memory aids are our friends:
quick hit today. here’s a little mnemonic (an oldie, but a goodie) to help remember the possibilities when you have a sick neonate:
THE MISFITS
T – Trauma (accidental or not), thermal, tumor
H – Heart, hypoxia, hypovolemia
E – Endocrine (CAH, TSH, DM)
M – Metabolic (electrolytes, acid base, anion gap, non anion gap)
I – Inborn errors of metabolism
S – Sepsis
F – Feeding (hyponatraemia from formula errors)
I – Intestinal disasters (Malrotation, volvulus, NEC, Pyloric stenosis, intussusception)
T – Toxins
S – Seizures
There you go. Might help give your mind a starting point the next time you have a sick baby, which is probably the time when your brain most wants to shut off, and/or initiate a code brown.
References: nice EDTCC blog post on the crashing neonate; medscape; overview article; picture
Leave a Reply