Paeds Vivas · clinical-assessment-and-reasoning
Oedema in children: diagnostic approach — viva
Branching structured oral on paediatric oedema diagnostic approach.
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RACP DCEMRCPCH Clinical
Prompt
A 3-year-old is brought to clinic with puffy eyes for a week and tight shoes. You are the paediatric registrar.
Opening (must-hit)
“I will check airway, breathing, circulation and blood pressure first, confirm this is true oedema, map distribution, then use urine dipstick and perfusion assessment to name a mechanism before I treat fluid.” [1] [3]
References7ShowHide
- [1]Ellis D Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Edema in Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome. Frontiers in pediatrics, 2015.PMID 26793696
- [2]Siddall EC The pathophysiology of edema formation in the nephrotic syndrome. Kidney international, 2012.PMID 22718186
- [3]Trautmann A IPNA clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany), 2023.PMID 36269406
- [4]Dhakal AK Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in children-treatment standard. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation, 2025.PMID 40650562
- [5]Nawara-Węgrzyn N Protein-losing enteropathy after the Fontan procedure - A cardiologist's and gastroenterologist's perspective. Annals of pediatric cardiology, 2026.PMID 42404519
- [6]Farkas H International Guideline on the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Patients With Hereditary Angioedema. Allergy, 2026.PMID 41618059
- [7]Ling I Pediatric viral myocarditis: mechanisms, experimental models, and research gaps. Pediatric research, 2026.PMID 41760909