IV National Assembly on Pediatric Emergency Medicine (NAPEM 2012),

Guwahati, 16 & 17 March,2012.

     The 4th NAPEM was organised by the IAP Assam State Branch, IAP Guwahati City branch and the Society for Trauma and Emergency Pediatrics (STEP), New Delhi at Guwahati, Assam from 16-18th Mar 2012.

      The conference started on 16th Mar 2012 with four pre-conference workshops at various medical institutes in the city of Guwahati. The workshops were on the following:

     1 .Radiology in the Emergency Room: This workshop was held at Primus, Bhangagarh, Guwahati and was attended by 21 delegates. The Faculty for this workshop were Radiologists - Dr PratapKakoti and Dr PramodAgarwala from Guwahati and Dr AkashHandique from Shillong, and Cardiologist-Dr BiswajitBandopadhya from Kolkata. The delegates were given a brief introduction on the basics of USG and ECHO followed by brief lectures on lung USG, Focussed ultrasonography in abdominal trauma (FAST).

     2.Emergency preparedness in schools: This workshop was held on 16th as well as 17th Mar 2012 for school teachers at Pratiksha Hospital, Guwahati. The workshop was conducted by Dr Shantonu Das and Dr SangamitraSaikia and their team from Project CHILD, Guwahati. On the first day, 38 school teachers from various private schools from in an around Guwahati were invited to attend the workshop and on 17th Mar 2012, a total 43 school teachers from various government schools from 5 districts of Assam were nominated by the SarvaSikshaAbhiyan, Government of Assam to attend the training.This was followed by interactive lectures on various medical and surgical emergencies that can occur in the school such as fever, vomiting, epilepsy, brochial asthma, diarrhoea, injuries, fractures, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), removal of foreign body and management of bleeding. This was followed by hands on training on CPR , foreign body removal, nebulisation , splinting of injuries etc.

     3.Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS) for doctors: This was conducted at down town Hospital, Guwahati. A total of 55 doctors from the region and other parts of the country participated in the workshop. The workshop was conducted by Faculty from India and abroad and included Dr JaganathSurpure and Dr ShekharVenkatraman from USA, Dr Chong Sgu-Ling from Singapore and Dr Suresh Gupta, Dr KundanMittal, Dr Rashna Dass and Dr ArunBansal from India. Dr Suresh Gupta from New Delhi.

     4.Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) for nurses: This workshop was held at down town hospital, Guwahati and was attended by 135 nurses from various hospitals and medical institutes in Guwahati, Numaligarh, Shillong and Tura. Four weeks prior to the workshop, the nurses were provided a manual so as to sensitise them to the workshop. The workshop consisted of video presentations on airway, breathing, circulation, basic life support and was followed by interactive sessions on various topics related to care of the critically sick child. The post lunch session consisted of hands on training on different modes of airway management, intubation, oxygen delivery, vascular access, defibrillation and basic life support in infant and child. The workshop was well received and was the first ever PALS workshop held for nurses in NE India.

     5. Main conference 17TH -18th May 2012

         • Symposium on Pediatric transport and Pediatrc Emergency Medicine services.

         • Pediatric urgent care, Offie preparedness for emergency paediatrics and cardiovascular emergencies.

         • Fluid and electrolytes, Radiology quiz, pediatric trauma delivered by various national and international  Faculty.

         • The keynote address was delivered by Dr Jaganath S Surpure on “Growing pains of Pediatric Emergency Medicine: The way forward”.

         • The inaugural session which was presided over by the VC of SrimantaSankaradeva University of Health and Medical Sciences,Assam

         • Two books were released on the occasion- one the conference souvenir containing the conference proceedings and the second was the Manual on Emergency Preparedness in schools.

         • Free paper presentations

         • Infectious emergencies, Urgent care and Neuroemergencies.

         • Respiratory emergencies, various other topics (mixed bag) and Neonatal emergencies.

 There were a total of 188 delegates who attended the main conference.

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"ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATION" by

IAP ASSAM STATE BRANCH

May,2012

  A) IAP JORHAT DISTRICT BRANCH

   1. CME on Asthma in Children

      • IAP Assam State Branch in association with IAP Jorhat District Branch organized a CME on Asthma in Children at Hotel Nimantran, Jorhat on May1, 2012.

      • The topics included the Asthma Training Module of IAP as well as the GINA guidelines 2011. • The speaker was Dr M Baruah, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Jorhat Medical College

       • It was attended by 30 paediatricians and general doctors of the district.  

  2. Asthma Awareness Week

      • It was observed from 1-7 May 2012 at the Paediatric OPD, Jorhat Medical College.

      • Children above 5 years were screened by PEFR .

       • Parents were made aware about the common symptoms of asthma .

       • Asthma drug delivery devices were also demonstrated to the public.  

 B) IAP DIBRUGARH DISTRICT ASSAM

• ‘’Asthma Awareness Month’’ was celebrated by holding a CME on 24/5/12 at 7pm in the seminar hall of deptt.ofPaediatrics,Assam Medical College and Hospital(A.M.C.H.)

• DrAditiBaruah,Asst.Prof,Paed,A.M.C.H.delivered a talk on ‘’What is asthma?”

• Dr Rita Panyang,AsstProf,Paed,A.M.C.H. delivered a talk on ‘Management of Asthma’.