Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children: Guidelines for the Management of Common Childhood IllnessesThis is the second edition of the Pocket book of hospital care for children. It is for use by doctors, nurses and other health workers who are responsible for the care of young children at the first level referral hospitals. The Pocket Book is one of a series of documents and tools that support the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI). It is an update of the 2005 edition, and presents up-to-date evidence based clinical guidelines from several recently updated and published WHO guidelines and recommendations. The guidelines are for use in both inpatient and outpatient care in hospitals with basic laboratory facilities and essential medicines. These guidelines focus on the management of the major causes of childhood mortality in most developing countries, such as newborn problems, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, meningitis, septicaemia, measles and related conditions, severe acute malnutrition and paediatric HIV/AIDS. It also covers common procedures, patient monitoring and supportive care on the wards and some common surgical conditions that can be managed in small hospitals. Details of the evidence on which the Pocket Book is based can be found on the WHO website from the relevant published guidelines provided in the bibliography. This bedside paediatric care guidelines are applicable in most areas of the world and may be adapted to suit country specific circumstances. However, advanced and high care treatment options, such as intensive care or mechanical ventilation, are not described. The Pocket Book is also available in hard copies although the online version will be updated regularly as new evidence emerges. |
Common terms and phrases
abdominal abscess ampicillin anaemia antibiotics artesunate assessment bacterial benzylpenicillin blood glucose breast milk breastfeed breastfeeding bronchodilator catheter cause Chart Check child clinical cloxacillin co-trimoxazole convulsions cough cyanosis dehydration diagnosis diarrhoea diazepam disease Dosage drugs feeding fever fluid overload follow-up gentamicin Give oxygen given guidelines HIV infection hospital hypoglycaemia hypothermia infusion injuries loading dose malaria malnutrition measles meningitis mg/kg per day ml/kg Monitor months mother nasal nasogastric tube needle neonates normal saline nutritional oedema once a day oral oxygen saturation paediatric pain paracetamol persistent diarrhoea pneumonia possible present pressure priority signs pulse pulse oximetry regimen respiratory distress resuscitation Ringer’s lactate salbutamol SD 2 SD severe acute malnutrition severe dehydration severe malnutrition severe pneumonia shock signs skin solution sterile stools stridor surgical suspected symptoms tablet therapy transfusion treat treatment twice a day urine vaccination vein vomiting weeks weight wheeze young infants