Specialty · Pediatrics
Pediatric triage with age-specific red flags, weight-based dosing checks, immunisation catch-up and school-age illness advice — spoken to the adult who is actually holding the child.
In the product
Pediatric line — inbound 03:14
EmergencyInbound 03:14 · Isla T. · 7 weeks 3 days · birth weight 3.1kg · parent calling
Caller
She feels really hot and she's not feeding like she normally does. I took her temperature and it's 38.1.
Age < 3 months + temp ≥ 38.0 → sepsis pathway, emergency regardless of appearance
Primum
At seven weeks, any temperature of 38 or above needs to be seen straight away, even if she seems settled between feeds. Take her to the emergency department now.
Caller
Should I give her Calpol first?
Primum
No — nothing before she's assessed, it can mask what they need to see. Bring her red book if you have it. I'm letting the department know you're coming.
Age-banded triage
Emergency advice given · chart flagged · pediatric team informed
Overview
Pediatric triage is age arithmetic before it is anything else. The same temperature means sepsis workup in a neonate and calpol in a schoolchild. The same rash means one thing with a normal capillary refill and something else without. And the person describing it is a frightened parent who has been awake since two.
Primum applies age-banded thresholds from the first answer, using the child's actual age in weeks where that matters. Doses are checked against recorded weight, not guessed. Advice is given to the parent in language they can act on at four in the morning, and anything crossing a threshold goes to a clinician immediately.
Capabilities
Age, weight, the parent, and the safety net.
Under three months, three to six months, under two years and school age each carry their own thresholds. Fever, feeding, wet nappies, responsiveness, breathing effort and rash are assessed against the band the child is actually in.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen doses confirmed against the most recent recorded weight, with the interval and maximum daily dose stated plainly and repeated back.
Schedules read from the record, gaps identified, catch-up appointments booked, and parental questions answered properly rather than deflected to a leaflet.
What to watch for, what to do, and exactly when to seek help again — given verbally and sent as a message so it survives the rest of the night.
How it works
The child's age in weeks changes the thresholds before a single symptom is discussed.
01
Matched to the record with exact age, recorded weight, immunisation status and any relevant history loaded.
Age in weeks
02
Symptoms assessed against the thresholds for that age band — fever, feeding, hydration, responsiveness, work of breathing and rash.
Age-band thresholds
03
Any advised medication checked against recorded weight and current intake, and verified before it is spoken.
Weight-based, verified
04
Emergency instructions, a same-day appointment, or home care with written safety-netting and a defined point at which to call back.
Safety-net sent
01
Matched to the record with exact age, recorded weight, immunisation status and any relevant history loaded.
Age in weeks
02
Symptoms assessed against the thresholds for that age band — fever, feeding, hydration, responsiveness, work of breathing and rash.
Age-band thresholds
03
Any advised medication checked against recorded weight and current intake, and verified before it is spoken.
Weight-based, verified
04
Emergency instructions, a same-day appointment, or home care with written safety-netting and a defined point at which to call back.
Safety-net sent
Benefits
Pediatric demand is driven by uncertainty more than by illness.
Infants under three months are escalated on thresholds that would be reassuring in an older child, and the age arithmetic is done every time.
Weight-based doses confirmed against the record remove the most common medication error in pediatrics.
A parent who reaches a clear answer and written instructions at three in the morning often does not need an emergency department at four.
In practice
The same symptom, different ages, different answers.
Any fever under three months meets the threshold. Emergency attendance advised immediately and the pediatric team notified.
Alert, drinking, wet nappies, no rash, normal breathing. Weight-based dosing given and written safety-netting sent.
Croup features with stridor only when upset. Advice given and a same-day slot booked with clear worsening instructions.
Schedule gaps identified from the record, parental concerns discussed, and two catch-up appointments booked.
One week of out-of-hours pediatric contacts. We will show you which would have been escalated on age alone, and which parents would have got a clear answer without an attendance.