Clinical Practice Guidelines - NSW Health - Paediatric Emergencies
In line with the Statewide Paediatric Network's goal for standardised quality of care, multidisciplinary working groups from all three Child Health Networks were instructed to develop guidelines for the treatment of the 10 most common paediatric presentations to emergency departments. The following were developed:
- Abdominal
Pain
(pdf) 163K - Asthma
(pdf) 196K - Bacterial
meningitis
(pdf) 223K - Bronchiolitis
(pdf) 167K - Croup
(pdf) 184KB - Fever
(pdf) 181K - Gastroenteritis
(pdf) 466K - Updated 03/02/10 - Head
Injury
(pdf) 228KB - Otitis
Media
(pdf) 162K - Recognition
of a Sick Child in Emergency Departments
(pdf) 226K - Seizures
(pdf) 345K - Updated 16/10/09 - Sore
Throat
(pdf) 247K
The following guidelines were developed by the Statewide Paediatric Inpatient Advisory Working Group and released in June 2010
- Admission to Services Designated Level 1-3 Paediatric Medicine & Surgery
(pdf) 293K - Care in Acute Care Settings
(pdf) 1.6M - Critical Care Tertiary Referral Networks (Paediatrics)
(pdf) 123K - Inter-Facility Transfers
(pdf) 612K - Safety and Security in NSW Acute Health Facilities
(pdf) 71K
Visit the NSW Health web site for a full list of policies pertaining to the baby and child.
Additional guidelines for Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network staff are also available on their web site.
Pathways, Policy Compliance Procedures and Protocols (Paediatric)
These documents are for use in Hunter New England Health Emergency Departments as indicated by the title. They have been locally adapted from the NSW Health - Paediatric Emergency Clinical Practice Guidelines.
- Abdominal Pain - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 78K - Abdominal Pain - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - Rural
(pdf) 104K - Abdominal Pain
- HNE PCP - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 142K - Abdominal Pain - HNE PCP - Manning
Hospital
(pdf) 142K - Abdominal Pain - HNE
PCP - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 76K - Abdominal Pain - HNE PCP
- Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 76K - Abdominal Pain Signs
& Symptoms - HNE - all hospitals
(pdf) 71K
- Asthma
- Acute Management in Infants and Children in Level 1 to 3 Hospitals
- HNE PCP
(pdf) 73K 
- Asthma - Acute
Management in Infants and Children in Level 4 to 6 Hospitals -
HNE PCP
(pdf) 73K 
- Bacterial Meningitis - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 104K - Bacterial Meningitis - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - Rural
(pdf) 134K - Bacterial Meningitis
- HNE PCP - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 120K - Bacterial Meningitis - HNE PCP
- Manning Hospital
(pdf) 120K - Bacterial Meningitis
- HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 124K - Bacterial Meningitis -
HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 124K
- Bronchiolitis - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 102K - Bronchiolitis - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - 20+ beds
(pdf) 103K - Bronchiolitis - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - <20 beds
(pdf) 103K - Bronchiolitis -
HNE PCP - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 147K - Bronchiolitis - HNE PCP - Manning
Hospital
(pdf) 146K - Bronchiolitis - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 45K - Bronchiolitis
- HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 45K
- Croup - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 108K - Croup - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - 20+ beds
(pdf) 109K - Croup - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - <20 beds
(pdf) 109K - Croup - HNE PCP
- Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 141K - Croup - HNE PCP - Manning Hospital
(pdf) 149K - Croup - HNE PCP - Northern
Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 53K - Croup - HNE PCP - Northern
Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 53K
- Fever - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 95K - Fever - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - 20+ beds
(pdf) 95K - Fever - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - <20 beds
(pdf) 95K - Fever - HNE PCP
- Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 134K - Fever - HNE PCP - Manning Hospital
(pdf) 143K - Fever - HNE PCP - Northern
Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 47K - Fever - HNE PCP - Northern
Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 47K
- Gastro - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 112K - Gastro - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - 20+ beds
(pdf) 112K - Gastro - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - <20 beds
(pdf) 112K - Gastro - HNE PCP
- Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 139K - Gastro - HNE PCP - Manning Hospital
(pdf) 140K - Gastro - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 46K - Gastro - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 46K - Gastro - Oral Trial of
Fluids - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 197K - Gastro - Oral Trial of
Fluids - Hunter
(pdf) 62K - Gastro - Oral Trial of
Fluids - Manning Hospital
(pdf) 199K
- Head Injury - HNE PCP - Bulahdelah
Community Hospital
(pdf) 169K - Head Injury - HNE PCP - Manning
Hospital
(pdf) 162K - Head Injury - HNE PCP
- Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 44K - Head Injury - HNE PCP
- Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 45K - Head Injury - HNE PCP - Southern
Sector - all facilities
(pdf) 56K
- Otitis Media - HNE PCP - Bulahdelah
Community Hospital
(pdf) 126K - Otitis Media - HNE PCP - Manning Hospital
(pdf) 126K - Otitis Media - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Referral
Hospital
(pdf) 44K - Otitis Media - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Rural
Hospital
(pdf) 45K - Otitis Media - HNE PCP - Southern Sector
- all facilities
(pdf) 53K
- Recognition
of a sick child - HNE PCP - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 222K - Recognition of a sick child - HNE PCP
- Manning Hospital
(pdf) 84K - Recognition
of a sick child - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 77K - Recognition
of a sick child - HNE PCP - Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 77K - Recognition
of a sick child - HNE PCP - Southern
Sector - all facilities
(pdf) 59K
- Seizures - Acute Management
in Infants and Children in Level 1 to 3 Hospitals - HNE PCP
(pdf) 116K 
- Seizures - Acute Management
in Infants and Children in Level 4 to 6 Hospitals - HNE PCP
(pdf) 173K 
- Sore throat - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - JHH & TMH
(pdf) 112K - Sore throat - HNE Pathway - Southern
Sector - rural
(pdf) 112K - Sore Throat
- HNE PCP - Bulahdelah Community Hospital
(pdf) 134K - Sore Throat - HNE PCP - Manning
Hospital
(pdf) 126K - Sore Throat - HNE PCP
- Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 44K - Sore Throat - HNE PCP
- Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 44K
- Triage
tool - Hunter - Northern Sector - Referral Hospital
(pdf) 76K - Triage
tool - Hunter - Northern Sector - Rural Hospital
(pdf) 76K - Triage tool - HNE - Southern Sector - all facilities
(pdf) 76K
Disclaimer:
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It should be noted that these documents reflect what is currently regarded as a safe and appropriate approach to care. However, as in any clinical situation there may be factors which cannot be covered by a single set of guidelines, this document should be used as a guide, rather than as a complete authorative statement of procedures to be followed in respect of each individual presentation. It does not replace the need for the application of clinical judgment to each individual presentation.
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Each Area Health Service is responsible for ensuring that local protocols based on these guidelines are developed. Area Health Services are also responsible for ensuring that all staff treating paediatric patients are educated in the use of the locally developed paediatric guidelines and protocols.
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In the interests of patient care it is critical that contemporaneous, accurate and complete documentation is maintained during the course of patient management from arrival to discharge.
-
Parental anxiety should not be discounted: it is often of significance even if the child does not appear especially unwell.
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The clinical guidelines published on this web site are only a guide and should not be used in place of consultation with senior medical staff.
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Furthermore, these are acute care guidelines and must be locally adopted to suit each locality and facility type.
