Skip to main content
MedVellum
QuestionsVideosPricing

MedVellum

Fellowship exam preparation across every specialty: source-verified topics, questions in every format, and videos.

Product

  • Specialties
  • Questions
  • Videos
  • Exam tools
  • Pricing

Verification & policy

  • Verified register
  • Editorial policy
  • Privacy
  • Terms

Account

  • Sign in
  • Create account
  • Dashboard
  • Account & billing

© 2026 MedVellum. For education only — not a substitute for clinical judgement.

llms.txtPsychiatry LLM catalogSitemap

Paeds Casesinfectious-diseases

Paeds Cases · infectious-diseases

Explain PFAPA and the management plan to parents — OSCE

OSCE communication station: explaining periodic fever and PFAPA to parents, the meaning of a rise-then-fall CRP, how to abort attacks with a single dose of steroid, the role of tonsillectomy, and the safety-net features that would warrant urgent review.

osce communication and shared planning3 min readVerification in progress

Target exams

MRCPCH ClinicalRACP DCE
On this page
Study tools

Target exams

MRCPCH ClinicalRACP DCE
Prompt
Parents of a 3-year-old with clockwork 5-weekly attacks of high fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers and tender neck glands, well between episodes, asking whether the problem is serious, why blood tests come and go, how attacks are stopped, whether tonsils should come out, and what to worry about.

Candidate instructions

Explain that PFAPA is a real, recognisable and ultimately self-resolving periodic fever syndrome — not a dangerous disease and not something the parents caused — outline why the inflammatory markers rise with attacks and fall between them, describe how a single dose of steroid aborts an attack, discuss when tonsillectomy might be considered and what the evidence shows, agree a fever diary and a safety-net of red-flag features that warrant urgent review, and check understanding. The examiner plays a parent. [1] [2] [3]

Paediatrics Fellowship Pro

Continue reading

You have read the opening of this case. The complete unit — every section and its primary-source references — is part of the Paediatrics Fellowship fellowship library.

Sign in to continueSee pricing
References5ShowHide
  1. [1]Long SS. Distinguishing among prolonged, recurrent, and periodic fever syndromes: approach of a pediatric infectious diseases subspecialist. Pediatr Clin North Am, 2005.PMID 15925664
  2. [2]Marshall GS, Edwards KM, Butler J, Lawton AR. Syndrome of periodic fever, pharyngitis, and aphthous stomatitis. J Pediatr, 1987.PMID 3794885
  3. [3]Thomas KT, Feder HM Jr, Lawton AR, Edwards KM. Periodic fever syndrome in children. J Pediatr, 1999.PMID 10393598
  4. [4]Hofer M, Pillet P, Cochard MM, Berg S, et al. International periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, cervical adenitis syndrome cohort: description of distinct phenotypes in 301 patients. Rheumatology (Oxford), 2014.PMID 24505122
  5. [5]Renko M, Salo E, Putto-Laurila A, Saxen H, et al. A randomized, controlled trial of tonsillectomy in periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome. J Pediatr, 2007.PMID 17719940
Paediatrics Fellowship Pro

$29/ monthor $279 / year

The complete Paediatrics Fellowship library, every exam format, one subscription.

  • Complete library for one chosen specialty
  • Timed MCQ mock exams and spaced review
  • Clinical cases & cross-table vivas
See pricingSign in
PreviousExplain a suspected brain abscess to a worried parent — OSCEinfectious-diseasesNextExplaining a negative malaria film and the plan to repeat it — OSCEinfectious-diseases