Research work · 2014
Paediatric surgery
Oxford Assess and Progress: Clinical Surgery
Abstract
Understanding that children are not small adults, and that they come in different sizes and stages of development, is fundamental to paediatric surgery. Knowledge of a child’s weight is crucial when considering fluid and medication administration. Moreover, babies have immature physiology and less functional reserve compared to older children. Understanding basic embryology will unravel some of the mysteries of developmental pathology encountered by the paediatric surgeon, such as oesophageal atresia, malrotation of the gut, annular pancreas, and maldescent of the testis. The paediatric surgeon deals with some of the same surgical conditions that affect adults, but even management of a common condition such as inguinal hernia, has different therapeutic implications in children and adults. Paediatric surgery demands gentle tissue handling and delicate technique. Good communication skills are a prerequisite for dealing with the distraught or ill child and anxious parents, and the surgeon often retains a clinical interest in his or her patient, well into young adulthood. This chapter will test your knowledge of principles of surgical management of sick children and your understanding of presentations of some of the more commonplace conditions encountered by surgeons in this demanding, yet rewarding, discipline.