Infectious Diseases of Children (PEK_050)
About Study Course
Objective
The study course is intended for the 5th year students of the Faculty of Medicine. After successful fulfillment of the requirements of the study course, the student will have mastered the basics of paediatric infectious diseases, which will provide an opportunity to acquire the study course "Paediatric Diseases" in the 6th year of studies, as well as develop the necessary skills and attitude of the doctor’s work with children in the residency programme.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the planned studies in the preclinical and clinical study courses of the 1st to 4th year of studies of the Faculty of Medicine, including Paediatrics.
Learning outcomes
After successful fulfillment of the requirements of the study course the student will have mastered knowledge, which will allow:
• to describe the spread of infectious diseases in children in Latvia and in the world;
• to understand the structure and operation of the paediatric infectious diseases unit;
• to describe the peculiarities of immunisation in children;
• to name infectious diseases and the time of immunisation against them in Latvia, the most common side effects and contraindications of immunisation;
• to explain the modern concept of congenital foetal and neonatal infections, describing the pathogenesis, typical clinical signs, principles of diagnosis, treatment and prevention;
• to understand the disorders of water and salt metabolism in children with infectious diseases, the principles of dehydration detection and rehydration;
• to define the terms: fever, bacteraemia, sepsis, septic shock in children, to analyse their causes, to understand the concept of precautionary levels and to provide emergency action plan in cases of these situations for children of different ages;
• to recognize the most common exanthema infections in children (measles, rubella, chickenpox, scarlet fever);
• to describe acute respiratory infections – their peculiarities in children;
• to describe acute laryngitis, epiglottitis, bronchiolitis, pertussis, mumps in children;
• to understand the peculiarities of infectious hepatitis in children;
• to describe febrile seizures, peculiarities of neuroinfections in children;
• to describe the peculiarities of intestinal infections in children;
• to describe severe bacterial infections, sepsis in newborns and young children;
• to describe the peculiarities of HIV infection in children;
• to name the incubation periods of the most common infectious diseases in children, the isolation periods for patients and contact persons.
• to formulate keywords and search in textbooks and Internet databases to find the necessary information about infectious diseases in children;
• to find a form of communication for the clinical examination which is appropriate to the child's age;
• in the case of typical forms of the most common infectious diseases in children from birth to 18 years of age, to purposefully collect medical history, conduct clinical examinations, assess the patient's condition, formulate the patient's problems in a structured manner, offering them diagnostic, treatment and prevention solutions within their competence, to describe the patient’s medical history to their colleagues by using the terminology adopted in medicine and according to the ethical principles and requirements for the protection of personal data;
• to know the typical forms of paediatric infections included in the study programme, to interpret their characteristic clinical, laboratory and other examination signs, to evaluate possible complications and differential diagnosis, to offer principles of treatment and prevention;
• to prescribe oral rehydration for children of different ages.
Clinical skills:
• Oral rehydration in a child B2
• Determining the precautionary level in a child with fever B2
• Determining the degree of hypovolaemia/ dehydration in a child B2
The competencies acquired after the completion of the course will allow to independently:
• formulate keywords and search in textbooks and Internet databases to find the necessary information about infectious diseases in children;
• find a form of communication appropriate to the child's age and family, observing the hygiene requirements of the medical institution;
• in the case of typical forms of the most common infectious diseases in children from birth to 18 years of age, purposefully collect medical history, conduct clinical examinations, assess the patient's condition, formulate the patient's problems in a structured manner, offering them diagnostic, treatment and prevention solutions within their competence, describe the patient’s medical history to their colleagues by using the terminology adopted in medicine and according to the ethical principles and requirements for the protection of personal data;
• analyse children's health problems related to the most common typical infectious diseases, including those that require the integration of pre-clinical sciences (homeostasis, microbiology, pharmacology, etc.) and clinical medicine (paediatrics, internal medicine, infectious diseases) for preparation and reflection of solutions in medical documentation that are aimed at effective practical and measurable results;
• make informed, verifiable and scientifically sound decisions regarding children's health, disease or life, as well as the state of public health and the environment in typical cases of infectious diseases in children;
• prepare for clinic-based studies and seminars in the 6th year of studies, as well as develop the necessary attitude of the doctor's work with children in the residency.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine, MF | 9 | Master’s | Required | Ilze Grope, Dace Gardovska, Dace Zavadska, Inga Ziemele, Gunta Laizāne, Anija Meiere, Liene Čupāne, Zane Freimane, Anna Beate Apsīte | |
| Medicine, SSNMF | 9 | Master’s | Required | Dace Zavadska, Dace Gardovska, Markus Gerhart Krueger, Aleksandra Rudzāte, Anna Beate Apsīte, Inga Ziemele, Liene Čupāne, Zane Freimane, Anija Meiere, Gunta Laizāne |
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine, SSNMFz | 9 | Master’s | Required | ||
| Medicine, MF | 10 | Master’s | Required |
