Learning objectives
The main objective of the General and Specialized Pediatrics course is to: 1) inform students about the common conditions of infants, children and adolescents, as well as about less common but important chronic conditions in these age groups; 2) to know and understand the importance of growth, the stages of development and the impact that various diseases can have on growth and development; 3) provide the necessary tools to be able to collect an anamnesis from the parents and / or the child and perform a competent clinical examination. The focus will be on clinical management and the development of new strategies for maintaining health, preventing and treating pediatric diseases.
The course includes lectures, seminars, problem-based learning and a variety of multimedia clinical teaching in order to maximize the pediatric clinical experience.
At the end of the course the student will have gained experience in many aspects of pediatric clinical specialties, including: neonatology; pediatric infectious diseases; pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition; genetics and metabolic diseases; pediatric allergology and pneumology; pediatric neurology; pediatric rheumatology; pediatric endocrinology; pediatric nephrology; pediatric hematology and oncology.
Prerequisites
Basic principles of physology, general pathology and pharmacology.
Course unit content
• Pathophysiology of development in the pediatric age
• Vaccinations and false myths
• Nutrition in the 1st year of life
• Obesity
• Principles of pediatric resuscitation
• A public health emergency: the abuse of antibiotics in children
• Head trauma, domestic accidents, sports and sports injuries in children and adolescents
• Eye trauma and Shaken baby syndrome
• Conjunctivitis and orbital cellulitis
• Ocular involvement in vertically transmitted infections
• Retinopathy of the premature baby
• Glaucoma
• External ocular pathologies
• Ocular tumors
Full programme
Introduction to pediatrics
• Know and understand growth and development in infants, children and adolescents
• Breastfeeding and pediatric feeding
• Know the importance of breastfeeding
• Describe when, how and why weaning is recommended
• Know the long-term effect of proper nutrition in the first years of life
Diseases preventable with vaccines
• Know the recommended vaccinations in pediatric age
• Describe the epidemiology and clinical aspects of vaccine preventable diseases
• Understand the indirect benefits of vaccine prevention
Neonatology
• Describe the neonatal adaptation to extrauterine life
• Summarize the physiological disorders of the neonatal age (eg. Neonatal jaundice)
• Describe the main pathological diseases of the newborn (eg respiratory failure and indication for invasive and non-invasive ventilation, neurological disorders, main infectious risks)
• Know the screening tests expected in neonatal age
Hereditary metabolic diseases
• Knowing when to suspect inherited metabolic diseases and how to diagnose
Congenital heart disease
• Summarize the characteristics and complications of the main congenital heart disease
Upper respiratory tract infections
• Know how to manage acute pharyngotonsilitis
• Describe the etiology and the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to acute otitis media
Lower respiratory tract infections
• Know the etiopathogenesis and management of bronchiolitis
• Know the modern diagnostic-therapeutic approach to community-acquired pediatric pneumonia
• Know the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics to be used in tuberculosis
Cystic fibrosis
• Describe the multisystem involvement and complications associated with cystic fibrosis
• Summarize advanced therapies in cystic fibrosis
Allergic diseases
• Summarize the main causes of food allergy in the first years of life
• Describe how to diagnose and treat atopic dermatitis and urticaria in pediatric age
• Summarize the etiology, pathogenesis and therapy of bronchial asthma in the first years of life
Pediatric Nephrology
• Know when to suspect a pediatric urinary tract infection and how to manage it
• Describe the approach to nephrotic syndrome in the first years of life
• Summarize the etiopathogenesis of glomerulonephritis and its possible complications in childhood
Pediatric rheumatology
• Describe acute rheumatic fever
• Describe juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Know when to suspect and how to manage Kawasaki disease and Schonlein-Henoch purpura
Pediatric endocrinology
• Describe risk factors and approach to pediatric diabetes mellitus
• Know when to suspect and how to manage a growth deficit
• Knowing when to suspect early or late puberty
• Summarize the disorders of sexual development
Pediatric hepatology
• Describe the root cause of cholestasis in infants and children
• Know the clinical and laboratory manifestations as well as the outcomes of infectious hepatitis according to its etiology in pediatric age
Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies
• Know when to suspect PID
• Summarize the causes of secondary immunodeficiencies in pediatrics
Pediatric gastroenterology
• Summarize the etiology of acute diarrhea and its management in the first years of life
• Know the main reasons for malabsorption in children
Pediatric hematology and oncology
• Know the main causes of anemia in pediatrics
• Summarize the management of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura;
• Describe when to suspect leukemia and how to confirm the diagnosis in the child
• Knowledge of the epidemiology of major paediatric cancers
• Report the clinical manifestations and outcomes of brain tumours in children
Paediatric neurology
• Know the physiological neurological development in the first years of life
• Summarise the main causes of mental retardation
• Describe the characteristics of the main learning difficulties
• Summarise the aetiopathogenesis of autism and its management
• Know the main causes of cerebral palsy
• Describe the aetiopathogenesis of epileptic seizures in different paediatric ages
• Know the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to headache in children and adolescents
• Summarise the diagnostic approach to central nervous system infections in children
Medical genetics
• Know when to suspect a genetic disease based on clinical data
• Describe how to collect the clinical history in a child with suspected genetic disease
• Summarise the recommended diagnostic tests for genetic diseases
• Surgical emergencies
• Summarise the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to children with lymphadenopathy
• To know the clinical signs and symptoms in hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
• Summarise the main reasons for surgery in infants, children and adolescents
Please refer to Elly for the continuation of the extended program
Bibliography
Principi N, Rubino A. Pediatria generale e specialistica. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, 2017.
Slides on Elly platform.
Teaching methods
Frontal and online lessons with slides and audiovisual material.
Assessment methods and criteria
The student's knowledge, understanding and application skills will be assessed through an oral exam.
Other information
The teacher can be contacted for clarifications or to make an appointment via email by writing to: susannamariaroberta.esposito@unipr.it
