Musculoskeletal and skin diseases are common in children (Paller & Mancini, 2015). I experienced children under ten years of age with upper limb fractures. Most were colles and supracondylar fractures, and the latter was more common in boys than girls and involved the non-dominant hand. The high incidence of upper limb fractures was attributed to increased mobility in this age group and the innocence about protective measures to minimize fractures. Acute osteomyelitis was also managed in most of the children. I noted that the initial diagnosis was poorly made in peripheral facilities. Some of them came with a diagnosis of pyomyositis and cellulitis, despite it being rare in the young age group. Therefore, some few cases of chronic osteomyelitis were seen and attributed to a failure in early diagnosis and management.
Integumentary conditions were also common. Skin infections dominated this category, with fungal skin infections forming the majority of the group. Additionally, tinea capitis was frequently encountered in children. We noticed that the diagnosis was made by clinical inspection, and where there was doubt, staining with potassium hydroxide was done and viewed under illumination (Rayala & Morrell, 2017). Tinea corporis had differential diagnoses of psoriasis since the two have a similar clinical picture.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Musculoskeletal and Integumentary Conditions".
We met a case of Staphylococcus aureus scalded skin syndrome in a 7-month-old male infant. This case was promptly dealt with by administering intravenous flucloxacillin because of the possible complications like septic shock. Similarly, Stephen Johnson syndrome was noted in some cases of children on Sulphur based drugs like antimalarial. Management of the skin and musculoskeletal conditions did not follow a strict guideline. The health care providers found their treatment options on category C evidence, which relies on expertise gained with time (McCance & Huether, 2018). For instance, skin conditions like tinea pedis were diagnosed by clinical inspection, bypassing the laboratory, blood, and radiological investigations — the clinicians based their judgments on the fact that this would save the patients time and money.
- McCance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (2018). Pathophysiology-e-book: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Paller, A. S., & Mancini, A. J. (2015). Hurwitz clinical pediatric dermatology e-book: A textbook of skin disorders of childhood and adolescence. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Rayala, B. Z., & Morrell, D. S. (2017). Common skin conditions in children: Neonatal skin lesions. FP Essentials, 453, 11-17.
