Managing critically ill children is one of the most challenging aspects of emergency medicine.
They compensate—until they don’t.
They deteriorate rapidly.
And for many clinicians, they present infrequently enough to erode confidence, yet commonly enough that the stakes remain high.
At DevelopingEM 2026 in Saint Lucia, the Paeds BASIC Workshop has been deliberately positioned as one of the cornerstone educational experiences of the entire conference.
This is not simply another paediatric course.
It is a bridge between emergency medicine and paediatric intensive care.
Where Paeds BASIC Comes From
The origins of Paeds BASIC lie in the highly successful BASIC (Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care) course, developed in Hong Kong in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The original BASIC course was designed to solve a universal problem:
Critically ill patients are often managed initially by clinicians who are not intensivists.
It focused on:
- Practical bedside care
- Physiological understanding
- Structured approaches to early critical illness
And it spread globally because it worked.
But a gap remained.
Why a Paediatric Version Was Needed
Despite the availability of courses like APLS and PALS, clinicians still faced a major challenge:
- Resuscitation courses focus on the first 10–15 minutes
- ICU training is too specialised and inaccessible
- Real-world care requires hours of structured management
In reality:
- Most critically ill children are managed initially by emergency clinicians, generalists, or rural doctors
- Many clinicians feel least confident in paediatric ventilation, shock, and ongoing critical care
Paeds BASIC was developed to fill that gap.
What Makes Paeds BASIC Different
Paeds BASIC is built on a simple but powerful idea:
Teach clinicians how to manage the critically ill child beyond the resuscitation phase.
1. It Bridges ED and ICU
This is not an algorithm course.
It focuses on:
- Ongoing management
- Clinical reasoning
- Anticipation of deterioration
2. It Is Physiology-Driven
Rather than memorising protocols, participants learn:
- Why children respond the way they do
- How to interpret clinical signs
- How to adjust management dynamically
3. It Is Highly Practical
The course uses:
- Rotating small-group skill stations
- Repeated hands-on exposure
- Case-based discussion
Ensuring learning is:
- Active
- Retained
- Clinically usable
4. It Is Globally Relevant
Paeds BASIC is used across:
- High-income ICUs
- Regional hospitals
- Developing health systems
Because it teaches:
- Principles that apply anywhere
The DevelopingEM 2026 Paeds BASIC Experience
At DevelopingEM, Paeds BASIC is delivered as a two-day immersive workshop, running across the preconference weekend.
The program reflects the full scope of paediatric critical care in emergency settings.
Day 1: Foundations of the Critically Ill Child
The first day builds a structured approach to paediatric critical illness:
- Assessment of the seriously ill child
- Acute respiratory failure
- Mechanical ventilation: basics and modes
- Fluids and resuscitation
- Crisis resource management
Participants rotate through hands-on skills sessions covering:
- Acid-base interpretation
- Resuscitation
- Analgesia and sedation
- Mechanical ventilation strategies
This is where confidence begins to build.
Day 2: Advanced Management and Integration
The second day moves into high-stakes clinical care:
- Airway management
- Shock and septic shock
- Trauma
- Neurological emergencies and TBI
- Renal failure
Again, rotating skills sessions reinforce:
- Ventilation (advanced modes)
- Shock assessment
- Vascular access
- Airway techniques
The course culminates in:
- Integrated transport and simulation-style exercises
- Consolidating knowledge into real-world practice
Why This Course Matters More Than Ever
Emergency medicine is changing.
Increasingly, clinicians are expected to:
- Manage critically ill children for longer
- Initiate advanced therapies earlier
- Work in environments without immediate ICU backup
At the same time:
- Paediatric ICU access remains limited in many regions
- Workforce gaps persist globally
- Complexity of care continues to increase
Paeds BASIC directly addresses this reality.
What You Take Back to Your Department
After completing Paeds BASIC, clinicians consistently report:
- Greater confidence managing sick children
- Improved structure in assessment and treatment
- Better understanding of ventilation and shock
- Increased ability to anticipate deterioration
Most importantly:
You become more comfortable in the moments that matter most.
Why It Fits DevelopingEM
The ethos of Paeds BASIC aligns perfectly with DevelopingEM:
- Practical, not theoretical
- Globally applicable
- Focused on real patients, not ideal systems
Delivered in Saint Lucia, alongside clinicians from across the world, the course also offers:
- Perspective
- Collaboration
- Shared learning across different healthcare environments
Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for:
- Emergency physicians
- Trainees
- Rural and regional clinicians
- Acute care practitioners
Particularly those who:
- Manage paediatric patients infrequently
- Feel less confident with paediatric critical care
- Want a structured, practical framework
Final Thought
Paeds BASIC is not about becoming a paediatric intensivist.
It is about becoming:
- Safer
- More confident
- More effective
In the care of critically ill children—wherever you work.
Join Us in Saint Lucia
The Paeds BASIC workshop is one of the most sought-after components of DevelopingEM 2026, with limited places to preserve its small-group, high-impact learning environment.
We are committed to supporting the attendance of local and regional clinicians and half of our delegate group for Paeds Basic will be emergency practitioners from the region.
If paediatric critical care is an area you want to improve—this is where to do it.
AND
If you want to learn and collaborate with clinicians from the Caribbean committed to excellence in PEM—this is the workshop for you.
