suggestions or correction of errors is welcome. Privacy is of utmost importance. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality. Any direct similarities to any real person or case is purely coincidental and unintentional. Any mention of drugs or medical products is done in the setting of clinical and educational discussion and does not represent the author(s) endorsement of those drugs or products. The content is for informational purposes only, please consult a healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns that you may have. The information in this podcast is only intended for use by medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, midlevel providers and qualified medical personnel in their education.
In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Melissa Held who is a pediatric infectious disease physician. We discuss the common causes of fever, symptomology, work-up, and treatment for each age group.
For questions or suggestions, please email us at pediclerkshippod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro Music:
Inspirational by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5454-inspirational-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and research expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policies or position of Quinnipiac University or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity, other than the author(s). While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to serve as the standard of care and any comments, suggestions or correction of errors is welcome. Privacy is of utmost importance. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality. Any direct similarities to any real person or case is purely coincidental and unintentional. Any mention of drugs or medical products is done in the setting of clinical and educational discussion and does not represent the author(s) endorsement of those drugs or products. The content is for informational purposes only, please consult a healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns that you may have. The information in this podcast is only intended for use by medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, midlevel providers and qualified medical personnel in their education.
In the first episode of this podcast, I spoke with Dr. Diana Jo about why she chose pediatrics, how to navigate the pediatric rotation, and her tips for choosing your residency program as well as what you can do to to put your best foot forward during application season.
For questions or suggestions, please email us at pediclerkshippod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro Music:
Inspirational by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5454-inspirational-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and research expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policies or position of Quinnipiac University or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity, other than the author(s). While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to serve as the standard of care and any comments, suggestions or correction of errors is welcome. Privacy is of utmost importance. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality. Any direct similarities to any real person or case is purely coincidental and unintentional. Any mention of drugs or medical products is done in the setting of clinical and educational discussion and does not represent the author(s) endorsement of those drugs or products. The content is for informational purposes only, please consult a healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns that you may have. The information in this podcast is only intended for use by medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, midlevel providers and qualified medical personnel in their education.