ABSTRACT
Cardiac arrest in children is usually secondary to respiratory or circulatory failure rather than ventricular fibrillation triggered by myocardial ischaemia, as in adults. Disorders of the respiratory tract are common in childhood. Most respiratory illnesses are self-limiting minor infections, but a few present as potentially life-threatening emergencies. The most common infecting organism is the respiratory syncytial virus. Although other viruses are implicated, a routine nasopharyngeal aspirate is not necessary in infants with a typical picture. Lobar pneumonia commonly presents with sudden illness, fever, breathlessness and pleuritic chest pain. Wheeze and hyperinflation are more typically associated with asthma, bronchiolitis and croup. Abdominal pain may present acutely, or may become chronic and recurrent. Diarrhoea and vomiting are common problems that lead to dehydration. Abdominal pain is a common paediatric presentation with an extensive differential diagnosis including surgical and non-surgical conditions.
