Paediatric Critical Care: High-Stakes Decisions, Real-World Practice

This Paediatric Critical Care Compilation brings together three of the most important conversations we’ve released on the Pre-Hospital Care Podcast. Caring for critically unwell or injured children in the pre-hospital environment is rare, high-stakes, and cognitively demanding, and getting it right matters.In Part 1, we speak with Anna Dobbie on Paediatric Assessment in Critical Care with a focus on the fundamentals of paediatric assessment. From structured approaches to airway, breathing, circulation, and neurological evaluation, to recognising the subtle red flags that signal serious illness, this episode builds a framework for managing children of all ages under pressure.Part 2 expands into the conditions you are most likely to encounter in the field. Joined by Sarah Edwards, we explore respiratory infections, asthma, seizures, gastroenteritis, dehydration, febrile illness, and trauma. The emphasis is on pattern recognition, early prioritisation, and avoiding common pitfalls. We also examine the critical role of caregivers and the communication skills required to manage fear, uncertainty, and complexity in real time.In Part 3, we tackle one of the most challenging scenarios in pre-hospital care, Paediatric Cardiac Arrest, with Medical Director Paul Banerjee. With historically poor outcomes, we explore how one system has achieved dramatically improved survival through protocol innovation and a willingness to challenge convention.Across all three episodes, a central principle remains: these discussions are designed to inform and provoke thought, but practice must always align with your local guidelines, governance, and system capabilities. This is essential listening, content that has the potential to directly influence how we care for our sickest patients.You can listen to each episode here: Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/paediatric-assessment-in-critical-care-with-anna/id1441215901?i=1000705648049Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/recognising-red-flags-a-guide-to-paediatric/id1441215901?i=1000708533081Part 3: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/paediatric-cardiac-arrest-with-paul-banerjee/id1441215901?i=1000733614357