Asparkam administered to children as a treatment when blood have reduced amounts of potassium - a condition called hypokalemia. Assign it and for the prevention of hypokalemia in the case where a child for some reason loses a lot of fluid.

What is hypokalemia, and why it can develop in children

Hypokalemia - is reduced compared with the normal concentration of potassium in the blood. The concentration of potassium is reduced in the cells, primarily in muscle cells. Especially dangerous decrease of potassium in the cells of the muscle fibers of the heart muscle (myocardium).

Hypokalemia in children can occur with diarrhea and vomiting of any origin (especially if it is associated with intoxication), congenital disorders patency of the gastrointestinal tract, in some diseases of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, in the treatment of certain medications (glucocorticoid and diuretics) . Quite often, diuretics (eg diakarb) appointed by the pediatric neurology at various perinatal lesions of the nervous system, which are accompanied by increased intracranial pressure.

Hypokalemia children sometimes develops due to the introduction of large amounts of glucose-saline solutions lacking potassium, when administered to a child, backward weight, large amounts of protein and glucose (deposition of glycogen from which the glucose and protein synthesis in cells is mediated by potassium ).

How does hypokalemia children

By reducing the potassium in the blood of a child somnolence, lethargy, apathy. Especially noticeable muscle weakness. Infants bad breastfeed, their skin becomes dry, the belly swells from a large number of gases, appears regurgitation, vomiting passing by. Lowering blood pressure Blood pressure - dangerous if his swing?   further enhances lethargy, tachycardia appears Tachycardia - the body to the limit?   (tachycardia), and heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias).

How does a child asparkam

Asparkam - a drug which consists of potassium and magnesium. Thus magnesium transfers (conveys) potassium into the cells. Potassium restores normal heart rhythm and maintain a normal heart activity. Magnesium in addition to the transport function is also a supplier of energy, which helps the cell to carry out its activities.

In some cases, the children appointed asparkam

Hypokalemia is always difficult for the underlying disease, so it requires urgent remedial measures. The main source of potassium for the treatment of hypokalemia in children is asparkam and its analogs (eg Pananginum). If not pronounced hypokalemia asparkam appointed interior in the form of tablets. Asparkama dose is prescribed individually depending on the condition of the child.

In severe hypokalemia asparkam in exceptional cases is administered intravenously - bolus or infusion, is very slow. Asparkam thus diluted 5% glucose Glucose: The energy source . With the rapid introduction asparkama possible drug overdose. Asparkama Overdose can cause rapid development of symptoms of hyperkalemia: the child becomes drowsy, impaired consciousness. In severe hyperkalemia may limp paralysis of smooth muscles of internal organs, especially the intestines, which increases flatulence, causing constipation and intestinal colic. If such a child just will not be helped, he may die.

To prevent hypokalemia asparkam often given together with drugs, which his conclusions. For example, pediatric neurologists to reduce intracranial pressure and prevention of cerebral edema often prescribed to infants with neurological problems diakarb - a diuretic, which displays potassium. Assign this drug prolonged intermittent use of the special scheme, and always with him appoint asparkam that restores the water-salt metabolism.

Asparkam children prescribed and if they develop arrhythmia Arrhythmia - when we hear your heart . Most arrhythmias occur in preschool and school age against the backdrop of myocarditis. Myocarditis - an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), which develops some time after previous viral or bacterial infections, and is manifested by lethargy, tiredness, pain in the heart, can occur and heart rhythm abnormalities. Asparkam in this case assigned to the tablets on an individual circuit.

You can not assign asparkam children with severe diseases of the kidney with a violation of their function (in this case, it can accumulate in the body and cause hyperkalemia), and heart block (they can develop on the background of myocarditis) and hypersensitive to the components of the drug.

Asparkam - a drug that is administered to children, starting from the neonatal period.

Galina Romanenko

Asphyxia - the most common cause of various complications in childbirth from the fetus. As a result of asphyxia affects all organs and tissues of the body, but in the first place - the central nervous system cells, which can not exist without entering them oxygen.

What is asphyxia

Asphyxia - a condition in which, during the first minutes after birth in the presence of cardiac activity or breathing does not appear expressed in some irregular breathing movements.

The term "asphyxia" means ordinary strangulation. Asphyxia and neonatal - relative concept. It refers to a set of different kinds of changes in the body of the fetus and newborn, occurring under the influence of oxygen deficiency and subsequent acidosis (changes in acid-base balance to the acid side). Asphyxia occurs mainly in its circulatory disorders, asphyxia - with breathing disorders. The fruit, which had all the signs of fetal asphyxia, not always born with the presence of asphyxia.

The reasons that lead to the development of asphyxia at birth are numerous. They are divided into the following groups:

• lack of oxygen and excess carbon dioxide or just a lack of oxygen in the mother (with acute blood loss, shock, cardiovascular diseases, intoxications, diseases of the circulatory system and blood);
• difficulties of blood circulation in the vessels of the umbilical cord and the violation of utero-placental blood flow (in the pathology of the umbilical cord and placenta, toxemia of pregnancy, pregnancy perenashivanie, violations of labor and so on);
• fetal disease and dysfunction of the central nervous system (for example, malformations and birth injuries Birth injuries - than they threaten your child?   with CNS, severe forms of congenital heart disease, and others);
• partial or complete obstruction of the airways at birth.

As shown

By severity distinguish 3 degrees of asphyxia. Grade I ("blue asphyxia") is characterized by marked cyanosis of skin, a slight slowing heartbeat and shallow breathing rare. At the II degree skin cyanotic newborn sharply, slowed heart rate, breathing almost completely absent. At III degree of asphyxia ("white" or "pale" asphyxia) the newborn is not breathing, his skin pale, cyanotic mucous membranes, slowed heart beat very often erratically, muscles are completely relaxed (arms and legs hanging like a whip).

Complications

There are two groups of complications: early (occurring in the first hours and days of life) and late (from the end of the first week of life or later). Both groups share the complications of affected organs and systems.

Among the early complications release:

• central nervous system - the brain edema, intracranial hemorrhage, necrosis (death of) brain substance;
• changes in the cardiovascular system - increase in pressure in the pulmonary blood vessels, poor blood supply to the heart muscle, heart failure;
• renal dysfunction - Various options for acute renal failure Acute renal failure - causes and consequences ;
• changes in the lungs - pulmonary edema, pulmonary hemorrhage, deficiency of surfactant (a special substance that promotes the expanded lungs), pneumonia Pneumonia - Symptoms and Causes ;
• Involvement of the gastrointestinal tract - intestinal obstruction due to violations of the motor activity of the intestine; mucosal lesion of stomach and intestines;
• changes in the blood: anemia, decrease in the number of platelets (cells that promote blood clotting).

Among the late complications of the neurological prevail: general brain damage due to violation of its blood supply (encephalopathy), convulsions, and so on. By late complications include infections as well as pneumonia, meningitis Meningitis - an inflammation of the meninges   and sepsis (blood poisoning).

Treatment of neonatal asphyxia

When asphyxia neonatal resuscitation apply:

• clearing the airway of the different obstacles and keeping them free cross - sucked the contents of the mouth catheter and other measures to remove the mucus from the respiratory tract;
• provision of mechanical ventilation (ALV) - the trachea introduce a special tube through which the child comes into the lungs breathing mixture;
• restoration and maintenance of normal cardiac function and blood circulation - carried out external cardiac massage, administered drugs that stimulate the heart muscle.

Of great importance is childcare asphyxiated. Children who have had light asphyxia, placed in an oxygen tent, moderate and severe - in the incubator (a special unit for the care of newborn babies). The first feeding in mild asphyxia and suffocation moderate severity expressed milk is carried out not earlier than after 12 hours. Children born in the severe asphyxia, begin to feed through a tube on the second day.

The forecast for the future of these children depends on the severity of asphyxia, timeliness and adequacy of treatment.

Galina Romanenko