["Traffic lights" in pediatrics: what do residents beginning their family residency know about them?].
OBJECTIVE
Pediatric practice is a difficult task requiring physicians to discriminate potentially serious situations among a variety of benign situations. The goal of this study was to assess the knowledge of students beginning their residency in family medicine on these situations.


METHODS
One hundred and three students were evaluated on pediatric "traffic lights" using 103 true/false questions. Pediatric and family medicine teachers of the Nantes University Hospital defined "traffic lights" as the fundamentals of pediatrics, misleading situations, and diagnosis and treatment that should not to be missed. Emergency levels were defined by colors, with "red light" corresponding to life-threatening emergencies.


RESULTS
Thirty-six percent of the questions (n=103) had a correct response rate below 75%. Thirty-two percent of the questions on emergency situations ("red lights") (n=37) had a response rate below 75%. Fifteen percent of the questions (n=103) had a correct response rate below 50%, half of which were "red light" (e.g., on meningitis, diabetic acidocytosis, or shock). Questions concerning infants (n=24) had significantly fewer correct answers (correct response rate below 50%: 29% versus 10%; P=0.047). All the students answered seven questions correctly. The students' mean score (percentage of good answers) was 76% (±6%). No student had 100% or less than 50% good answers.


CONCLUSIONS
Some life-threatening situations or situations concerning infants had not been mastered by most of the students. It is therefore essential to optimize the teaching of pediatrics during the second cycle of medical studies.
Service de pédiatrie générale, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 7, quai moncousu, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France. Electronic address: launay.elise@gmail.com.
E
E
Launay
Département de médecine générale, université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
J-P
JP
Canévet
Département de médecine générale, université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
R
R
Senand
Service de réanimation néonatale et pédiatrique, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
J-C
JC
Rozé
Service de pédiatrie spécialités, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
V
V
Gournay
Service de pédiatrie générale, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 7, quai moncousu, 44000 Nantes, France.
G
G
Picherot
Service d'urgences pédiatriques, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
B
B
Vrignaud
Service d'urgences pédiatriques, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
K
K
Levieux
Service de chirurgie infantile, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
A
A
Hamel
Service de chirurgie infantile, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
M-D
MD
Leclair
Service de pédiatrie générale, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 7, quai moncousu, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de médecine de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Service d'urgences pédiatriques, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France.
C
C
Gras le Guen
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004630:Emergencies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires