What do you do when a baby has abnormal muscle tone, an elevated TSH, high blood pressure, or a high phenylalanine level ?
Do you refer them to a specialist for further management?
Or do you do a little research first, grabbing a few of your medical books?

Since these aren’t necessarily common things, you likely do need a little help to make sure you do the right thing, but on the other hand, you don’t have all day to research one problem…
So what do you do?
“Implementation of multiple evidence-based, standardized clinical pathways was associated with decreased resource utilization without negatively affecting patient physical functioning improvement. This approach could be widely implemented to improve the value of care provided.”
Standardized Clinical Pathways for Hospitalized Children and Outcomes
Having guidelines and algorithms to look to for some extra help would probably be nice…
Algorithms to Manage Common and Rare Pediatric Conditions
And here’s how you can quickly and easily find many of those guidelines and algorithms:
- evaluation/treatment of the child with chronic abdominal pain
- acne
- adolescent depression
- child with suspected adrenal insufficiency
- child with antenatal hydronephrosis
- starting and switching antidepressants
- child with elevated antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
- child with suspected acute appendicitis
- diagnosing and managing asthma
- Risk stratification and management for children with conditions predisposing to accelerated atherosclerosis and early CVD.
- infant with brief resolved unexplained event (Brue)
- child with chest pain
- assessment and management of c. difficile infections
- common benign skin tumors
- acquired CNS demyelination (MS vs ADEM)
- child with suspected concussion
- pediatric management of contrast media reactions
- COVID-19 cardiology return to play algorithm
- COVID-19 newborn care and disposition
- screening for critical congenital heart defects algorithm
- child with suspected delayed puberty
- assessment and management of delirium in pediatric patients
- screening for developmental hip dysplasia—clinical algorithm.
- child with suspected diabetes insipidus
- algorithm for screening a patient without identified risks for developmental problems at a health supervision visit.
- Child with dyslipidemia
- child with early pubic hair/mature body odor
- child with eczema
- child with a suspected feeding and/or eating disorder
- evaluating a child for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDS)
- fever without localizing signs (0-60 days old)
- evaluation/treatment of children with foreign body ingestion
- approach to the child with recurrent fractures
- American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics act sheets and algorithms
- child with suspected enlargement of their thyroid (goiter)
- evaluation/treatment of children with acute head trauma
- evaluation/treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
- there is no algorithm to determine the most appropriate intervention for infantile hemangiomas.
- child with suspected henoch-schönlein purpura (HSP)
- newborn hepatitis B exposure management
- child with hemolytic anemia diagnostic algorithm
- newborn HIV exposure management
- initiating hormone contraception
- newborn HSV exposure management
- algorithm providing recommendations for management and follow-up according to predischarge bilirubin measurements, gestation, and risk factors for subsequent hyperbilirubinemia.
- child with suspected hyperglycemia
- child with suspected hypertension
- child with suspected hyperthyroidism
- child with suspected hypocalcemia
- child with suspected acquired hypothyroidism
- child with suspected Kawasaki disease
- child with suspected Klinefelter syndrome
- two-tiered Lyme disease testing decision tree
- first step algorithm to distinguish melanocytic lesions from non-melanocytic lesions
- algorithms for evaluating melanocytic lesions
- multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) algorithm
- identifying children with motor delays: an algorithm for surveillance and screening.
- evaluation/treatment of children with nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- algorithm for the assessment and management of childhood obesity in patients 2 years and older
- child with suspected obesity and metabolic syndrome
- child with obesity
- adolescent female with suspected polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Recommended approaches for evaluation of children with severe eczema and/or egg allergy before peanut introduction.
- penicillin allergy delabeling
- child with proteinuria
- pediatric Rheumatology referral guidelines
- child with suspected rickets
- practical school algorithms for symptomatic or SARS-CoV-2-exposed students are essential for returning children to in-person learning
- children with acute non-traumatic scrotal/testicular pain
- child with possible seizure
- child with sexual precocity
- child with short stature
- child with suspected skin & soft tissue infection
- children and adolescents at risk for suicide
- syphilis testing using the reverse algorithm
- child with suspected Turner syndrome
- child with suspected type 1 diabetes
- child with suspected type 2 diabetes
- child with suspected undescended testicle
- clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of the initial UTI in febrile infants and children 2 to 24 months
- evaluation/treatment of children with acute abnormal uterine bleeding
- child with a suspected varicocele
And of course, you can always look things up in a textbook, call your favorite expert, or refer your patient to a specialist if you need more help.
More on Managing Common and Rare Pediatric Conditions
- 5 Rare Syndromes That Parents Should Learn About
- 30 Uncommon Diseases Parents Should Learn to Recognize
- Health Supervision Guidelines for Children With Extra and Special Needs
- Screening Questionnaires in Pediatrics
- When to Call Your Pediatrician – COVID-19 Edition
- The Latest COVID-19 Treatment Regimens
- Treating Hard To Control Eczema
- Treating Hard To Control Headaches
- AAP – Clinical Practice Guidelines
- Elements of Morphology: Human Malformation Terminology
- AAP –Hyperbilirubinemia in the Newborn Infant ≥35 Weeks’ Gestation: An Update With Clarifications
- AAP -Diagnostic process and care planning for children with intellectual disability or global developmental delays
- CDC – 2015 STD Treatment Guidelines
- AAP –Motor Delays: Early Identification and Evaluation
- AAP –Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children with Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening
- AAP –Comprehensive Evaluation of the Child With Intellectual Disability or Global Developmental Delays
- AAP –Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care:Navigating the GLAD-PC Recommendations and Toolkit
- COVID-19: Algorithms and Clinical Guidance
- Evaluation of Anemia in Children
- AAP –Urinary Tract Infection: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of the Initial UTI in Febrile Infants and Children 2 to 24 Months
- AAP –Clinical Practice Guideline: Early Detection of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Clinical Practice Guidelines: Joint Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology,Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
- AAP –Standardized Clinical Pathways for Hospitalized Children and Outcomes
- AAP – Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents: Summary Report
- Adolescent Depression Screening and Initial Treatment Toolkit for Primary Care Clinicians
Last Updated on May 30, 2022 by Vincent Iannelli, MD
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