Paediatric Critical Care (General)

Module Lead: Professor Paul Winyard

Core all pathways - 15 credits

Aims

• To outline organisation and delivery of paediatric critical care (PCC) services in the UK 
• To understand common physiological principles underlying diseases in children requiring PCC 
• To cover the wide range of presentations that may lead to PCC
• To provoke challenging debate over controversies regarding different management strategies in PCC
• To educate participants on strategies to prevention PCC admission and, where this fails, improve post-PCC transition back to the ward or referring centre

Students will also improve their critical appraisal skills by analysing PCC literature in a Critically Appraised Topic, which will be peer-reviewed as formative feedback then assessed in final written form and during an oral presentation.

Outline

The module will enhance knowledge in paediatric critical care medicine, along with critical appraisal skills. 

Students will receive 5 days of lectures/workshops, and will supplement learning through self-directed study. Assessment will be via a literature-researched, Critically Appraised Topic, with formative inputs from peers, and oral presentation.

Areas covered:

• Organisation of UK Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) services
• Organ support on PCC: the physiological need and physics of therapy
• Current 'Hot Topics' in PCC
• Non-accidental injury and Safeguarding Children
• Advanced pharmacology: drug choices, indications and side-effects
• Planning care for children with complex multisystem disease
• Quality, Benchmarking and Service Improvement

Method of assessment 

Write, present and peer review a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT)