Stabilization of the sick infant or child

Infants and small children are physiologically different than adults. Because of these differences, the smaller patient is prone to hypoxia, hypoglycemia, hypovolemia, and hypothermia. This article reviews the physiological characteristics of infants and small children. Pertinent information to obtain when assessing the smaller patient is discussed as is the manner in which interpretation of the data may change based on the patient's age.