Now Available: Respiratory Distress Resources
Respiratory season has begun again across Canada, and TREKK is supporting healthcare providers by releasing a new resource for assessing and managing pediatric respiratory distress.
These resources, launched in early 2025, include:
- An evidence repository featuring a curated collection of best available evidence and resources collated by our knowledge synthesis team at Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence (ARCHE)
- A clinical tool that guides healthcare providers through assessing and managing pediatric respiratory distress.
These tools were developed by Dr. Katherine Falla (University of Manitoba), Dr. Martha Balicki (Winnipeg Children’s Health Sciences Centre), and Dr. Dominic Allain (University of Alberta).
“I think the caution box is an important component of the respiratory distress tool,” notes Dr. Falla. “The reminder ‘resuscitate before intubation’ is essential, particularly for healthcare providers with more experience working with adult populations. Intubation is often a last resort is pediatrics, whereas adults may be intubated sooner.”
Respiratory distress is one of the most common reasons children arrive in the emergency department, and it can become life-threatening. Since breathing problems are the leading cause of cardiac arrest in children, giving healthcare providers the tools to recognize and respond early can help prevent severe complications.
While most existing TREKK resources focus on specific conditions like bronchiolitis, the new respiratory distress tool takes a broader approach. It guides healthcare providers through the initial assessment of a child in respiratory distress when the cause is not immediately clear, and offers guidance on possible diagnoses.
TREKK developed the tool in direct response to feedback from healthcare providers who shared they need accessible, evidence-based guidance on this important topic.
Healthcare providers can now access TREKK’s new Respiratory Distress Resources to support timely, evidence-based care for children experiencing respiratory distress.
TREKK has also released a Patient Transport Checklist designed to support the safe transport of pediatric patients if needed.
