The practice of paediatric cardiology in Nigeria: A Review | Chinawa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The practice of Paediatric cardiology in Nigeria is at its early phase and it is being choked in an environment overwhelmed with economic, ethnic and political issues. Paediatric cardiology covers a broad area of medicine. This includes diagnosis, medical treatment, interventional cardiology, prenatal diagnosis ...

Sustainable Benefits of a Community Hospital-Based Paediatric Asthma Clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzik, Brian A; Chen, Chee P; Hansen, Miriam J; Montgomery, Paula L

2017-01-01

In 2011, we reported that our paediatric asthma clinic (PAC) appeared to significantly reduce the burden of paediatric asthma in our community. Supported by these results, the PAC underwent a gradual threefold expansion while maintaining the same model of care. We now report on the outcome of that expansion and demonstrate that our PAC continues to significantly reduce the burden of paediatric asthma in our community. As previously, newly enrolled PAC patients continue to show a 12-month reduction in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and admissions exceeding 60% and 80%, respectively. This consistent short-term benefit, coupled with clinic expansion, has contributed to a significant improvement in our rate of paediatric asthma-related ED visits or hospitalizations when compared to other Ontario hospitals.

Anaesthesia for Ambulatory Paediatric Surgery: Common ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory surgical care accounts for over 70% of elective procedures in Northern America. Ambulatory paediatric surgical practice is not widespread in Nigeria. This report examined clinical indicators for quality care in paediatric ambulatory surgery using common outcomes after day case procedures as ...

Integration of evidence-based practice in bedside teaching paediatrics supported by e-learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Potomkova, Jarmila; Mihal, Vladimir; Zapletalova, Jirina; Subova, Dana

2010-03-01

Bedside teaching with evidence-based practice elements, supported by e-learning activities, can play an important role in modern medical education. Teachers have to incorporate evidence from the medical literature to increase student motivation and interactivity. An integral part of the medical curricula at Palacky University Olomouc (Czech Republic) are real paediatric scenarios supplemented with a review of current literature to enhance evidence-based bedside teaching & learning. Searching for evidence is taught through librarian-guided interactive hands-on sessions and/or web-based tutorials followed by clinical case presentations and feedback. Innovated EBM paediatric clerkship demonstrated students' preferences towards web-based interactive bedside teaching & learning. In two academic years (2007/2008, 2008/2009), learning-focused feedback from 106 and 131 students, resp. was obtained about their attitudes towards evidence-based bedside teaching. The assessment included among others the overall level of instruction, quality of practical evidence-based training, teacher willingness and impact of instruction on increased interest in the specialty. There was some criticism about excessive workload. A parallel survey was carried out on the perceived values of different forms of information skills training (i.e. demonstration, online tutorials, and librarian-guided interactive search sessions) and post-training self-reported level of search skills. The new teaching/learning paediatric portfolio is a challenge for further activities, including effective knowledge translation, continuing medical & professional development of teachers, and didactic, clinically integrated teaching approaches.

Gonad shielding in paediatric pelvic radiography: Effectiveness and practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warlow, Thomas; Walker-Birch, Peter; Cosson, Philip

2014-01-01

The use of Gonad Shields (GS) has been advocated during pelvic radiography since the 1950's, particularly in children where the risks from radiation are higher. Previous literature reports that GS are often omitted and rarely used correctly. Objectives: Presentation of findings concerning use of GS in the context of previous data in the literature, and recommend any appropriate actions. Method: A retrospective analysis of images from an existing DICOM Digital Teaching Library (DTL) was conducted. Images of the pelvis from paediatric patients were reviewed and scored on whether a GS was present and (if present) whether the shield was considered to adequately protect the gonads. Results: 130 images were reviewed. 70 male and 60 female. The gonads were deemed to be protected by a shield in 22 images (17%), inadequately protected when a shield was used in 44 images (34%) with the remaining 64 images (49%) having no shield at all. A lack of adequate protection for the gonads was found, with females more likely to be inadequately protected than males (χ 2  = 19.009, df = 1, p < 0.001). These findings become more clinically significant when reports of ovaries lying outside of the pelvic basin (in paediatric patients) are considered. Conclusions: The current practice of gonad shielding is neither effective nor beneficial for female paediatric patients, incorrect shield placement can often require repeat exposures. This finding is commensurate with previous literature. Therefore, gonad shielding is no longer an appropriate optimization tool for female paediatric patients during conventional radiography of the pelvis, and should be abandoned

Modern pain neuroscience in clinical practice: applied to post-cancer, paediatric and sports-related pain.

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Malfliet, Anneleen; Leysen, Laurence; Pas, Roselien; Kuppens, Kevin; Nijs, Jo; Van Wilgen, Paul; Huysmans, Eva; Goudman, Lisa; Ickmans, Kelly

In the last decade, evidence regarding chronic pain has developed exponentially. Numerous studies show that many chronic pain populations show specific neuroplastic changes in the peripheral and central nervous system. These changes are reflected in clinical manifestations, like a generalized hypersensitivity of the somatosensory system. Besides a hypersensitivity of bottom-up nociceptive transmission, there is also evidence for top-down facilitation of pain due to malfunctioning of the endogenous descending nociceptive modulatory systems. These and other aspects of modern pain neuroscience are starting to be applied within daily clinical practice. However, currently the application of this knowledge is mostly limited to the general adult population with musculoskeletal problems, while evidence is getting stronger that also in other chronic pain populations these neuroplastic processes may contribute to the occurrence and persistence of the pain problem. Therefore, this masterclass article aims at giving an overview of the current modern pain neuroscience knowledge and its potential application in post-cancer, paediatric and sports-related pain problems. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Paediatric rheumatology practice in the UK benchmarked against the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology/Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance Standards of Care for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

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Kavirayani, Akhila; Foster, Helen E

2013-12-01

To describe current clinical practice against the BSPAR/ARMA Standards of Care (SOCs) for children and young people (CYP) with incident JIA. Ten UK paediatric rheumatology centres (including all current centres nationally accredited for paediatric rheumatology higher specialist training) participated in a retrospective case notes review using a pretested pro forma based on the SOC. Data collected per centre included clinical service configuration and the initial clinical care for a minimum of 30 consecutive new patients seen within the previous 2 years and followed up for at least 6 months. A total of 428 CYP with JIA (median age 11 years, range 1-21 years) were included, with complete data available for 73% (311/428). Against the key SOCs, 41% (175/428) were assessed ≤10 weeks from symptom onset, 60% (186/311) ≤4 weeks from referral, 26% (81/311) had eye screening at ≤6 weeks, 83% (282/341) had joint injections at ≤6 weeks, 59% (184/311) were assessed by a nurse specialist at ≤4 weeks and 45% (141/311) were assessed by a physiotherapist at ≤8 weeks. A median of 6% of patients per centre participated in clinical trials. All centres had access to eye screening and prescribed biologic therapies. All had access to a nurse specialist and physiotherapist. Most had access to an occupational therapist (8/10), psychologist (8/10), joint injection lists (general anaesthesia/inhaled analgesia) (9/10) and designated transitional care clinics (7/10). This first description of UK clinical practice in paediatric rheumatology benchmarked against the BSPAR/ARMA SOCs demonstrates variable clinical service delivery. Considerable delay in access to specialist care is evident and this needs to be addressed in order to improve clinical outcomes.

[Spanish collaborative study: Description of usual clinical practice in infant obesity].

Science.gov (United States)

Lechuga Sancho, Alfonso; Palomo Atance, Enrique; Rivero Martin, María José; Gil-Campos, Mercedes; Leis Trabazo, Rosaura; Bahíllo Curieses, María Pilar; Bueno Lozano, Gloria

2018-06-01

Childhood obesity is a high prevalence health problem. Although there are clinical guidelines for its management, there is variability in its clinical approach. The aim of this study is to describe the usual clinical practice in Paediatric Endocrinology Units in Spain and to evaluate if it resembles the recommended guidelines. An observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out by means of a questionnaire sent to paediatric endocrinologists of the Spanish Society of Paediatric Endocrinology. The questions were formulated based on the recommendations of "Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity" issued by the Spanish Ministry of Health. A total of 125 completed questionnaires were obtained from all Autonomous Communities. Variability was observed both in the number of patients attended and in the frequency of the visits. The majority (70%) of the paediatricians who responded did not have a dietitian, psychologist or psychiatrist, in their centre to share the treatment for obese children. As regards treatment, dietary advice is the most used, and 69% have never prescribed weight-loss drugs. Of those who have prescribed them, 52.6% did not use informed consent as a prior step to them being used. There are few centres that comply with the recommendations of the clinical practice guidelines on prevention and treatment of childhood obesity as an established quality plan. Clinical practice differs widely among the paediatric endocrinologists surveyed. There are no uniform protocols of action, and in general there is limited availability of resources for the multidisciplinary treatment required by this condition. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Regulation (EC No 1901/2006 on medicinal products for paediatric use & clinical research in vulnerable populations

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Lehmann Birka

2008-12-01

clinical trials, including multi-centre trials, on human subjects involving medicinal products and in particular relating to the implementation of good clinical practice. Compliance with this good practice provides assurance that the rights, safety and well-being of trial subjects are protected, and that the results of the clinical trials are credible. The CTD is addressed to all investigators conducting clinical trials including clinical trials in the paediatric population and had to be applied accordingly. In the framework of the authorisation of medicinal products regulated by the Regulation (EC No 726/2004 and Directive 2001/83/EC as amended and the CTD, and additional implementing Directives and guidelines, the new Regulation (EC No 1901/2006 is an important new piece of legislation focusing on the requirements to improve the situation for the paediatric population. All Regulations/Directives to be found: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/pharmaceuticals/eudralex/vol1_en.htm

The HOPE (Helping to Outline Paediatric Eating Disorders) Project: development and debut of a paediatric clinical eating disorder registry

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The HOPE (Helping to Outline Paediatric Eating Disorders) Project is an ongoing registry study made up of a sequential cross-sectional sample prospectively recruited over 17 years, and is designed to answer empirical questions about paediatric eating disorders. This paper introduces the HOPE Project, describes the registry sample to-date, and discusses future directions and challenges and accomplishments. The project and clinical service were established in a tertiary academic hospital in Western Australia in 1996 with a service development grant. Research processes were inbuilt into the initial protocols and data collection was maintained in the following years. Recognisable progress with the research agenda accelerated only when dedicated research resources were obtained. The registry sample consists of consecutive children and adolescents assessed at the eating disorder program from 1996 onward. Standardised multidisciplinary data collected from family intake interview, parent and child clinical interviews, medical review, parent, child and teacher psychometric assessments, and inpatient admission records populate the HOPE Project database. Results The registry database to-date contains 941 assessments, of whom 685 met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder at admission. The majority of the sample were females (91%) from metropolitan Perth (83%). The cases with eating disorders consist of eating disorders not otherwise specified (68%), anorexia nervosa (25%) and bulimia nervosa (7%). Among those with eating disorders, a history of weight loss since illness onset was almost universal (96%) with fear of weight gain (71%) common, and the median duration of illness was 8 months. Conclusions Over the next five years and more, we expect that the HOPE Project will make a strong scientific contribution to paediatric eating disorders research and will have important real-world applications to clinical practice and policy as the research unfolds

A Clinical Study of Phenomenology and Comorbidity of Paediatric Bipolar Disorder

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Gupta, Pavan Kumar; T., Sivakumar; Agarwal, Vivek; Sitholey, Prabhat

2012-01-01

Background: Considerable controversy exists regarding clinical presentation, diagnosis, and comorbidities especially with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in paediatric Bipolar Disorder (BPD). Aims and objectives: To describe phenomenology and comorbidities of paediatric BPD. Method: 78 Subjects (6-16 years) attending child and…

Hand decontamination practices in paediatric wards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Jelly

2003-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine and describe hand decontamination practices of health care professionals in the paediatric wards of an academic hospital in Johannesburg. The purpose was addressed within a survey design and through the use of descriptive and comparative methods. Data were collected through direct observation conducted with the use of a researcher-administered checklist. A sample of sixtysix health professionals was obtained through convenience sampling.

Paediatric Low-Vision Assessment and Management in a Specialist Clinic in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Lennon, Julie; Harper, Robert; Biswas, Sus; Lloyd, Chris

2007-01-01

This article presents a survey of the demographical, educational and visual functional characteristics of children attending a specialist paediatric low-vision assessment clinic at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Comprehensive data were collected retrospectively from children attending the paediatric low-vision clinic between January 2003 and…

Canadian Paediatric Neurology Workforce Survey and Consensus Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Doja, Asif; Orr, Serena L; McMillan, Hugh J; Kirton, Adam; Brna, Paula; Esser, Michael; Tang-Wai, Richard; Major, Philippe; Poulin, Chantal; Prasad, Narayan; Selby, Kathryn; Weiss, Shelly K; Yeh, E Ann; Callen, David Ja

2016-05-01

Little knowledge exists on the availability of academic and community paediatric neurology positions. This knowledge is crucial for making workforce decisions. Our study aimed to: 1) obtain information regarding the availability of positions for paediatric neurologists in academic centres; 2) survey paediatric neurology trainees regarding their perceptions of employment issues and career plans; 3) survey practicing community paediatric neurologists 4) convene a group of paediatric neurologists to develop consensus regarding how to address these workforce issues. Surveys addressing workforce issues regarding paediatric neurology in Canada were sent to: 1) all paediatric neurology program directors in Canada (n=9) who then solicited information from division heads and from paediatric neurologists in surrounding areas; 2) paediatric neurology trainees in Canada (n=57) and; 3) community paediatric neurologists (n=27). A meeting was held with relevant stakeholders to develop a consensus on how to approach employment issues. The response rate was 100% from program directors, 57.9% from residents and 44% from community paediatric neurologists. We found that the number of projected positions in academic paediatric neurology is fewer than the number of paediatric neurologists that are being trained over the next five to ten years, despite a clinical need for paediatric neurologists. Paediatric neurology residents are concerned about job availability and desire more career counselling. There is a current and projected clinical demand for paediatric neurologists despite a lack of academic positions. Training programs should focus on community neurology as a viable career option.

Play and play occupation: a survey of paediatric occupational therapy practice in Ireland

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Alice Moore

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose - Play occupation has been identified as an essential part of children’s lives, and it subsequently features in paediatric occupational therapy. However, few studies address the current place of play and play occupation in occupational therapy practice. This study aims to address this gap in knowledge by exploring paediatric occupational therapists’ perspectives on the place of play and play occupation in occupational therapy practice in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to gather data about the current use of play in the occupational therapy for children under 12 years. Convenience sampling and snowball recruitment techniques were used to recruit paediatric occupational therapists. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Findings - In total, 65 therapists responded to the survey (estimated response rate, 32%. Results are organised into four sections: demographics and practice context, play assessment practices, use of play in practice and perceived barriers to play-centred practice. Respondents reported that they valued play as a childhood occupation. However, the survey findings identified that the primary focus was on play as a means to an end. Lack of education on play (research, theory and interventions and pressures in the workplace have been identified as barriers to play-centred practice. Research limitations/implications - Findings indicate that there is a mismatch between therapists valuing play as an occupation and how play is used in occupational therapy practice. Unless clarifications are made about play occupation as being different to skills acquisition in childhood, play occupation will continue to get overlooked as an authentic concern of occupation-centred practice. Thus, play as occupation deserves further attention from educators, researchers and practitioners as a means of strengthening occupation-centred practice, in

Getting fit for practice: an innovative paediatric clinical placement provided physiotherapy students opportunities for skill development.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Nora; Bruder, Andrea; Taylor, Nicholas F; Angelo, Tom

2013-06-01

Negative attitudes to disability among physiotherapy students in paediatric placements might be addressed by providing clinical placement opportunities for students early in their course. The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore what physiotherapy students reported learning from an innovative paediatric placement option. Qualitative research with in-depth interviews. Seventeen first and second year physiotherapy students (15 women, 2 men; mean age 19.9 (SD 1.4) years) who took part in the clinical education experience. The experience comprised a student-led progressive resistance training programme performed twice a week for 10 weeks at a community gymnasium with an adolescent with Down syndrome. In-depth interviews were completed after the 10-week programme and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and independently coded by two researchers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Two themes emerged from the data, one about being a student mentor and the second about skill development and application. The physiotherapy students indicated the programme was a challenging yet rewarding experience, and that they gained an increased appreciation of disability. They reported developing and applying a range of communication, professional and physiotherapy specific skills. The results suggest that the clinical experience provided physiotherapy students with opportunities to learn clinical skills, generic professional skills, and better understand disability in young people. Many of the learning outcomes identified by the participating students align with desired graduate capabilities and required professional competencies. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality and clinical supply considerations of Paediatric Investigation Plans for IV preparations-A case study with the FP7 CloSed project.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanning, Sara M; Orlu Gul, Mine; Winslade, Jackie; Baarslag, Manuel A; Neubert, Antje; Tuleu, Catherine

2016-09-25

A Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) is a development plan that aims to ensure that sufficient data are obtained through studies in paediatrics to support the generation of marketing authorisation of medicines for children. This paper highlights some practical considerations and challenges with respect to PIP submissions and paediatric clinical trials during the pharmaceutical development phase, using the FP7-funded Clonidine for Sedation of Paediatric Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (CloSed) project as a case study. Examples discussed include challenges and considerations regarding formulation development, blinding and randomisation, product labelling and shipment and clinical trial requirements versus requirements for marketing authorisation. A significant quantity of information is required for PIP submissions and it is hoped that future applicants may benefit from an insight into some critical considerations and challenges faced in the CloSed project. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

audit of blood transfusion practices in the paediatric medical ward

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-01-01

Jan 1, 2013 ... AUDIT OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION PRACTICES IN THE PAEDIATRIC MEDICAL WARD OF A TERTIARY ..... services and even where available, beneficiaries have ... due to lack of existence of quality assurance protocol.

Extrapolation in the development of paediatric medicines: examples from approvals for biological treatments for paediatric chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefanska, Anna M; Distlerová, Dorota; Musaus, Joachim; Olski, Thorsten M; Dunder, Kristina; Salmonson, Tomas; Mentzer, Dirk; Müller-Berghaus, Jan; Hemmings, Robert; Veselý, Richard

2017-10-01

The European Union (EU) Paediatric Regulation requires that all new medicinal products applying for a marketing authorisation (MA) in the EU provide a paediatric investigation plan (PIP) covering a clinical and non-clinical trial programme relating to the use in the paediatric population, unless a waiver applies. Conducting trials in children is challenging on many levels, including ethical and practical issues, which may affect the availability of the clinical evidence. In scientifically justified cases, extrapolation of data from other populations can be an option to gather evidence supporting the benefit-risk assessment of the medicinal product for paediatric use. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is working on providing a framework for extrapolation that is scientifically valid, reliable and adequate to support MA of medicines for children. It is expected that the extrapolation framework together with therapeutic area guidelines and individual case studies will support future PIPs. Extrapolation has already been employed in several paediatric development programmes including biological treatment for immune-mediated diseases. This article reviews extrapolation strategies from MA applications for products for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, paediatric psoriasis and paediatric inflammatory bowel disease. It also provides a summary of extrapolation advice expressed in relevant EMA guidelines and initiatives supporting the use of alternative approaches in paediatric medicine development. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Understanding implementation processes of clinical pathways and clinical practice guidelines in pediatric contexts: a study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Shannon D

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Canada is among the most prosperous nations in the world, yet the health and wellness outcomes of Canadian children are surprisingly poor. There is some evidence to suggest that these poor health outcomes are partly due to clinical practice variation, which can stem from failure to apply the best available research evidence in clinical practice, otherwise known as knowledge translation (KT. Surprisingly, clinical practice variation, even for common acute paediatric conditions, is pervasive. Clinical practice variation results in unnecessary medical treatments, increased suffering, and increased healthcare costs. This study focuses on improving health outcomes for common paediatric acute health concerns by evaluating strategies that improve KT and reduce clinical practice variation. Design/Methods Using a multiple case study design, qualitative and quantitative data will be collected from four emergency departments in western Canada. Data sources will include: pre- and post-implementation focus group data from multidisciplinary healthcare professionals; individual interviews with the local champions, KT intervention providers, and unit/site leaders/managers; Alberta Context Tool (ACT survey data; and aggregated patient outcome data. Qualitative and quantitative data will be systematically triangulated, and matrices will be built to do cross-case comparison. Explanations will be built about the success or lack of success of the clinical practice guidelines (CPG and clinical pathways (CPs uptake based upon the cross-case comparisons. Significance This study will generate new knowledge about the potential causal mechanisms and factors which shape implementation. Future studies will track the impact of the CPG/CPs implementation on children's health outcome, and healthcare costs.

Clinical features of paediatric pulmonary hypertension : a registry study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berger, Rolf M. F.; Beghetti, Maurice; Humpl, Tilman; Raskob, Gary E.; Ivy, D. Dunbar; Jing, Zhi-Cheng; Bonnet, Damien; Schulze-Neick, Ingram; Barst, Robyn J.

2012-01-01

Background Paediatric pulmonary hypertension, is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, and is insufficiently characterised in children. The Tracking Outcomes and Practice in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension (TOPP) registry is a global, prospective study designed to provide information about

Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines 2016.

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Ong, Gene Yong Kwang; Chan, Irene Lai Yeen; Ng, Agnes Suah Bwee; Chew, Su Yah; Mok, Yee Hui; Chan, Yoke Hwee; Ong, Jacqueline Soo May; Ganapathy, Sashikumar; Ng, Kee Chong

2017-07-01

We present the revised 2016 Singapore paediatric resuscitation guidelines. The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation's Pediatric Taskforce Consensus Statements on Science and Treatment Recommendations, as well as the updated resuscitation guidelines from the American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council released in October 2015, were debated and discussed by the workgroup. The final recommendations for the Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines 2016 were derived after carefully reviewing the current available evidence in the literature and balancing it with local clinical practice. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

PO02 - Clinical profile of children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit due to acute clinical deterioration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Claus Sixtus; Aagaard, Hanne; Olesen, Hanne Vebert

2016-01-01

Theme: Intensive care Background: There has been an increased number of critically ill patients admitted to paediatric departments. Only a few studies have described the various causes of unplanned admission to paediatric intensive care units (PICU) due to clinical deterioration. However...... and exploring life-threatening situations leading to unexpected transfers to PICU in hospitalised children. The study includes all paediatric departments in the Central Denmark Region. PERSPECTIVE: This study will provide knowledge to assist the research efforts to identify and improve the management...... of critical ill children in paediatric wards....

Paediatric Interventional Uroradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnacle, Alex M.; Wilkinson, A. Graham; Roebuck, Derek J.

2011-01-01

Paediatric interventional uroradiology lies at the intersection of the disciplines of paediatric interventional radiology and paediatric endourology. Interdisciplinary collaboration has led to the development of new techniques and refinement of procedures adopted from adult practice. This article reviews the major procedures used in paediatric interventional uroradiology, with emphasis on nephrostomy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, balloon-burst pyeloplasty, and antegrade ureteric stenting.

Knowledge and use of evidence-based nutrition : a survey of paediatric dietitians

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomas, DE; Kukuruzovic, R; Martino, B; Chauhan, SS; Elliott, EJ

2003-01-01

Objective To survey paediatric dietitians' knowledge and use of evidence-based nutrition (EBN). Design Cross-sectional survey using reply-paid questionnaires. Subjects Paediatric dietitians in Australian teaching hospitals. Main outcome measures Age, sex, appointment, clinical practice, research

Good practice recommendations for paediatric outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (p-OPAT) in the UK: a consensus statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Sanjay; Abrahamson, Ed; Goldring, Stephen; Green, Helen; Wickens, Hayley; Laundy, Matt

2015-02-01

There is compelling evidence to support the rationale for managing children on intravenous antimicrobial therapy at home whenever possible, including parent and patient satisfaction, psychological well-being, return to school/employment, reductions in healthcare-associated infection and cost savings. As a joint collaboration between the BSAC and the British Paediatric Allergy, Immunity and Infection Group, we have developed good practice recommendations to highlight good clinical practice and governance within paediatric outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (p-OPAT) services across the UK. These guidelines provide a practical approach for safely delivering a p-OPAT service in both secondary care and tertiary care settings, in terms of the roles and responsibilities of members of the p-OPAT team, the structure required to deliver the service, identifying patients and pathologies that are suitable for p-OPAT, ensuring appropriate vascular access, antimicrobial choice and delivery and the clinical governance aspects of delivering a p-OPAT service. The process of writing a business case to support the introduction of a p-OPAT service is also addressed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

What Evidence Underlies Clinical Practice in Paediatric Surgery? A Systematic Review Assessing Choice of Study Design.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Allin

Full Text Available Identify every paediatric surgical article published in 1998 and every paediatric surgical article published in 2013, and determine which study designs were used and whether they were appropriate for robustly assessing interventions in surgical conditions.A systematic review was conducted according to a pre-specified protocol (CRD42014007629, using EMBASE and Medline. Non-English language studies were excluded. Studies were included if meeting population criteria and either condition or intervention criteria.Children under the age of 18, or adults who underwent intervention for a condition managed by paediatric surgeons when they were under 18 years of age.One managed by general paediatric surgeons.Used for treatment of a condition managed by general paediatric surgeons.Studies were classified according to whether the IDEAL collaboration recommended their design for assessing surgical interventions or not. Change in proportions between 1998 and 2013 was calculated.1581 paediatric surgical articles were published in 1998, and 3453 in 2013. The most commonly used design, accounting for 45% of studies in 1998 and 46.8% in 2013, was the retrospective case series. Only 1.8% of studies were RCTs in 1998, and 1.9% in 2013. Overall, in 1998, 9.8% of studies used a recommended design. In 2013, 11.9% used a recommended design (proportion increase 2.3%, 95% confidence interval 0.5% increase to 4% increase, p = 0.017.A low proportion of published paediatric surgical manuscripts utilise a design that is recommended for assessing surgical interventions. RCTs represent fewer than 1 in 50 studies. In 2013, 88.1% of studies used a less robust design, suggesting the need for a new way of approaching paediatric surgical research.

'Let's talk about sex' - A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice study among Paediatric Nurses about Teen Sexual Health in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Benjamin Hon-Kei; Sheng, Xiao-Tong; Chan, Vivian Wai-Yen; Wong, Lilian Hiu-Lei; Lee, Susanna Wai-Yee; Abraham, Anisha Anna

2015-09-01

To explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of paediatric nurses in Hong Kong towards adolescent sexual health issues. In Hong Kong, teens are becoming more sexually permissive. As a result, early sexual activity, Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and unplanned pregnancies among adolescents are increasing. Paediatric nurses are potentially excellent sexual health educators; however, studies in other countries have reported that nurses have inadequate knowledge and skills about sexual health. Little is known about the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses in Hong Kong related to teen sexual health. This is a cross-sectional survey study. The survey was developed after an extensive literature review and partially adapted from previously validated questionnaires on nursing needs, knowledge, attitude and practice. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire in Chinese was distributed to 500 nurses in Hong Kong attending a local paediatric conference. Participants (n = 394) were recruited using convenience sampling methods. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation tests and logistic regression analyses. The majority of nurses had a high awareness of the importance of sexual healthcare, but rarely felt knowledgeable or comfortable discussing sexual health issues with adolescents. Higher comfort level was associated with higher frequency of practice with an average adjusted odds ratios of 2·64. Inadequate or lack of training (39·4%) was the most significant barrier in providing adolescent sexual health screening and counselling. Nurses' clinical practices towards adolescent's sexual health issues were influenced by their perceived comfort level followed by their self-ranked knowledge and training experience. Further specific training on communication, counselling and general sexual health should be provided to nurses in Hong Kong. Nurses' comfort level was the most important factor influencing their clinical practice with teens

Case mix in paediatric rheumatology: implications for training in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sern Chin; Allen, Roger C; Munro, Jane E; Akikusa, Jonathan D

2012-05-01

Despite a move towards the provision of specialist training in Australia in settings that extend beyond the public hospital system, formal comparisons of case mix between public and private specialty clinics have rarely been performed. It is therefore unclear for many specialties how well training in one setting prepares trainees for practice in the other. This study aims to compare the case mix of paediatric rheumatology patients seen in public and private settings and the referral sources of patients in each. An audit of all new patients seen in the public and private paediatric rheumatology clinics on campus at Royal Children's Hospital between June 2009 and January 2011. Data related to demographics, primary diagnosis, referral source and location seen were abstracted and compared. Eight hundred and seventy-six new patients were seen during the period of interest. Of these, 429 patients (48.9%) were seen in private clinics. The commonest diagnostic categories for both type of clinics were non-inflammatory musculoskeletal pain/orthopaedic conditions (public 39.4%, private 33.6%) followed by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (public 16.6%, %, private 18.6%), other skin/soft tissue disorders (public 8.7%, private 9.6%) and pain syndromes (public 4.9%, private 11.4%). Patients with haematological and vasculitic disorders were predominantly seen in public clinics. The commonest source of referrals to both clinics was general practitioners (public 40.6%, private 53.1%). The case mix in private paediatric rheumatology clinics closely mirrors that of public clinics at our centre. Training in either setting would provide sufficient case-mix exposure to prepare trainees for practice in the other. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

An interprofessional approach to improving paediatric medication safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kennedy Neil

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Safe drug prescribing and administration are essential elements within undergraduate healthcare curricula, but medication errors, especially in paediatric practice, continue to compromise patient safety. In this area of clinical care, collective responsibility, team working and communication between health professionals have been identified as key elements in safe clinical practice. To date, there is limited research evidence as to how best to deliver teaching and learning of these competencies to practitioners of the future. Methods An interprofessional workshop to facilitate learning of knowledge, core competencies, communication and team working skills in paediatric drug prescribing and administration at undergraduate level was developed and evaluated. The practical, ward-based workshop was delivered to 4th year medical and 3rd year nursing students and evaluated using a pre and post workshop questionnaire with open-ended response questions. Results Following the workshop, students reported an increase in their knowledge and awareness of paediatric medication safety and the causes of medication errors (p Conclusion This study has helped bridge the knowledge-skills gap, demonstrating how an interprofessional approach to drug prescribing and administration has the potential to improve quality and safety within healthcare.

Dosimetry in Diagnostic Radiology for Paediatric Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Concern about the radiation dose to children from diagnostic radiology examinations has recently been popularly expressed, particularly as related to computed tomography (CT) procedures. This involves the observation that children can receive doses far in excess of those delivered to adults, in part due to the digital nature of the image receptors that may give no warning to the operator of the dose to the patient. Concern for CT examinations should be extended to the broad range of paediatric diagnostic radiological procedures responsible for radiation doses in children, especially as factors, such as increased radiosensitivity and the longer life expectancy of children, increase the associated radiation risk. In all cases, owing to the added paediatric radiological examination factor of patient size and its associated impact on equipment selection, clinical examination protocol and dosimetric audit, the determination of paediatric dose requires a distinct approach from adult dosimetry associated with diagnostic radiological examinations. In response to this, there is a need to inform health professionals about standardized methodologies used to determine paediatric dose for all major modalities such as general radiography, fluoroscopy and CT. Methodologies for standardizing the conduct of dose audits and their use for the derivation and application of diagnostic reference levels for patient populations, that vary in size, are also required. In addition, a review is needed of the current knowledge on risks specific to non-adults from radiation, and also an analysis of the management of factors contributing to dose from paediatric radiological examinations. In 2007, the IAEA published a code of practice, Dosimetry in Diagnostic Radiology: An International Code of Practice, as Technical Reports Series No. 457 (TRS 457). TRS 457 recommends procedures for dosimetric measurement and calibration for the attainment of standardized dosimetry, and addresses requirements

Evaluating paediatric brain injury services in NSW.

Science.gov (United States)

Badge, H; Hancock, J; Waugh, M-C

2010-01-01

Rehabilitation professionals strive to provide high-quality evidence-based services for children. Developing systems to measure and monitor the benefits of our services, and health outcomes for children is complex and challenging. The Community Outcome Project aims to introduce systematic outcome measurement across the network of paediatric community-based brain injury services within the New South Wales Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program (BIRP) to support clinical practice and service evaluation. A literature review informed the development of the evaluative framework and identified available paediatric outcome measures which may be appropriate. Extensive consultation with clinicians supported project planning and identified clinical priorities that the outcome measures needed to capture. Outcome measures were shortlisted by matching them to identified clinical priorities, and then trialled in clinical practice. Qualitative feedback regarding clinical utility and feasibility was obtained from clinical staff. The process has utilized change management strategies to ensure the success of the project and keep staff engaged. The process identified the three main clinical priorities for outcome measurement - family functioning, school performance and participation. Three outcome measures were chosen for the pilot project that is currently underway. They are Family Burden of Injury Interview, Academic Competence and Evaluation Scales and Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation. Plans for analyses of outcome data within the paediatric BIRP services are discussed. Extensive preparation is required to optimize staff engagement in a project that systematically introduces outcome measures that are useful to clinicians, clients and service providers. Managing the change required is a key focus of the project. Benefits and costs to clinicians and services will be discussed.

The proposal of Paediatric Virology and its perspectives: An interview with Professor of Paediatrics Maria Theodoridou.

Science.gov (United States)

Mammas, Ioannis N; Spandidos, Demetrios A

2017-10-01

Professor Maria Theodoridou, Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Athens, is one of the few paediatricians in Greece, who have experienced almost all the infectious diseases of the second half of the 20th century and their severe consequences, prior to the widespread adoption of immunisations. A milestone during her career was the establishment of a specialised National Reference Unit for the care of paediatric patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) at the 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital in Athens, Greece. According to Professor Theodoridou, training on the prevention, management and treatment of neonatal and paediatric viral infections represents a new educational challenge for both community as well as hospital-based paediatric health professionals. The debate of the potential strategically principal role of Paediatric Virology subspecialists in the primary, secondary and tertiary clinical practice is definitely necessary and needs further discussion and evaluation, she adds. She describes the difficulties that Greece, a country under a long-standing financial crisis, faces for the hospital-based management of paediatric viral infections and refers to the future advances, which are expected in the field of diagnosis and treatment of viral infections in neonates and children. In the context of the 3rd Workshop on Paediatric Virology, which will be held in Athens on October 7th, 2017, Professor Theodoridou will focus on the immigration crisis and vaccination policy.

Ischemic stroke in paediatrics - narrative review of the literature and two cases.

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Klucka, Jozef; Stourac, Petr; Stoudek, Roman; Toukalkova, Michaela; Harazim, Hana; Kosinova, Martina; Stouracova, Alena; Mrlian, Andrej; Suk, Petr; Malaska, Jan

2017-03-01

Stroke is a rare condition in childhood with an estimated incidence of between 1.3-13/100.000 patients. Clinical manifestation and risk factors for paediatric stroke are different from those of adults. The uncommon incidence, age-associated difference and plethora of clinical symptoms make the diagnosis of such strokes extremely difficult and often delayed. The history and clinical examination should point to diseases or predisposing factors. Neuroimaging (DWI MR) is the golden standard for diagnosis of paediatric stroke and other investigations can be considered according to the clinical condition. Despite advances in paediatric stroke research and clinical care, questions remain unanswered regarding acute treatment, secondary prevention and rehabilitation. The treatment recommendations are mainly extrapolated from studies on adult populations. In the review authors summarized the clinical characteristics and diagnostic steps for stroke in children/adolescents based on the most recent international guidelines and practical directions for recognising and managing the child/adolescent with stroke in paediatric emergency. In the two case reports, we describe the clinical course in both stroke patients.

Interventional Radiology in Paediatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chippington, Samantha J; Goodwin, Susie J

2015-01-01

As in adult practice, there is a growing role for paediatric interventional radiology expertise in the management of paediatric pathologies. This review is targeted for clinicians who may refer their patients to paediatric interventional radiology services, or who are responsible for patients who are undergoing paediatric interventional radiology procedures. The article includes a brief overview of the indications for intervention, techniques involved and the commonest complications. Although some of the procedures described are most commonly performed in a tertiary paediatric centre, many are performed in most Children's hospitals.

Gait and Lower Limb Observation of Paediatrics (GALLOP): development of a consensus based paediatric podiatry and physiotherapy standardised recording proforma.

Science.gov (United States)

Cranage, Simone; Banwell, Helen; Williams, Cylie M

2016-01-01

Paediatric gait and lower limb assessments are frequently undertaken in podiatry and physiotherapy clinical practice and this is a growing area of expertise within Australia. No concise paediatric standardised recording proforma exists to assist clinicians in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to develop a gait and lower limb standardised recording proforma guided by the literature and consensus, for assessment of the paediatric foot and lower limb in children aged 0-18 years. Expert Australian podiatrists and physiotherapists were invited to participate in a three round Delphi survey panel using the online Qualtrics(©) survey platform. The first round of the survey consisted of open-ended questions on paediatric gait and lower limb assessment developed from existing templates and a literature search of standardised lower limb assessment methods. Rounds two and three consisted of statements developed from the first round responses. Questions and statements were included in the final proforma if 70 % or more of the participants indicated consensus or agreement with the assessment method and if there was support within the literature for paediatric age-specific normative data with acceptable reliability of outcome measures. There were 17 of the 21 (81 %) participants who completed three rounds of the survey. Consensus was achieved for 41 statements in Round one, 54 statements achieved agreement in two subsequent rounds. Participants agreed on 95 statements relating to birth history, developmental history, hip measurement, rotation of the lower limb, ankle range of motion, foot posture, balance and gait. Assessments with acceptable validity and reliability were included within the final Gait and Lower Limb Observation of Paediatrics (GALLOP) proforma. The GALLOP proforma is a consensus based, systematic and standardised way to collect information and outcome measures in paediatric lower limb assessment. This standardised recording proforma will assist

Radiographers' and radiology practitioners' opinion, experience and practice of benefit-risk communication and consent in paediatric imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portelli, J.L.; McNulty, J.P.; Bezzina, P.; Rainford, L.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To investigate radiographers' and radiology practitioners' opinion, experience and practice of radiation benefit-risk communication and consent for paediatric imaging examinations. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst radiographers and radiology practitioners working at a primary paediatric referral centre in Malta, so as to acquire information about their interactions with paediatric patients and/or their parents, particularly their opinion and practice of communicating benefit-risk information and seeking consent for imaging examinations. Results: The return of 112 questionnaires provided a response rate of 66.7%. Findings revealed varied practice relating to the provision of benefit-risk information, whereby details concerning examination benefits and potential risks are not always conveyed. For 89% of participants, parental consent was sought for paediatric imaging examinations in their current practice. Only 36.7% of participants indicated that they were highly confident in their ability to communicate benefit-risk information. The study findings also revealed that parents can truly be worried about the associated radiation exposure, with some even refusing an imaging examination as a result of such concerns. Conclusions: The practice of communicating benefit-risk information to paediatric patients and/or their parents is varied. A possible gap in benefit-risk communication education and/or training was identified, which may impact radiographers' and radiology practitioners' confidence in conveying such information. Education/training activities for radiographers and radiology practitioners are therefore necessary to foster improved benefit-risk dialogues and help provide reassurance to parents/guardians about the benefits of appropriately indicated paediatric imaging examinations. - Highlights: • The practice of communicating radiation benefit-risk information to parents of paediatric patients is varied. �

The Investigation of Proptosis in Paediatric Practice

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Ms Sayantani Ghosh

2009-08-01

Full Text Available A retrospective review of 65 cases of paediatric proptosispresenting to a rural teaching hospital in India, from February2006 to June 2008. There were 17 cases with orbital cellulitisand 15 with retinoblastoma. We report the history, clinicalexamination, radiological findings and diagnosis. Most caseshad a characteristic history and pathognomonic eye signs.Computer Tomography (CT correlated with histopathology inmost cases. CT is widely available, even within a remotesetting, and is a convenient investigation. Thus, a detailedhistory, clinical examination and CT scan were the mostfruitful approach to the diagnosis of childhood proptosis inthis series.

The relevance of the Goudge inquiry to the practice of child protection/forensic paediatrics.

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Skellern, Catherine; Donald, Terence

2014-10-01

In 2008 Ontario, Canada the Goudge Inquiry arose following increasing concerns about practices surrounding forensic pathology and the investigation of paediatric deaths. Some of the considerations and recommendations have relevance to child protection/forensic paediatricians, particularly in relation to their responsibilities in opinion formulation and as expert witnesses. By examining the Inquiry recommendations, this paper applies them in relation to child protection/forensic paediatrics by discussing forensic medicine and its legal context, how interpretation of published reports and data should be used in opinion formulation; issues of 'diagnosis' versus 'opinion'; issues specific to child protection paediatrics; quality control; aspects of report writing and terminological considerations. It concludes with an adaptation of key recommendations directly from those of Goudge, applied to the context of paediatric forensic medicine undertaken in child protection assessments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Infective endocarditis prophylaxis: current practice trend among paediatric cardiologists: are we following the 2007 guidelines?

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Naik, Ronak J; Patel, Neil R; Wang, Ming; Shah, Nishant C

2016-08-01

In 2007, the American Heart Association modified the infective endocarditis prophylaxis guidelines by limiting the use of antibiotics in patients with cardiac conditions associated with the highest risk of adverse outcomes after infective endocarditis. Our objective was to evaluate current practice for infective endocarditis prophylaxis among paediatric cardiologists. A web-based survey focussing on current practice, describing the use of antibiotics for infective endocarditis prophylaxis in various congenital and acquired heart diseases, was distributed via e-mail to paediatric cardiologists. The survey was kept anonymous and was distributed twice. Data from 253 participants were analysed. Most paediatric cardiologists discontinued infective endocarditis prophylaxis in patients with simple lesions such as small ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and bicuspid aortic valve without stenosis or regurgitation; however, significant disagreement persists in prescribing infective endocarditis prophylaxis in certain conditions such as rheumatic heart disease, Fontan palliation without fenestration, and the Ross procedure. Use of antibiotic prophylaxis in certain selected conditions for which infective endocarditis prophylaxis has been indicated as per the current guidelines varies from 44 to 83%. Only 44% follow the current guidelines exclusively, and 34% regularly discuss the importance of oral hygiene with their patients at risk for infective endocarditis. Significant heterogeneity still persists in recommending infective endocarditis prophylaxis for several cardiac lesions among paediatric cardiologists. More than half of the participants (56%) do not follow the current guidelines exclusively in their practice. Counselling for optimal oral health in patients at risk for infective endocarditis needs to be optimised in the current practice.

Estimating reliable paediatric reference intervals in clinical chemistry and haematology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridefelt, Peter; Hellberg, Dan; Aldrimer, Mattias; Gustafsson, Jan

2014-01-01

Very few high-quality studies on paediatric reference intervals for general clinical chemistry and haematology analytes have been performed. Three recent prospective community-based projects utilising blood samples from healthy children in Sweden, Denmark and Canada have substantially improved the situation. The present review summarises current reference interval studies for common clinical chemistry and haematology analyses. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Paediatric interventional radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren, Clare

2014-01-01

Paediatric interventional radiology (PIR) is a rapidly-growing subspecialty, which offers a wide range of procedures applicable to almost all areas of hospital paediatrics. There are many important differences between paediatric and adult practice in interventional radiology, including disease processes and treatment goals, anatomical considerations, periprocedural patient management, radiation exposure optimisation and legal aspects. The use of retrievable or absorbable interventional devices such as stents will probably become more widespread in PIR practice. Recent advances in the technology of imaging equipment have been accompanied by an increase in the complexity of the work done by the radiographer. These developments present challenges and opportunities related to training and maintenance of skills, staffing arrangements, and the potential for advanced practice. It is likely that specialisation in PIR will become a more common role for radiographers in the future

Changing indications for paediatric tracheostomy and the role of a multidisciplinary tracheostomy clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaneza, M M C; James, H L; James, H P; Davies, P; Harrison, S; McAlorum, L; Clement, W A; Kubba, H

2015-09-01

This paper presents our experience of managing children with a tracheostomy in a multidisciplinary team clinic consisting of an ENT consultant, paediatric respiratory consultant, a nurse specialist, and speech and language therapist. A retrospective case note review was conducted of all children seen in the multidisciplinary team tracheostomy clinic (at a tertiary paediatric hospital) between February 2009 and September 2014. Ninety-seven patients were examined. The most common indications for tracheostomy were: lower airway and respiratory problems (66 per cent), upper airway obstruction (64 per cent), and neurodevelopmental problems (60.8 per cent). Children with a tracheostomy are a diverse group of patients. The most common indications for paediatric tracheostomy have changed from infective causes to airway obstruction and anomalies, long-term ventilation requirement, and underlying neuromuscular or respiratory problems. Our unified approach empowers the carers and patient, as a home management plan, long-term plan and goals are generated at the end of each appointment.

Current referral practices and adolescent transition to Adult clinic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-02-02

Feb 2, 2016 ... of adolescent transition from child to adult care ... from paediatric to adult clinics. Adolescent ... The fate of older adolescent patients in paediatric clinics is either one of ..... fer depends on physical and psychological factors and.

A concept analysis of holistic nursing care in paediatric nursing

OpenAIRE

A.A. Tjale; J. Bruce

2007-01-01

Holistic nursing care is widely advocated and is espoused in the philosophy of the South African Nursing Council. This concept is unclear, variously interpreted and poorly understood in paediatric nursing. This study was undertaken to examine the meaning of holistic nursing care and to develop a framework for holistic nursing care, which can be utilised in nurse education settings and in clinical nursing practice in the context of paediatric nursing. A qualitative, interpretive, explorative a...

Accelerated oral nanomedicine discovery from miniaturized screening to clinical production exemplified by paediatric HIV nanotherapies

Science.gov (United States)

Giardiello, Marco; Liptrott, Neill J.; McDonald, Tom O.; Moss, Darren; Siccardi, Marco; Martin, Phil; Smith, Darren; Gurjar, Rohan; Rannard, Steve P.; Owen, Andrew

2016-10-01

Considerable scope exists to vary the physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles, with subsequent impact on biological interactions; however, no accelerated process to access large nanoparticle material space is currently available, hampering the development of new nanomedicines. In particular, no clinically available nanotherapies exist for HIV populations and conventional paediatric HIV medicines are poorly available; one current paediatric formulation utilizes high ethanol concentrations to solubilize lopinavir, a poorly soluble antiretroviral. Here we apply accelerated nanomedicine discovery to generate a potential aqueous paediatric HIV nanotherapy, with clinical translation and regulatory approval for human evaluation. Our rapid small-scale screening approach yields large libraries of solid drug nanoparticles (160 individual components) targeting oral dose. Screening uses 1 mg of drug compound per library member and iterative pharmacological and chemical evaluation establishes potential candidates for progression through to clinical manufacture. The wide applicability of our strategy has implications for multiple therapy development programmes.

Evaluation of effectiveness of a paediatric simulation course in procedural skills for paediatric residents - A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

AlShammari, Abdullah; Inayah, Aman; Afsar, Nasir Ali; Nurhussen, Akram; Siddiqui, Amna; Anwer, Muhammad Lucman; Obeidat, Sadek; Bakro, Mohammed Khaled; Abu Assale, Tawfik Samer; Almidani, Eyad; Alsonbul, Abdullah; Alhaider, Sami; Hussain, Ibrahim Bin; Khadawardi, Emad; Zafar, Muhammad

2018-02-01

To explore the effects of simulation training on paediatric residents' confidence and skills in managing advanced skills in critical care. The study was conducted at Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from March to June 2016, and comprised junior residents in paediatrics. All paediatric residents (years 1 and 2) were recruited into two workshops, held one week apart. The first workshop covered lumbar puncture/ cerebrospinal fluid interpretation, oral intubation, bone marrow aspiration, and critical airway management. The second workshop covered chest tube insertion, pleural tap, insertion of central line, and arthrocentesis. The participants were surveyed using a 5-point Likert scale survey pre- and post-course, assessing their confidence. Their practical skills were assessed using a pre-objective structured clinical examination on the same day and post-course objective structured clinical examination a week later on selected skills. The outcome measures were: (1) pre-/post-course confidence rating, and (2) pre-/post-course objective structured clinical examination results. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. Of the 16 participants, 8(50%) were boys and 8(50%) girls. Besides, 13(81%) residents were in year-1 and 3(19%) in year-2. Median post-course confidence level ranks for all the skills were higher (pskills and confidence in performing critical tasks.

The Clinical Features of Paediatric HIV/AIDS at Presentation at the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AIDS in African setting was found to be sensitive with low specificity and positive predictive value (PPV). Conclusion: Clinical presentation of paediatric HIV/AIDS appears similar with reports from other centers in spite of the wide variation in ...

Adrenal Disorders and the Paediatric Brain: Pathophysiological Considerations and Clinical Implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Salpietro

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Various neurological and psychiatric manifestations have been recorded in children with adrenal disorders. Based on literature review and on personal case-studies and case-series we focused on the pathophysiological and clinical implications of glucocorticoid-related, mineralcorticoid-related, and catecholamine-related paediatric nervous system involvement. Childhood Cushing syndrome can be associated with long-lasting cognitive deficits and abnormal behaviour, even after resolution of the hypercortisolism. Exposure to excessive replacement of exogenous glucocorticoids in the paediatric age group (e.g., during treatments for adrenal insufficiency has been reported with neurological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI abnormalities (e.g., delayed myelination and brain atrophy due to potential corticosteroid-related myelin damage in the developing brain and the possible impairment of limbic system ontogenesis. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH, a disorder of unclear pathophysiology characterised by increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF pressure, has been described in children with hypercortisolism, adrenal insufficiency, and hyperaldosteronism, reflecting the potential underlying involvement of the adrenal-brain axis in the regulation of CSF pressure homeostasis. Arterial hypertension caused by paediatric adenomas or tumours of the adrenal cortex or medulla has been associated with various hypertension-related neurological manifestations. The development and maturation of the central nervous system (CNS through childhood is tightly regulated by intrinsic, paracrine, endocrine, and external modulators, and perturbations in any of these factors, including those related to adrenal hormone imbalance, could result in consequences that affect the structure and function of the paediatric brain. Animal experiments and clinical studies demonstrated that the developing (i.e., paediatric CNS seems to be particularly vulnerable to alterations induced by

Peer Teaching in der Pädiatrie - Evaluation eines studentischen Tutoriats im Blockpraktikum Kinderheilkunde [Peer Teaching in Paediatrics - Medical Students as Learners and Teachers on a Paediatric Course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karay, Yassin

2010-11-01

Full Text Available [english] Background: Peer assisted learning is known as an effective educational strategy in medical teaching. We established a peer assisted teaching program by student tutors with a focus on clinical competencies for students during their practical training on paediatric wards. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the effects of a clinical skills training by tutors, residents and consultants on students evaluations of the teaching quality and the effects of a peer teaching program on self assessed clinical competencies by the students.Methods: Medical student peers in their 6 year were trained by an intensive instruction program for teaching clinical skills by paediatric consultants, doctors and psychologists. 109 students in their 5 year (study group participated in a peer assisted teaching program for training clinical skills in paediatrics. The skills training by student peer teachers were supervised by paediatric doctors. 45 students (control group participated in a conventional paediatric skills training by paediatric doctors and consultants. Students from both groups, which were consecutively investigated, completed a questionnaire with an evaluation of the satisfaction with their practical training and a self assessment of their practical competencies. Results: The paediatric skills training with student peer teachers received significantly better ratings than the conventional skills training by paediatric doctors concerning both the quality of the practical training and the support by the teaching medical staff. Self assessed learning success in practical skills was higher rated in the peer teaching program than in the conventional training. Conclusions: The peer assisted teaching program of paediatric skills training was rated higher by the students regarding their satisfaction with the teaching quality and their self assessment of the acquired skills. Clinical skills training by student peer teachers have to be supervised

Recommendations for mechanical ventilation of critically ill children from the Paediatric Mechanical Ventilation Consensus Conference (PEMVECC)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kneyber, Martin C. J.; de Luca, Daniele; Calderini, Edoardo; Jarreau, Pierre-Henri; Javouhey, Etienne; Lopez-Herce, Jesus; Hammer, Jurg; Macrae, Duncan; Markhorst, Dick G.; Medina, Alberto; Pons-Odena, Marti; Racca, Fabrizio; Wolf, Gerhard; Biban, Paolo; Brierley, Joe; Rimensberger, Peter C.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Much of the common practice in paediatric mechanical ventilation is based on personal experiences and what paediatric critical care practitioners have adopted from adult and neonatal experience. This presents a barrier to planning and interpretation of clinical trials on the use of specific

Clinical evaluation of a PHMB-impregnated biocellulose dressing on paediatric lacerations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elzinga, G.; van Doorn, J.; Wiersema, A. M.; Klicks, R. J.; Andriessen, A.; Alblas, J. G.; Spits, H.; Post, A.; van Gent, M.

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the clinical benefits, primarily tolerability and reduction in pain levels, associated with the use of a PHMB-impregnated biosynthetic cellulose dressing (Suprasorb X + PHMB) on paediatric heel lacerations. Method: These lacerations were caused when children, who were being

A CLINICAL STUDY AND MANAGEMENT OF PAEDIATRIC CATARACT, OUR EXPERIENCE

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Satish D. Shet

2017-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Control of childhood blindness is one of the priorities identified for achieving the goals of Vision-2020 by WHO. This is considered a priority because blind-years (number of years that a blind person lives after going blind due to childhood blindness are second only to cataract and half of childhood blindness is avoidable (treatable/preventable. Paediatric cataract accounts for 12% of the 1.4 million blind children globally. The prevalence of childhood cataract has been reported as 1 to 15 cases in 10,000 children in developing countries. Compared to industrialised countries, this figure is 10 times higher. Early detection and timely treatment of various childhood disorders such as congenital cataract are the most crucial factors for successful outcome. A suitable measure to address amblyopia and posterior capsule opacification post operatively is imperative for successful visual rehabilitation of such children. The objectives of this study were- 1 To study the clinical profile of paediatric cataract. 2 To evaluate the visual outcome after cataract surgery in these patients. 3 To evaluate different causes of visual impairment following management. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study conducted at Karnataka institute of medical sciences department of ophthalmology from October 2015 to September 2016. All children below 14 years of age presenting with cataract will undergo thorough ophthalmologic examination and cataract surgery. RESULTS The results of the present study with 25 paediatric patients (36 eyes indicates that excellent vision can be expected after cataract surgery and posterior chamber IOL implantation coupled with appropriate amblyopia therapy. CONCLUSION The paediatric cataract patients are referred from primary health centers, and district hospital from north Karnataka to KIMS Hubli. All paediatric patients are from lower socio economic status. Early detection of cataracts and referrals to the ophthalmologist can

[Knowledge of health care ethics in paediatric residents].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández González, A; Rodríguez Núñez, A; Cambra Lasaosa, F J; Quintero Otero, S; Ramil Fraga, C; García Palacios, M V; Hernández Rastrollo, R; Ruiz Extremera, M A

2014-02-01

Bioethics has been recently incorporated in to the educational programs of both medical students and medical residents as part of their curriculum. However, its training based on clinical practice is not well structured. To evaluate the knowledge of bioethics in Spanish paediatric residents, and to analyse how this relates to the medical education during graduate and post-graduate training. A questionnaire with 20 multiple choice questions was designed to evaluate the knowledge in basic ethics with potential implications in clinical practice. We evaluated the education received during graduate and post-graduate training, and the main ethical conflicts faced. A total of 210 completed questionnaires were received from medical residents in paediatrics from 20 different Spanish hospitals, of whom 47 of these were first year residents (R1), 49 were second year residents (R2), 57 were third year residents (R3), and the remaining 57 were final year residents (R4). The mean number of correct answers was 16.8 out of 20. No differences were found between residents in different years of training, nor were there any differences between the group that had received specific training in bioethics versus those who had not. Residents were more likely to give wrong answers related with informed consent, the law on the freedom of the patient, principles of quality of life, the case analysis system, and the dimension of distributive justice. Limitation of therapeutic efforts was identified as the main ethical problem faced in clinical practice by Spanish residents in paediatrics. Most of the knowledge of bioethics is acquired during graduate training, and improved very little throughout the period of medical residence. Our results suggest that efforts are required in organising and structuring the education in bioethics during the training of residents in paediatrics. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Monitoring health-related quality of life in paediatric practice: development of an innovative web-based application

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Heymans Hugo SA

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL questionnaires are increasingly used in clinical practice. These Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs are provided to the paediatrician to facilitate communication with patients during a consultation. The aim of the current article is to describe the development and introduction of a new web-based application for the use of PROs in daily paediatric clinical practice. Methods Currently, the use of PROs in daily clinical practice is very time consuming and often has logistical problems. The use of a web-based programme can overcome these problems and contributes to an improved use of PROs in clinical practice. We therefore developed an easily accessible website (KLIK for outpatient treatment and a training programme for paediatricians to maximize the effectiveness and the practical use of PROs (KLIK PROfile. Results The KLIK study was launched in August 2008 to evaluate the use of the KLIK PROfile in daily clinical practice. The KLIK study evaluates whether feedback from HRQOL data could influence patient satisfaction with the consultation, the advice given, the type of referrals and topics discussed. In this multicentre study, a control group (without the use of the KLIK PROfile is compared to an intervention group (with the use of the KLIK PROfile. A sequential cohort design is chosen to avoid contamination between the study groups. Conclusions Based on the positive experiences with the use of the KLIK PROfile acquired during the study we conclude that the KLIK PROfile may contribute to systematically monitor and discuss HRQOL issues during consultations. The next steps will be a comprehensive evaluation of the KLIK study data and the implementation of the KLIK PROfile in daily clinical practice in different patient groups.

Diagnostic omission errors in acute paediatric practice: impact of a reminder system on decision-making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fisher Helen

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Diagnostic error is a significant problem in specialities characterised by diagnostic uncertainty such as primary care, emergency medicine and paediatrics. Despite wide-spread availability, computerised aids have not been shown to significantly improve diagnostic decision-making in a real world environment, mainly due to the need for prolonged system consultation. In this study performed in the clinical environment, we used a Web-based diagnostic reminder system that provided rapid advice with free text data entry to examine its impact on clinicians' decisions in an acute paediatric setting during assessments characterised by diagnostic uncertainty. Methods Junior doctors working over a 5-month period at four paediatric ambulatory units consulted the Web-based diagnostic aid when they felt the need for diagnostic assistance. Subjects recorded their clinical decisions for patients (differential diagnosis, test-ordering and treatment before and after system consultation. An expert panel of four paediatric consultants independently suggested clinically significant decisions indicating an appropriate and 'safe' assessment. The primary outcome measure was change in the proportion of 'unsafe' workups by subjects during patient assessment. A more sensitive evaluation of impact was performed using specific validated quality scores. Adverse effects of consultation on decision-making, as well as the additional time spent on system use were examined. Results Subjects attempted to access the diagnostic aid on 595 occasions during the study period (8.6% of all medical assessments; subjects examined diagnostic advice only in 177 episodes (30%. Senior House Officers at hospitals with greater number of available computer workstations in the clinical area were most likely to consult the system, especially out of working hours. Diagnostic workups construed as 'unsafe' occurred in 47/104 cases (45.2%; this reduced to 32.7% following system

Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

2013-01-01

The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose. (paper)

Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology.

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

2013-06-01

The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose.

Recommendations for mechanical ventilation of critically ill children from the Paediatric Mechanical Ventilation Consensus Conference (PEMVECC).

Science.gov (United States)

Kneyber, Martin C J; de Luca, Daniele; Calderini, Edoardo; Jarreau, Pierre-Henri; Javouhey, Etienne; Lopez-Herce, Jesus; Hammer, Jürg; Macrae, Duncan; Markhorst, Dick G; Medina, Alberto; Pons-Odena, Marti; Racca, Fabrizio; Wolf, Gerhard; Biban, Paolo; Brierley, Joe; Rimensberger, Peter C

2017-12-01

Much of the common practice in paediatric mechanical ventilation is based on personal experiences and what paediatric critical care practitioners have adopted from adult and neonatal experience. This presents a barrier to planning and interpretation of clinical trials on the use of specific and targeted interventions. We aim to establish a European consensus guideline on mechanical ventilation of critically children. The European Society for Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care initiated a consensus conference of international European experts in paediatric mechanical ventilation to provide recommendations using the Research and Development/University of California, Los Angeles, appropriateness method. An electronic literature search in PubMed and EMBASE was performed using a combination of medical subject heading terms and text words related to mechanical ventilation and disease-specific terms. The Paediatric Mechanical Ventilation Consensus Conference (PEMVECC) consisted of a panel of 15 experts who developed and voted on 152 recommendations related to the following topics: (1) general recommendations, (2) monitoring, (3) targets of oxygenation and ventilation, (4) supportive measures, (5) weaning and extubation readiness, (6) normal lungs, (7) obstructive diseases, (8) restrictive diseases, (9) mixed diseases, (10) chronically ventilated patients, (11) cardiac patients and (12) lung hypoplasia syndromes. There were 142 (93.4%) recommendations with "strong agreement". The final iteration of the recommendations had none with equipoise or disagreement. These recommendations should help to harmonise the approach to paediatric mechanical ventilation and can be proposed as a standard-of-care applicable in daily clinical practice and clinical research.

Use of structured musculoskeletal examination routines in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate clinical practice - a UK survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Kenneth F; Jandial, Sharmila; Thompson, Ben; Walker, David; Taylor, Ken; Foster, Helen E

2016-10-21

Structured examination routines have been developed as educational resources for musculoskeletal clinical skills teaching, including Gait-Arms-Legs-Spine (GALS), Regional Examination of the Musculoskeletal System (REMS) and paediatric GALS (pGALS). In this study, we aimed to assess the awareness and use of these examination routines in undergraduate medical teaching in UK medical schools and UK postgraduate clinical practice. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to adult and paediatric musculoskeletal teaching leads at UK medical schools and current UK doctors in training. Responses were received from 67 tutors representing teaching at 22/33 [67 %] of all UK medical schools, and 70 trainee doctors across a range of postgraduate training specialities. There was widespread adoption, at responding medical schools, of the adult examination routines within musculoskeletal teaching (GALS: 14/16 [88 %]; REMS: 12/16 [75 %]) and assessment (GALS: 13/16 [81 %]; REMS: 12/16 [75 %]). More trainees were aware of GALS (64/70 [91 %]) than REMS (14/67 [21 %]). Of the 39 trainees who used GALS in their clinical practice, 35/39 [90 %] reported that it had improved their confidence in musculoskeletal examination. Of the 17/22 responding medical schools that included paediatric musculoskeletal examination within their curricula, 15/17 [88 %] used the pGALS approach and this was included within student assessment at 4 medical schools. We demonstrate the widespread adoption of these examination routines in undergraduate education and significant uptake in postgraduate clinical practice. Further study is required to understand their impact upon clinical performance.

Emerging issues in paediatric health research consent forms in Canada: working towards best practices.

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Dove, Edward S; Avard, Denise; Black, Lee; Knoppers, Bartha M

2013-01-30

Obtaining a research participant's voluntary and informed consent is the bedrock of sound ethics practice. Greater inclusion of children in research has led to questions about how paediatric consent operates in practice to accord with current and emerging legal and socio-ethical issues, norms, and requirements. Employing a qualitative thematic content analysis, we examined paediatric consent forms from major academic centres and public organisations across Canada dated from 2008-2011, which were purposively selected to reflect different types of research ethics boards, participants, and studies. The studies included biobanking, longitudinal studies, and gene-environment studies. Our purpose was to explore the following six emerging issues: (1) whether the scope of parental consent allows for a child's assent, dissent, or future consent; (2) whether the concepts of risk and benefit incorporate the child's psychological and social perspective; (3) whether a child's ability to withdraw is respected and to what extent withdrawal is permitted; (4) whether the return of research results includes individual results and/or incidental findings and the processes involved therein; (5) whether privacy and confidentiality concerns adequately address the child's perspective and whether standard data and/or sample identifiability nomenclature is used; and (6) whether retention of and access to paediatric biological samples and associated medical data are addressed. The review suggests gaps and variability in the consent forms with respect to addressing each of the six issues. Many forms did not discuss the possibility of returning research results, be they individual or general/aggregate results. Forms were also divided in terms of the scope of parental consent (specific versus broad), and none discussed a process for resolving disputes that can arise when either the parents or the child wishes to withdraw from the study. The analysis provides valuable insight and evidence into

Emerging issues in paediatric health research consent forms in Canada: working towards best practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dove Edward S

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obtaining a research participant’s voluntary and informed consent is the bedrock of sound ethics practice. Greater inclusion of children in research has led to questions about how paediatric consent operates in practice to accord with current and emerging legal and socio-ethical issues, norms, and requirements. Methods Employing a qualitative thematic content analysis, we examined paediatric consent forms from major academic centres and public organisations across Canada dated from 2008–2011, which were purposively selected to reflect different types of research ethics boards, participants, and studies. The studies included biobanking, longitudinal studies, and gene-environment studies. Our purpose was to explore the following six emerging issues: (1 whether the scope of parental consent allows for a child’s assent, dissent, or future consent; (2 whether the concepts of risk and benefit incorporate the child’s psychological and social perspective; (3 whether a child’s ability to withdraw is respected and to what extent withdrawal is permitted; (4 whether the return of research results includes individual results and/or incidental findings and the processes involved therein; (5 whether privacy and confidentiality concerns adequately address the child’s perspective and whether standard data and/or sample identifiability nomenclature is used; and (6 whether retention of and access to paediatric biological samples and associated medical data are addressed. Results The review suggests gaps and variability in the consent forms with respect to addressing each of the six issues. Many forms did not discuss the possibility of returning research results, be they individual or general/aggregate results. Forms were also divided in terms of the scope of parental consent (specific versus broad, and none discussed a process for resolving disputes that can arise when either the parents or the child wishes to withdraw from the

Professional and organizational commitment in paediatric occupational therapists: the influence of practice setting.

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Seruya, Francine M; Hinojosa, Jim

2010-09-01

The professional and organizational commitment of paediatric occupational therapists working in two distinct practice settings, schools and medically based settings, was investigated. A web-based survey program was used to administer a questionnaire to occupational therapists employed in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The study employed social identity theory as a guiding perspective in understanding therapists' professional and organizational commitment. One hundred and fifty-seven paediatric therapists responded to the Professional Commitment Questionnaire and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire to gauge their commitment to both the profession and their employing organizations. Results indicated that paediatric therapists, regardless of employment setting, have high professional commitment. Paediatric occupational therapists employed in medically based settings indicated statistically significant higher organizational commitment than their school-based counterparts. For therapists that work in school settings, the presence of a professional cohort did not influence professional commitment scores. As the study employed a web-based survey methodology, only individuals who were members of associations and had access to a computer and the Internet were able to participate. Further study might include widening the participant pool as well as adding additional instruments to explore both professional and organizational commitment on a more national scale. Copyright 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Psychosocial aspects associated with excessive attendance in primary care paediatric clinics].

Science.gov (United States)

Martín Martín, Raquel; Sánchez Bayle, Marciano; Teruel de Francisco, Carmen

2018-04-20

Hyper-attendance is a significant problem in paediatric Primary Care clinics. The aim of our study was to analyse the level of attendance in these clinics and its relationship with certain psychosocial aspects of the families attending them. Observational descriptive study was conducted using questionnaires collected during a period of 6months, as well as recording the frequency of attendance in the previous 6months. A total of 346 questionnaires of children between 6months and 13years of age belonging to 2 urban Primary Care clinics in Madrid were completed. The raw data was analysed, and comparisons between groups and multivariate analysis were performed. The mean number of consultations in the last 6months, of the total included in the study, was 3.06 in the Primary Care centre, and 0.77 in the emergency services. It was considered over-frequent for those who had attended the Primary Care health centre 6 or more times in this period (>p90), of which there were 33 children (9.53%). In the multivariate analysis, the variables related to being frequent users of Primary Care clinics were: the presence of high level of anxiety in the parents (OR=5.50; 95%CI: 2.49-12.17, P<.0001), and the age of the children (OR=0.73; 95%CI: 0.58-0.91, P=.005). The model presented an area under the curve of 0.761 (95%CI: 0.678-0.945, P<.0001). The frequency of visits in paediatric Primary Care clinics is directly related to the high level of anxiety of the parents, and inversely to the age of the children. It would be advisable to detect and, if possible, intervene in cases of high parental anxiety in order to try to reduce the over-frequency in the paediatric primary health care. Copyright © 2018. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Alternative diagnoses at paediatric appendicitis MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, M.M.; Kulaylat, A.N.; Brian, J.M.; Khaku, A.; Hulse, M.A.; Engbrecht, B.W.; Methratta, S.T.; Boal, D.K.B.

2015-01-01

As the utilization of MRI in the assessment for paediatric appendicitis increases in clinical practice, it is important to recognize alternative diagnoses as the cause of abdominal pain. The purpose of this review is to share our institution's experience using MRI in the evaluation of 510 paediatric patients presenting with suspected appendicitis over a 30 month interval (July 2011 to December 2013). An alternative diagnosis was documented in 98/510 (19.2%) patients; adnexal pathology (6.3%, n = 32), enteritis–colitis (6.3%, n = 32), and mesenteric adenitis (2.2%, n = 11) comprised the majority of cases. These common entities and other less frequent illustrative cases obtained during our overall institutional experience with MRI for suspected appendicitis are reviewed

Paediatric talus fracture.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Byrne, Ann-Maria

2012-01-01

Paediatric talus fractures are rare injuries resulting from axial loading of the talus against the anterior tibia with the foot in dorsiflexion. Skeletally immature bone is less brittle, with higher elastic resistance than adult bone, thus the paediatric talus can sustain higher forces before fractures occur. However, displaced paediatric talus fractures and those associated with high-energy trauma have been associated with complications including avascular necrosis, arthrosis, delayed union, neurapraxia and the need for revision surgery. The authors present the rare case of a talar neck fracture in a skeletally immature young girl, initially missed on radiological review. However, clinical suspicion on the part of the emergency physician, repeat examination and further radiographic imaging revealed this rare paediatric injury.

Safety in paediatric imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, D.; Filice, I.; Murray, D.; Thomas, K.

2006-01-01

Those of us working in a dedicated paediatric environment are aware of the important safety issues with regard to paediatrics. Our goal when working with paediatric patients, the goal is to obtain the best quality images while keeping patients safe and their distress to a minimum. This article will discuss some of the issues regarding paediatric safety in a diagnostic imaging department, including radiation doses and the risk to paediatric patients, reducing medication errors, safe sedation practice and environmental safety. Also discussed are some conditions requiring special consideration to maintain patient safety such as epiglottitis and suspected child abuse. Promotion of a patient/family-centered care system will create an environment of trust where parents or guardians will know that their children are being well cared for in a safe, effective environment. (author)

Paediatric day-case neurosurgery in a resource challenged setting: Pattern and practice

Science.gov (United States)

Owojuyigbe, Afolabi Muyiwa; Komolafe, Edward O.; Adenekan, Anthony T.; Dada, Muyiwa A.; Onyia, Chiazor U.; Ogunbameru, Ibironke O.; Owagbemi, Oluwafemi F.; Talabi, Ademola O.; Faponle, Fola A.

2016-01-01

Background: It has been generally observed that children achieve better convalescence in the home environment especially if discharged same day after surgery. This is probably due to the fact that children generally tend to feel more at ease in the home environment than in the hospital setting. Only few tertiary health institutions provide routine day-case surgery for paediatric neurosurgical patients in our sub-region. Objective: To review the pattern and practice of paediatric neurosurgical day-cases at our hospital. Patients and Methods: A prospective study of all paediatric day-case neurosurgeries carried out between June 2011 and June 2014. Results: A total of 53 patients (34 males and 19 females) with age ranging from 2 days to 14 years were seen. Majority of the patients (77.4%) presented with congenital lesions, and the most common procedure carried out was spina bifida repair (32%) followed by ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion (26.4%) for hydrocephalus. Sixty-eight percentage belonged to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class 2, whereas the rest (32%) belonged to class 1. General anaesthesia was employed in 83% of cases. Parenteral paracetamol was used for intra-operative analgesia for most of the patients. Two patients had post-operative nausea and vomiting and were successfully managed. There was no case of emergency re-operation, unplanned admission, cancellation or mortality. Conclusion: Paediatric day-case neurosurgery is feasible in our environment. With careful patient selection and adequate pre-operative preparation, good outcome can be achieved. PMID:27251657

Development of a core set of quality indicators for paediatric primary care practices in Europe, COSI-PPC-EU.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewald, Dominik A; Huss, Gottfried; Auras, Silke; Caceres, Juan Ruiz-Canela; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Geraedts, Max

2018-06-01

Paediatric ambulatory healthcare systems in Europe are, because of historical reasons, diverse and show strikingly different outcomes. All across Europe, the benchmarking of structures, processes and outcomes could reveal opportunities for improving Paediatric Primary Care (PPC). The aim of this study was to develop a set of Quality Indicators (QIs) to assess and monitor PPC in Europe. In a three-step process, we used the available external evidence and European expert consensus in a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) to develop an indicator set. (1) A broad literature and online research of published QI and guidelines yielded an inventory of 1516 QI. (2) A collaborative panel of paediatric senior experts from the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) and the European Confederation of Primary Care Paediatricians (ECPCP) from 15 European countries participated in a first consensus process to reduce the initial indicator inventory by eliminating not PPC-focused indicators and duplicates. (3) In a second consensus process, the panel rated the QI regarding validity and feasibility. The final QI set "COSI-PPC-EU" consists of 42 indicators in five categories of PPC: (A) health promotion/prevention/screening (13 QI), (B) acute care (9 QI), (C) chronic care (8 QI), (D) practice management (3 QI) and (E) patient safety (9 QI). COSI-PPC-EU represents a consented set of a limited number of valid quality indicators for the application in paediatric primary care in different healthcare systems throughout Europe. What is Known: • Paediatric ambulatory healthcare systems in Europe are diverse and show strikingly different outcomes. • There are known gaps in quality performance measures of paediatric primary care in Europe. Pre-existing sets of quality indicators are predominantly limited to national populations, specific diseases and hospital care. What is New: • A set of 42 quality indicators for primary paediatric care in Europe was developed in a multi

Paediatric day-case neurosurgery in a resource challenged setting: Pattern and practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afolabi Muyiwa Owojuyigbe

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: It has been generally observed that children achieve better convalescence in the home environment especially if discharged same day after surgery. This is probably due to the fact that children generally tend to feel more at ease in the home environment than in the hospital setting. Only few tertiary health institutions provide routine day-case surgery for paediatric neurosurgical patients in our sub-region. Objective: To review the pattern and practice of paediatric neurosurgical day-cases at our hospital. Patients and Methods: A prospective study of all paediatric day-case neurosurgeries carried out between June 2011 and June 2014. Results: A total of 53 patients (34 males and 19 females with age ranging from 2 days to 14 years were seen. Majority of the patients (77.4% presented with congenital lesions, and the most common procedure carried out was spina bifida repair (32% followed by ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion (26.4% for hydrocephalus. Sixty-eight percentage belonged to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class 2, whereas the rest (32% belonged to class 1. General anaesthesia was employed in 83% of cases. Parenteral paracetamol was used for intra-operative analgesia for most of the patients. Two patients had post-operative nausea and vomiting and were successfully managed. There was no case of emergency re-operation, unplanned admission, cancellation or mortality. Conclusion: Paediatric day-case neurosurgery is feasible in our environment. With careful patient selection and adequate pre-operative preparation, good outcome can be achieved.

Paediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Clinical Correlates and CBT Treatment Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, H M; Lester, K J; Jassi, A; Heyman, I; Krebs, G

2015-07-01

Depression frequently co-occurs with paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet the clinical correlates and impact of depression on CBT outcomes remain unclear. The prevalence and clinical correlates of depression were examined in a paediatric specialist OCD-clinic sample (N = 295; Mean = 15 [7 - 18] years, 42 % female), using both dimensional (Beck Depression Inventory-youth; n = 261) and diagnostic (Development and Wellbeing Assessment; n = 127) measures of depression. The impact of depressive symptoms and suspected disorders on post-treatment OCD severity was examined in a sub-sample who received CBT, with or without SSRI medication (N = 100). Fifty-one per-cent of patients reported moderately or extremely elevated depressive symptoms and 26 % (95 % CI: 18 - 34) met criteria for a suspected depressive disorder. Depressive symptoms and depressive disorders were associated with worse OCD symptom severity and global functioning prior to CBT. Individuals with depression were more likely to be female, have had a psychiatric inpatient admission and less likely to be attending school (ps depressive symptom severity significantly decreased after CBT. Depressive symptoms and depressive disorders predicted worse post-treatment OCD severity (βs = 0.19 and 0.26, ps Depression is common in paediatric OCD and is associated with more severe OCD and poorer functioning. However, depression severity decreases over the course of CBT for OCD and is not independently associated with worse outcomes, supporting the recommendation for treatment as usual in the presence of depressive symptoms.

Inconsistencies in authoritative national paediatric workforce data sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Amy R; Doherty, Richard; Hilton, Andrew M; Freed, Gary L

2017-12-01

Objective National health workforce data are used in workforce projections, policy and planning. If data to measure the current effective clinical medical workforce are not consistent, accurate and reliable, policy options pursued may not be aligned with Australia's actual needs. The aim of the present study was to identify any inconsistencies and contradictions in the numerical count of paediatric specialists in Australia, and discuss issues related to the accuracy of collection and analysis of medical workforce data. Methods This study compared respected national data sources regarding the number of medical practitioners in eight fields of paediatric speciality medical (non-surgical) practice. It also counted the number of doctors listed on the websites of speciality paediatric hospitals and clinics as practicing in these eight fields. Results Counts of medical practitioners varied markedly for all specialties across the data sources examined. In some fields examined, the range of variability across data sources exceeded 450%. Conclusions The national datasets currently available from federal and speciality sources do not provide consistent or reliable counts of the number of medical practitioners. The lack of an adequate baseline for the workforce prevents accurate predictions of future needs to provide the best possible care of children in Australia. What is known about the topic? Various national data sources contain counts of the number of medical practitioners in Australia. These data are used in health workforce projections, policy and planning. What does this paper add? The present study found that the current data sources do not provide consistent or reliable counts of the number of practitioners in eight selected fields of paediatric speciality practice. There are several potential issues in the way workforce data are collected or analysed that cause the variation between sources to occur. What are the implications for practitioners? Without accurate

Radiological input during paediatric multidisciplinary team meetings and its influence on clinical patient management.

Science.gov (United States)

Llewellyn-Jones, Glyn; Pereira, John

2016-04-01

There is little information about the role of the radiologist at multidisciplinary team meetings; in particular their influence on patient management. To evaluate the influence of radiologists on clinical patient management during multidisciplinary meetings. Prospective data were collected over a 5-week period from multidisciplinary team meetings across four paediatric clinical domains. Radiological input was recorded for each case discussion, including the type of influence and its potential effect on clinical patient management. One hundred and forty paediatric cases were reviewed. Radiological advice was requested from the radiologist for 25.7% (N = 36) of cases. In 17.9% (N = 25) this advice was judged to have influenced clinical patient management. There were two cases where new imaging findings were discovered. Radiologists influence clinical patient management during multidisciplinary team meetings primarily by providing differential diagnoses and guidance regarding future imaging, with respect to both the necessity and the modality. Occasionally, when imaging is reviewed at these meetings, new findings are discovered that impact on patient management. © 2016 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Acceptability and practicality of a Spanish translation of paediatric Gait Arms Legs and Spine (pGALS) in Peruvian children.

Science.gov (United States)

Abernethy, Katrina; Jandial, Sharmila; Hill, Lucy; Sánchez, Ernesto Salazar; Foster, Helen

2014-01-01

The paediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (pGALS) musculoskeletal examination tool is validated for use in school-aged English Speaking children and shown to be practical and effective in acute paediatric practice in the UK and Malawi. Our aim was to assess the acceptability and practicality of a Spanish translation of pGALS in an acute paediatric setting in Peru. Fifty-three school-aged children presenting to Hospital Regional de Loreto, Peru were recruited to undergo a pGALS examination using a Spanish translation of the instructions. The pGALS examination was completed in 92.5% (49/53), with the time taken (median 4.42 minutes) being acceptable to most parents (98.1%, 52/53). Most children (88.7%, 47/53), found the pGALS examination caused 'little' or 'no additional discomfort'. Using pGALS, significant findings were observed in 18/53 (34%) children; these related to fractures (4/18), hypermobility (4/18), infectious causes (5/18) and soft tissue trauma (5/18). Using this Spanish translation, pGALS assessment was practical, acceptable and effective in detecting musculoskeletal changes in many children.

Paediatric palliative care and intellectual disability-A unique context.

Science.gov (United States)

Duc, Jacqueline K; Herbert, Anthony Robert; Heussler, Helen S

2017-11-01

Paediatric palliative care is a nuanced area of practice with additional complexities in the context of intellectual disability. There is currently minimal research to guide clinicians working in this challenging area of care. This study describes the complex care of children with life-limiting conditions and intellectual disability by means of a literature synthesis and commentary with "best-practice" guide. As few articles concerning children with intellectual disability and palliative care needs were identified by formal systematic review, our expert consensus group has drawn from the paediatric palliative, oncology and adult intellectual disability literature to highlight common clinical challenges encountered in the day-to-day care of children with intellectual disability and life-limiting conditions. A longitudinal child- and family-centred approach is key to ensuring best-practice care for families of children with life-limiting conditions and intellectual disability. As highlighted by the great absence of literature addressing this important patient population, further research in this area is urgently required. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Training clinicians in how to use patient-reported outcome measures in routine clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, Maria J; Haverman, Lotte; Absolom, Kate; Takeuchi, Elena; Feeny, David; Grootenhuis, Martha; Velikova, Galina

2015-07-01

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) were originally developed for comparing groups of people in clinical trials and population studies, and the results were used to support treatment recommendations or inform health policy, but there was not direct benefit for the participants providing PROs data. However, as the experience in using those measures increased, it became obvious the clinical value in using individual patient PROs profiles in daily practice to identify/monitor symptoms, evaluate treatment outcomes and support shared decision-making. A key issue limiting successful implementation is clinicians' lack of knowledge on how to effectively utilize PROs data in their clinical encounters. Using a change management theoretical framework, this paper describes the development and implementation of three programs for training clinicians to effectively use PRO data in routine practice. The training programs are in three diverse clinical areas (adult oncology, lung transplant and paediatrics), in three countries with different healthcare systems, thus providing a rare opportunity to pull out common approaches whilst recognizing specific settings. For each program, we describe the clinical and organizational setting, the program planning and development, the content of the training session with supporting material, subsequent monitoring of PROs use and evidence of adoption. The common successful components and practical steps are identified, leading to discussion and future recommendations. The results of the three training programs are described as the implementation. In the oncology program, PRO data have been developed and are currently evaluated; in the lung transplant program, PRO data are used in daily practice and the integration with electronic patient records is under development; and in the paediatric program, PRO data are fully implemented with around 7,600 consultations since the start of the implementation. Adult learning programs teaching clinicians

Paediatric end-of-life care needs in Switzerland: current practices, and perspectives from parents and professionals. A study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergstraesser, Eva; Zimmermann, Karin; Eskola, Katri; Luck, Patricia; Ramelet, Anne-Sylvie; Cignacco, Eva

2015-08-01

To present a protocol for a multi-phase study about the current practice of end-of-life care in paediatric settings in Switzerland. In Switzerland, paediatric palliative care is usually provided by teams, who may not necessarily have specific training. There is a lack of systematic data about specific aspects of care at the end of a child's life, such as symptom management, involvement of parents in decision-making and family-centred care and experiences and needs of parents, and perspectives of healthcare professionals. This retrospective nationwide multicentre study, Paediatric End-of-LIfe CAre Needs in Switzerland (PELICAN), combines quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry. The PELICAN study consists of three observational parts, PELICAN I describes practices of end-of-life care (defined as the last 4 weeks of life) in the hospital and home care setting of children (0-18 years) who died in the years 2011-2012 due to a cardiac, neurological or oncological disease, or who died in the neonatal period. PELICAN II assesses the experiences and needs of parents during the end-of-life phase of their child. PELICAN III focuses on healthcare professionals and explores their perspectives concerning the provision of end-of-life care. This first study across Switzerland will provide comprehensive insight into the current end-of-life care in children with distinct diagnoses and the perspectives of affected parents and health professionals. The results may facilitate the development and implementation of programmes for end-of-life care in children across Switzerland, building on real experiences and needs. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01983852. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is clinical performance adversely affected by wearing gloves during paediatric peripheral intravenous cannulation?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Michael; Lee, Mark; Knott, Susan

2014-10-01

To investigate if wearing protective gloves during paediatric intravenous cannulation affects performance of the procedure. This was a prospective observational study. Peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC) performed within the Paediatric ED was observed and recorded over a 12 month period. Data were compared between those clinicians wearing gloves and those not wearing gloves during PIVC. One thousand and twenty paediatric cannulations were recorded during the observed period. The mean age of the children was 5.79 years. The overall success rate of cannulation was 86.18% and first attempt success rate 76.08%. Overall, gloves were used by 54.31% of clinicians to establish vascular access; glove use was lowest in the registrar group (41.11% compliance rate). The glove-wearing group had comparable overall success rate of 85.74% (475/554) to the no-gloves group of 86.70% (404/466). The difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Higher incidence of significant blood spillage during the procedure was observed among clinicians wearing no gloves (16.74%) in comparison with their glove-wearing counterparts (9.03%, P glove-wearing group and no-gloves group (3.94% vs 3.76%, P > 0.05). The present study shows that the use of protective gloves was not associated with adverse outcomes of clinical performance during paediatric cannulation. The low compliance rate of gloves use is alarming, and many clinicians might be exposed to potential blood-borne infections. Clinicians should be encouraged and supported to use gloves for paediatric cannulation. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Paediatric nurses' perceptions and practices of family-centred care in Saudi hospitals: A mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alabdulaziz, Hawa; Moss, Cheryle; Copnell, Beverley

2017-04-01

Family-centred care is widely accepted as the underlying philosophy of paediatric nursing. Studies of family-centred care have mainly been conducted in western countries and little is known of its practice in other contexts. No studies have been undertaken in the Middle East. To explore family-centred care in the Saudi context from the perspectives of paediatric nurses. A mixed methodology was utilised with an explanatory sequential design. In the quantitative phase a convenience sample of 234 nurses from six hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia completed the Family Centred Care Questionnaire. The qualitative phase took place in one hospital and involved 140h of non-participant observation of paediatric nurses' practice. A convenience sample of 14 nurses was involved. Additionally, 10 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with key staff members. A purposeful sample of 10 nurses was involved. The findings from both phases were integrated in the final analysis. The survey results indicated that participants identified most elements of family-centred care as necessary for its practice. They were less likely to incorporate them into their practice (pworked with the elements as a set of core tasks. In the current study, there were similarities between what has been found in the Saudi context and findings from other studies using the same tool in western contexts. There is general agreement regarding the differences between theory and practice. Nurses do believe and acknowledge the importance of family-centred care; however, they struggle with practising this model in their everyday work. In the current study, many factors contributed to this issue, including language barriers, communication issues, cultural issues and hospital policies. Western concepts of family-centred care appear to be accepted by paediatric nurses in Saudi Arabia. However, full adoption of family-centred care in keeping with western values is likely not to be appropriate or successful

1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain in paediatrics: The diagnosis of creatine deficiencies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sijens, P.E.; Oudkerk, M.

2005-01-01

The diagnosis of creatine deficiencies, a paediatric application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy that has already become a diagnostic tool in clinical practice, is reviewed and illustrated with results from recent examinations

Physicians' self-reported practice behaviour regarding fertility-related discussions in paediatric oncology in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Armuand, G M; Nilsson, J; Rodriguez-Wallberg, K A; Malmros, J; Arvidson, J; Lampic, C; Wettergren, L

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate practice behaviours of Swedish physicians with regard to discussing the impact of cancer treatment on fertility with paediatric oncology patients and their parents, and to identify factors associated with such discussions. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted targeting all physicians in Sweden working in paediatric oncology care settings. Participants responded to a questionnaire measuring practice behaviour, attitudes, barriers, and confidence in knowledge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with seldom discussing fertility. More than half of the physicians routinely talked with their patients/parents about the treatment's potential impact on fertility (male patients: 62%; female patients: 57%; P = 0.570). Factors associated with less frequently discussing fertility with patients/parents were working at a non-university hospital (male patients: OR 11.49, CI 1.98-66.67; female patients: OR 33.18, CI 4.06-271.07), concerns that the topic would cause worry (male patients: OR 8.23, CI 1.48-45.89; female patients: OR 12.38, CI 1.90-80.70), and perceiving the parents as anxious (male patients: OR 7.18, CI 1.20-42.85; female patients: OR 11.65, CI 1.32-103.17). Based on our findings, we recommend structured training in how to communicate about fertility issues in stressful situations, which in turn might increase fertility-related discussions in paediatric oncology. © 2017 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A survey of exercise advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric cardiac clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Craig A; Gowing, Lucy; Horn, Richard; Stuart, Alan Graham

2017-07-01

Physical activity and exercise have important health benefits for children and adolescents with CHD. The objective of this study was to survey the provision of advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric CHD clinics. A three-page questionnaire was sent out to paediatric cardiac consultants in the United Kingdom, paediatric consultants with expertise in cardiology, and nursing staff (Paediatricians with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group), as well as all members of the British Congenital Cardiovascular Association. The aim of this questionnaire was to determine the extent and scope of current information provision and to assess the importance that clinicians place on this advice. There were 68 responses in total, and the data showed that, of these, 24 (36%) clinicians had never provided paediatric CHD patients with written advice about exercise. Only 27 (39%) clinicians provided physical activity advice at every appointment. Lack of time during consultation (n=39, 56.9%), lack of training (n=38, 55.2%), and uncertainty about appropriate recommendations (n=38, 55.2%) were identified as the main factors preventing clinicians from providing patients with advice about physical activity. Although healthcare providers consider physical activity to be very important, the provision of clear, specific advice and recommendations is underutilised; therefore, more education and provision of resources to support the promotion of exercise need to be provided to clinicians and their support teams.

Teaching ethics to paediatrics residents: the centrality of the therapeutic alliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Holly A; McDonald, Erin L; Moon, Margaret; Hughes, Mark T; Carrese, Joseph A

2009-10-01

Previous research on ethical issues encountered by medical professionals in training and practice have presented the thematic content of the cases they encounter rather than the activities in which clinicians engage and in which they most often encounter ethical issues. We conducted a direct observation study of paediatrics residents and their preceptors seeing patients in an out-patient general paediatrics clinic. Our objectives were to describe the everyday ethics-related issues paediatrics residents encounter as they interact with patients. Our ultimate goal is to use this knowledge to enhance current efforts to teach ethics to paediatrics residents. The study team directly observed paediatrics residents discussing patients with their faculty preceptors (19 half-day sessions, 76 hours) in an out-patient general paediatrics clinic located in an urban academic medical centre. Each interaction between resident and preceptor about a single patient was considered a case for further analysis. A total of 247 cases were recorded. Forty-one of the cases were coded as having ethics-related content. A constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis revealed that residents were most likely to encounter ethical issues when engaged in the following activities: (i) maintaining a therapeutic alliance with the caregiver (e.g. the parent); (ii) prioritising patient or family needs; (iii) adjusting to the power embodied by the role of doctors, and (iv) distinguishing suboptimal care from abuse or neglect. In addition, our findings indicate that it is through their efforts to maintain the therapeutic alliance with the caregivers of their patients that residents engage in and integrate three processes: developing their medical knowledge; adhering to professional norms, and balancing the power inherent in the doctor's role with their responsibility to serve the patient's interests. Medical faculty tasked with teaching ethics to paediatrics residents can utilise the results

Five challenges to ethical communication for interprofessional paediatric practice: A social work perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Delany, Clare; Richards, Angela; Stewart, Helen; Kosta, Lauren

2017-07-01

In paediatric clinical care, what is said to a parent or carer as well as when, where, and how it is said, directly advances or diminishes parents' capacities to understand available options and to contribute to decisions about treatment for their child. This makes interprofessional and patient communication an ethical endeavour. Social workers are uniquely situated to observe, participate in, and provide an active link in the communication between families and other health team members. This article reports phenomenological research exploring ethical issues encountered by social workers in their everyday practice communicating with families and other health professionals in a paediatric hospital context in Australia. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with nine social workers and analysed thematically. Participants described two main communication-based roles: to support families through information provision and to contribute collaboratively to the interprofessional team involved in caring for a child and family. We grouped participants' descriptions of conflict between these roles into five main "communication challenges": (1) holding troublesome knowledge; (2) the need for diplomacy; (3) conciliation; (4) every man and his dog in family meetings; and (5) systems and processes presenting a brick wall. The five communication challenges provide empirically derived examples of how communication occurring within interprofessional health teams and between individual clinicians and parents can act to diminish or enhance parents' experience of care for their hospitalised child. Identifying these challenges may help to inform how communication within interprofessional teams and between clinicians and patients can benefit children and their parents.

Building capacity in the rural physiotherapy workforce: a paediatric training partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, E N; McMeeken, J M

2014-01-01

success of the clinical training program, and lack of future funding is a barrier to its sustainability. The program included the consolidation of the initial management and education committees and the expert reference group. Weekly tutorials, case studies and presentations formed an important part of clinical rotation between hospital outpatients, specialist school and the disability sector. This increased the provision of skilled paediatric physiotherapy services close to home in a timely fashion not previously available. Concurrently, the training increased the clinicians' paediatric knowledge and confidence, promoting workforce retention by providing a career pathway. The senior clinicians who provided clinical supervision reported that it enabled succession planning through introduction of appropriately skilled younger peers to their clinical practice. Project recommendations are that funding and stakeholder partnerships are necessary to enable health professionals to undertake postgraduate clinical training in paediatrics in rural areas. The partnership should include education providers (university), rural health service providers (hospital) and community or disability services (government and non-government) with financial recognition of expertise in the rural workforce for clinical supervision. The training experience was reported as a very positive experience from trainees, families, clinical supervisors, managers, academics and paediatricians. Lack of continued funding to educate skilled postgraduate paediatric physiotherapy clinicians means that rural children with physical disabilities will continue to be disadvantaged.

[The Use of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Paediatric residents in the City of Buenos Aires].

Science.gov (United States)

Hamui, Magalí; Ferreira, Juan Pablo; Paganini, Agustina; Torres, Fernando; Ossorio, María Fabiana; Yulitta, Horacio; Eiguchi, Kumiko; Ferrero, Fernando

2016-01-01

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is considered the reference standard for competence evaluation, but its use in Latin America is limited. The City of Buenos Aires Government (CBAG) administers a Paediatric residency system that includes 400 residents distributed in 13 hospitals, sharing an admission system and education program. We aim to describe the experience of administering an OSCE for evaluating all the Paediatric residents of the CBAG. Descriptive study, including all paediatric residents of the CBAG, belonging to 13 hospitals (2 paediatric and 11 general), ending their first year of training. The OSCE included 10 stations. Eighty-five residents participated in the OSCE, and 88.2% (95% CI 79.7-93.5) passed the examination. There were no significant differences in the pass rate between residents from paediatric hospitals and from general hospitals (89.5 vs. 85.7%; OR=1.4; 95% CI 0.4-5.5; P=.8). In 2015, the OSCE was administered to all paediatric residents of the CBAG for the first time. This experience allowed identifying weaknesses in the education system, in order to develop strategies to overcome them. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Immobilisation in Australian paediatric medical imaging: A pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noonan, S.; Spuur, K.; Nielsen, S.

2017-01-01

Aims: The primary aim of this study is to document the use of paediatric immobilisation techniques in medical imaging. Secondary aims are to investigate differences between current practice of paediatric and non-paediatric facilities and radiographer gender and to investigate immobilisation protocols. Methods: A SurveyMonkey link was distributed through the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) newsletter. Radiographer members of ASMIRT were invited to participate. Frequency percentage analysis was undertaken; as the 'frequency of immobilisation' response was on a Likert scale and the ages categorical, a Fisher's exact test could determine dependency. Results: The use of paediatric immobilisation techniques was determined to be related to age. The most commonly used technique in general X-ray was “other people”; in computed tomography, Velcro, verbal reminders and distraction techniques; and in magnetic resonance imaging, sedation and Velcro. A comparison of immobilisation techniques demonstrated that Velcro use in X-ray was dependent on facility (p = 0.017) with paediatric facilities using it up to 17 years. Immobilisation frequency was dependent in 13–17 years (p = 0.035) with paediatric facilities rarely immobilising and non-paediatric facilities never. No dependencies resulted upon comparing genders. Immobilisation frequency was not dependent between protocols or current practice. Conclusion: The use of paediatric immobilisation technique is related to age with “other people”, sedation, Velcro, verbal reminders and distraction techniques being regularly used. The dependency of Velcro use and immobilisation frequency in 13–17 years is for unknown reasons and further investigation is required. A larger study should be carried out to validate these findings. - Highlights: • Document the use of paediatric immobilisation techniques in medical imaging. • Investigate differences in practice between

Paediatric and adult malignant glioma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jones, Chris; Perryman, Lara; Hargrave, Darren

2012-01-01

Gliomas in children differ from their adult counterparts by their distribution of histological grade, site of presentation and rate of malignant transformation. Although rare in the paediatric population, patients with high-grade gliomas have, for the most part, a comparably dismal clinical outcome...... to older patients with morphologically similar lesions. Molecular profiling data have begun to reveal the major genetic alterations underpinning these malignant tumours in children. Indeed, the accumulation of large datasets on adult high-grade glioma has revealed key biological differences between...... the adult and paediatric disease. Furthermore, subclassifications within the childhood age group can be made depending on age at diagnosis and tumour site. However, challenges remain on how to reconcile clinical data from adult patients to tailor novel treatment strategies specifically for paediatric...

Dosimetric Comparison and Potential for Improved Clinical Outcomes of Paediatric CNS Patients Treated with Protons or IMRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armoogum, Kris S., E-mail: kris.armoogum@nhs.net [Department of Radiotherapy Physics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3NE (United Kingdom); Thorp, Nicola [The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral CH63 4JY (United Kingdom)

2015-04-28

Background: We compare clinical outcomes of paediatric patients with CNS tumours treated with protons or IMRT. CNS tumours form the second most common group of cancers in children. Radiotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of many of these patients but also contributes to late side effects in long term survivors. Radiation dose inevitably deposited in healthy tissues outside the clinical target has been linked to detrimental late effects such as neurocognitive, behavioural and vascular effects in addition to endocrine abnormalities and second tumours. Methods: A literature search was performed using keywords: protons, IMRT, CNS and paediatric. Of 189 papers retrieved, 10 were deemed relevant based on title and abstract screening. All papers directly compared outcomes from protons with photons, five papers included medulloblastoma, four papers each included craniopharyngioma and low grade gliomas and three papers included ependymoma. Results: This review found that while proton beam therapy offered similar clinical target coverage, there was a demonstrable reduction in integral dose to normal structures. Conclusions: This in turn suggests the potential for superior long term outcomes for paediatric patients with CNS tumours both in terms of radiogenic second cancers and out-of-field adverse effects.

Dosimetric Comparison and Potential for Improved Clinical Outcomes of Paediatric CNS Patients Treated with Protons or IMRT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kris S. Armoogum

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: We compare clinical outcomes of paediatric patients with CNS tumours treated with protons or IMRT. CNS tumours form the second most common group of cancers in children. Radiotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of many of these patients but also contributes to late side effects in long term survivors. Radiation dose inevitably deposited in healthy tissues outside the clinical target has been linked to detrimental late effects such as neurocognitive, behavioural and vascular effects in addition to endocrine abnormalities and second tumours. Methods: A literature search was performed using keywords: protons, IMRT, CNS and paediatric. Of 189 papers retrieved, 10 were deemed relevant based on title and abstract screening. All papers directly compared outcomes from protons with photons, five papers included medulloblastoma, four papers each included craniopharyngioma and low grade gliomas and three papers included ependymoma. Results: This review found that while proton beam therapy offered similar clinical target coverage, there was a demonstrable reduction in integral dose to normal structures. Conclusions: This in turn suggests the potential for superior long term outcomes for paediatric patients with CNS tumours both in terms of radiogenic second cancers and out-of-field adverse effects.

A clinical update on paediatric lupus

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Personal reference lists of the 3 authors were used in this update. ... with a paediatric specialist so that a tailored management plan can be made, depending ..... Cassidy JT, Petty RE, Laxer RM, Lindsley L.Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology.

Best Clinical Practice Guidance for clinicians dealing with children presenting with Molar-Incisor-Hypomineralisation (MIH): An EAPD Policy Document.

Science.gov (United States)

Lygidakis, N A; Wong, F; Jälevik, B; Vierrou, A-M; Alaluusua, S; Espelid, I

2010-04-01

The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) has long recognised the necessity of promoting further research and knowledge regarding the dental defect described as molar-incisor-hypomineralisation (MIH). Following the establishment by EAPD of the defect diagnostic criteria in 2003, the publication of various papers and a whole issue assigned to the defect in the European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry (2008), an Interim Seminar and Workshop on MIH was organized in Helsinki in 2009. The outcome of this event is the present consensus paper on the prevalence, diagnosis, aetiology and treatment for children and adolescents presenting with MIH. A clear diagnostic proposal and a treatment decision-making guide are presented together with suggestions on aetiology and guidance for future research. MIH is an important clinical problem that often concerns both the general dental and specialist paediatric dentists; the present 'best clinical practice guidance' aims to further help clinicians dealing with the condition.

Management of adults with paediatric-onset chronic liver disease: strategic issues for transition care.

Science.gov (United States)

Vajro, Pietro; Ferrante, Lorenza; Lenta, Selvaggia; Mandato, Claudia; Persico, Marcello

2014-04-01

Advances in the management of children with chronic liver disease have enabled many to survive into adulthood with or without their native livers, so that the most common of these conditions are becoming increasingly common in adult hepatology practice. Because the aetiologies of chronic liver disease in children may vary significantly from those in adulthood, adults with paediatric-onset chronic liver disease may often present with clinical manifestations unfamiliar to their adulthood physician. Transition of medical care to adult practice requires that the adulthood medical staff (primary physicians and subspecialists) have a comprehensive knowledge of childhood liver disease and their implications, and of the differences in caring for these patients. Pending still unavailable Scientific Society guidelines, this article examines causes, presentation modes, evaluation, management, and complications of the main paediatric-onset chronic liver diseases, and discusses key issues to aid in planning a program of transition from paediatric to adult patients. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

What do we think we are doing? How might a clinical information network be promoting implementation of recommended paediatric care practices in Kenyan hospitals?

Science.gov (United States)

English, Mike; Ayieko, Philip; Nyamai, Rachel; Were, Fred; Githanga, David; Irimu, Grace

2017-02-02

The creation of a clinical network was proposed as a means to promote implementation of a set of recommended clinical practices targeting inpatient paediatric care in Kenya. The rationale for selecting a network as a strategy has been previously described. Here, we aim to describe network activities actually conducted over its first 2.5 years, deconstruct its implementation into specific components and provide our 'insider' interpretation of how the network is functioning as an intervention. We articulate key activities that together have constituted network processes over 2.5 years and then utilise a recently published typology of implementation components to give greater granularity to this description from the perspective of those delivering the intervention. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel we then suggest how the network may operate to achieve change and offer examples of change before making an effort to synthesise our understanding in the form of a realist context-mechanism-outcome configuration. We suggest our network is likely to comprise 22 from a total of 73 identifiable intervention components, of which 12 and 10 we consider major and minor components, respectively. At the policy level, we employed clinical guidelines, marketing and communication strategies with intervention characteristics operating through incentivisation, persuasion, education, enablement, modelling and environmental restructuring. These might influence behaviours by enhancing psychological capability, creating social opportunity and increasing motivation largely through a reflective pathway. We previously proposed a clinical network as a solution to challenges implementing recommended practices in Kenyan hospitals based on our understanding of theory and context. Here, we report how we have enacted what was proposed and use a recent typology to deconstruct the intervention into its elements and articulate how we think the network may produce change. We offer a more generalised

Learning clinical reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinnock, Ralph; Welch, Paul

2014-04-01

Errors in clinical reasoning continue to account for significant morbidity and mortality, despite evidence-based guidelines and improved technology. Experts in clinical reasoning often use unconscious cognitive processes that they are not aware of unless they explain how they are thinking. Understanding the intuitive and analytical thinking processes provides a guide for instruction. How knowledge is stored is critical to expertise in clinical reasoning. Curricula should be designed so that trainees store knowledge in a way that is clinically relevant. Competence in clinical reasoning is acquired by supervised practice with effective feedback. Clinicians must recognise the common errors in clinical reasoning and how to avoid them. Trainees can learn clinical reasoning effectively in everyday practice if teachers provide guidance on the cognitive processes involved in making diagnostic decisions. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Knowledge translation studies in paediatric emergency medicine: A systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Catherine L; Johnson, David; Oakley, Ed

2016-02-01

Systematic review of knowledge translation studies focused on paediatric emergency care to describe and assess the interventions used in emergency department settings. Electronic databases were searched for knowledge translation studies conducted in the emergency department that included the care of children. Two researchers independently reviewed the studies. From 1305 publications identified, 15 studies of varied design were included. Four were cluster-controlled trials, two patient-level randomised controlled trials, two interrupted time series, one descriptive study and six before and after intervention studies. Knowledge translation interventions were predominantly aimed at the treating clinician, with some targeting the organisation. Studies assessed effectiveness of interventions over 6-12 months in before and after studies, and 3-28 months in cluster or patient level controlled trials. Changes in clinical practice were variable, with studies on single disease and single treatments in a single site showing greater improvement. Evidence for effective methods to translate knowledge into practice in paediatric emergency medicine is fairly limited. More optimal study designs with more explicit descriptions of interventions are needed to facilitate other groups to effectively apply these procedures in their own setting. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Assessment of paediatric CT exposure in a Portuguese hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neves, A.; Nunes, A.; Rufino, M.; Madeira, P.; Vaz, P.; Pascoal, A.

2012-01-01

In this study, the characterisation of radiation exposure of paediatric patients in computerised tomography (CT) procedures was performed for a Portuguese hospital. Dosimetric data and technical parameters used for CT examinations were retrieved, compiled and analysed over a period of 1 y. Five paediatric age groups were considered, covering the age interval from 0 (newborn) to 18 y old and, for each age group, the relative frequency of the most frequent CT examinations (head, ears, sinuses, chest and abdomen examinations) is analysed. The exposure settings used (kilovolt and milli-ampere) were compared with the values established in the local (hospital) clinical protocols for consistency analysis. Average CT dose index vol and dose length product values, per age group, are presented as well as the corresponding estimated mean effective dose values. Results showed an evident need for a protocol review, in order to adjust practices to international guidelines for performing optimised paediatric CT examinations. Also, an increased awareness of staff to Radiological Protection principles in CT in particular, these of utmost importance, seems necessary. (authors)

Paediatric gastrostomy stoma complications and treatments: A rapid scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Townley, Ashleigh; Wincentak, Joanne; Krog, Kim; Schippke, Julia; Kingsnorth, Shauna

2018-04-01

To provide a scoping review of the types of treatments used to address paediatric skin-related stoma complications specific to infection, hypergranulation and gastric leakage, and explore their effectiveness and indications for use. Stoma-related complications can be a common occurrence for children with gastrostomy (G) and gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes. Nurses require guidance to inform decision-making of the broad spectrum of treatments used in clinical practice. A scoping review using a rapid review approach. Working with a multidisciplinary health professional team, search terms were generated. A systematic search of CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was completed, coupled with an Internet search to identify relevant clinical practice guidelines and hand searching of citation lists. Eligible articles were peer-reviewed English publications, focused on paediatric populations aged 18 years and under, dating from 2002-2016 and described complications and treatment approaches related to G- and GJ-tube stomas. Pertinent information was extracted using a standardised template, and a narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse the data. Twenty-five articles were included in this review. Study designs varied, and complication management was often a secondary focus. A broad spectrum of treatments was used to manage each complication type. There was a lack of consensus on lines of therapy; however, a stepwise approach was often used for complication management, particularly for infections. The evidence on the comparative effectiveness of different treatment strategies of skin-related gastrostomy stoma complications in paediatric practice is sparse. Current evidence is generally limited to expert opinions. Future studies examining efficacy of treatments and their indications for use with children are warranted. Effective management of skin-related stoma complications is important to maintain health and wellness among children who rely on G- and GJ-tubes for

Clinical dehydration and glomerular filtration rate in acute paediatric gastroenteritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Milani, Gregorio P; Fossali, Emilio F; Perri, Alessandra; Vettori, Arianna; Grillo, Paolo; Agostoni, Carlo

2013-08-01

To evaluate changes in glomerular filtration rate in acute gastroenteritis. The correlation between two clinical diagnostic scales and glomerular filtration rate has been investigated in 113 children with acute gastroenteritis in a paediatric emergency setting. A significant reduction of GFR was found in 10% children less than, and 5% children higher than, 2 years of age with acute gastroenteritis. The differences observed as for risk of renal hypoperfusion suggests to consider the age of children as an important determinant to consider the dehydration status in acute gastroenteritis. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Algorithm for optimisation of paediatric chest radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostova-Lefterova, D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this work is to assess the current practice and patient doses in paediatric chest radiography in a large university hospital. The X-ray unit is used in the paediatric department for respiratory diseases. Another purpose was to recommend and apply optimized protocols to reduce patient dose while maintaining diagnostic image quality for the x-ray images. The practice of two different radiographers was studied. The results were compared with the existing practice in paediatric chest radiography and the opportunities for optimization were identified in order to reduce patient doses. A methodology was developed for optimization of the x-ray examinations by grouping children in age groups or according to other appropriate indication and creating an algorithm for proper selection of the exposure parameters for each group. The algorithm for the optimisation of paediatric chest radiography reduced patient doses (PKA, organ dose, effective dose) between 1.5 and 6 times for the different age groups, the average glandular dose up to 10 times and the dose for the lung between 2 and 5 times. The resulting X-ray images were of good diagnostic quality. The subjectivity in the choice of exposure parameters was reduced and standardization has been achieved in the work of the radiographers. The role of the radiologist, the medical physicist and radiographer in the process of optimization was shown. It was proven the effect of teamwork in reducing patient doses at keeping adequate image quality. Key words: Chest Radiography. Paediatric Radiography. Optimization. Radiation Exposure. Radiation Protection

Division of tongue tie: review of practice through a tertiary paediatric otorhinolaryngology service.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Glynn, R W

2012-10-01

Recent NICE guidance declared that evidence regarding surgical division of tongue tie was adequate to support the use of the procedure, provided that normal arrangements are in place for consent, audit and clinical governance. This work aimed to carry out a retrospective review of those patients who have previously undergone tongue tie division through a tertiary paediatric otorhinolaryngology service. We further aimed to identify the referral patterns, indications for, and outcomes following, division.

MIH: epidemiologic clinic study in paediatric patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Condò, R; Perugia, C; Maturo, P; Docimo, R

2012-04-01

The Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative and quantitative defect of the enamel structure of the first permanent molars, which may vary from 1 to 4 with involvement of maxillary and jaw permanent incisors. AIM.: Aim of this study is that to evaluate, among 1500 paediatric patients chosen at random aged between 0 and 14 years, afferent by the Paediatric Dentistry of the Azienda Ospedialiera Policlinico Tor Vergata of Rome from 1996 to 2011, the incidents and the prevalence of the MIH distribution, and furthermore to ascertain the possible relationship with the data described in the literature. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.: From the sample of 1500 paediatric patients, the number of those affections from MIH has turned out to be pairs to 110 (7.3%) aged between 4 and 15 years, and an average age equal to 9.7. The incidence of the hypoplastic defects is greater in the elements of the permanents series in which the functional class mainly interested is that of the first molars, with a percentage of 39.8%. Regarding the elements of the deciduous series affections from hypoplasia, they turn out to be in all in number of 20 represented in 80% of the cases from the seconds molars while in the remaining 20% of the cases the items involved are the central incisors. About the percentage of elements involved in the MIH: the molars, involved with a frequency of 56%, turn out to be more hit regarding incisors (44%). As reported in the literature, it can be asserted that the MIH can hit in equal measure both the male sex that feminine one. CONCLUSIONS.: MIH represents a condition quite frequent in the paediatric population. In managing this anomaly takes an essential role in the early diagnosis and in the differential one. The study done underlined the importance of a correct application of the therapeutic protocol which, starting from a careful diagnosis and articulating themselves in the execution of preventive treatments and in severe cases restorative and

Pharmacists’ journey to clinical pharmacy practice in Ethiopia: Key informants’ perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alemayehu B Mekonnen

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: Clinical pharmacy practice has developed internationally to expand the role of a pharmacist well beyond the traditional roles of compounding and supplying drugs to roles more directly in caring for patients and providing medication consultation to staff. This area of practice is at the infant stage in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to explore key informants’ perspective in the implementation of clinical pharmacy practice in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Method: A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews with the heads of departments (internal medicine, paediatrics, surgery, nurse, pharmacy, medical director, administration and pharmacy student representatives. Qualitative data analysis was done after audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and notes were compiled. Results: All of the respondents interviewed express diverse and conflicting perspectives on pharmacists’ role, varying from a health-care professional to a business man. Despite this, the current pace of change worldwide takes the professions’ mission to that of a provider of clinical pharmacy services. The data ascertained the change in pharmacy practice, and integrating clinical pharmacy services within the health-care system should be seen as a must. Pharmacists should delineate from a business perspective and focus on widening the scope of the profession of pharmacy and should come close to the patient to serve directly. Conclusions: Although the perception of people on traditional roles of pharmacists was weak, there were promising steps in developing clinical pharmacy practice within the health-care system. Moreover, the results of this study revealed a high demand for this service among health-care providers.

Appendicitis in paediatric age group: Correlation between ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Clinical diagnosis of appendicitis can be challenging, particularly in the paediatric age group. There is an increased risk of perforation in paediatrics; therefore, a need for sensitive and specific diagnostic tool is mandatory. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of preoperative inflammatory markers in ...

The measurement of health-related quality of life (QOL in paediatric clinical trials: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eiser Christine

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The goal of much care in chronic childhood illness is to improve quality of life (QOL. However, surveys suggest QOL measures are not routinely included. In addition, there is little consensus about the quality of many QOL measures. Objectives To determine the extent to which quality of life (QOL measures are used in paediatric clinical trials and evaluate the quality of measures used. Design Systematic literature review. Review Methods Included paediatric trials published in English between 1994 and 2003 involving children and adolescents up to the age of 20 years, and use of a standardised QOL measure. Data Sources included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMB Reviews, AMED, BNI, PSYCHINFO, the Cochrane library, Internet, and reference lists from review articles. Results We identified 18 trials including assessment of QOL (4 Asthma, 4 Rhinitis, 2 Dermatitis, and single studies of Eczema, Cystic fibrosis, Otis media, Amblyopia, Diabetes, Obesity associated with a brain tumour, Idiopathic short stature, and Congenital agranulocytosis. In three trials, parents rated their own QOL but not their child's. Fourteen different QOL measures were used but only two fulfilled our minimal defined criteria for quality. Conclusions This review confirms previous reports of limited use of QOL measures in paediatric clinical trials. Our review provides information about availability and quality of measures which will be of especial value to trial developers.

Fifteen minute consultation: Practical pain management in paediatric palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrop, Emily Jane; Brombley, Karen; Boyce, Katherine

2017-10-01

Pain and distress in the paediatric palliative care population can be very difficult to manage. Clinical scenarios range from the acute management of cancer-related pain at the end of life to the ongoing long-term support of children with complex multimodal pain related to progressive neurological conditions. Understanding the child's underlying condition, possible causes of pain and their preferred mode of communication are important to the delivery of holistic care. Modification of environmental factors, basic care consideration and non-pharmacological measures have a large role to play, alongside conventional analgesics. Medication may also need to be delivered by novel routes such as transdermal patches, continuous subcutaneous infusion of multiple drugs or transmucosal breakthrough analgesic doses. Two cases are used to illustrate approaches to these clinical problems. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Hospital-in-the-Home — essential to an integrated model of paediatric care

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hensey, CC

2017-01-01

The National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology is proposing a model of care that will determine the future delivery of children’s health services in Ireland1. The focus is on the provision of an integrated service with improved co-ordination between primary, secondary, and tertiary level facilities. A parallel goal is improvements in chronic care and medical care in the home. An expanded role for ambulatory care and hospital at home schemes with a reduced reliance on inpatient care is proposed in line with international best practice. Achieving these goals requires a paradigm shift in delivery of children’s health care, and reconfiguration of current services to deliver multidisciplinary care in hospital and at home. The recently approved planning application for the new children’s hospital provides an opportunity and heralds a change in the structure of paediatric services in Ireland. It will act as the nexus of paediatric care throughout Ireland; supporting paediatric services nationally through outreach programmes, and ensuring children are treated as close to home as possible. A Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) program would help meet these objectives; and could provide home based acute paediatric care, leading to economic benefits, and the delivery of quality family-centred care.

The paediatric acute scrotum: are we still managing correctly?

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate current investigation and management practice in a general district hospital in the UK of the paediatric acute scrotum. Summary background Diagnosis and management of the paediatric acute scrotum remains an elusive and often challenging area of urology.

Radiation Protection in Paediatric Radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

Over the past decade and a half, special issues have arisen regarding the protection of children undergoing radiological examinations. These issues have come to the consciousness of a gradually widening group of concerned professionals and the public, largely because of the natural instinct to protect children from unnecessary harm. Some tissues in children are more sensitive to radiation and children have a long life expectancy, during which significant pathology can emerge. The instinct to protect children has received further impetus from the level of professional and public concern articulated in the wake of media responses to certain publications in the professional literature. Many institutions have highlighted the need to pay particular attention to the special problems of protecting paediatric patients. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has noted it and the IAEA's General Safety Requirements publication, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards (BSS), requires it. This need has been endorsed implicitly in the advisory material on paediatric computed tomography scanning issued by bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute in the United States of America, as well as by many initiatives taken by other national and regional radiological societies and professional bodies. A major part of patient exposure, in general, and paediatric exposure, in particular, now arises from practices that barely existed two decades ago. For practitioners and regulators, it is evident that this innovation has been driven both by the imaging industry and by an ever increasing array of new applications generated and validated in the clinical environment. Regulation, industrial standardization, safety procedures and advice on best practice lag (inevitably) behind industrial and clinical innovations. This Safety Report is designed to consolidate and provide timely advice on

Scotland's GP paediatric scholarship: an evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

MacVicar, Ronald; Borland, Lyndsey; McHale, Sharon; Goh, Dayeel; Potter, Alex

2018-05-01

In a previous publication we described the implementation and early evaluation of general practice paediatric scholarships in Scotland. We suggested that it was too early to be able to determine whether this significant investment will produce a return for Scotland in terms of enhanced roles in providing, leading or developing children's services in primary care or at the primary care/secondary care interface. This paper presents the results of a survey of the impact of the scholarship for the first six cohorts of the scholarship (119 General Practitioners). The response rate was 76%. Of the 90 respondents, almost half (44) have developed roles or areas of special paediatric interest either within or out with the practice, or in three cases both within and out with the practice. A total of 37 (43%) of those that continue to work within general practice reported that they have developed areas of special interest of benefit to the practice. Qualitative analysis of free text questions suggested that scholars had benefited from their experience in terms of increased confidence in dealing with child health problems, developing links with secondary care colleagues, and personal gain with respect to role development. What is already known in this area: Changes in GP Training have been suggested in order to provide a workforce that can meet the needs of infants, children and young people. Studies have shown a positive impact of paediatric trainees and GP trainees learning together. Little attention has however been given to the potential to support trained GPs to develop their expertise in child health. What this work adds: Early evaluation of the Scottish Paediatric Scholarship suggested a high degree of satisfaction. This more robust evaluation suggests that almost half (44/90 respondents) have developed roles or areas of special paediatric interest either within or out with the practice, or in three cases both within and out with the practice. Suggestions for future

Job satisfaction and burnout among paediatric nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Akman, Ozlem; Ozturk, Candan; Bektas, Murat; Ayar, Dijle; Armstrong, Merry A

2016-10-01

This study aims to determine factors of job satisfaction and burnout levels of paediatric nurses. A total of 165 nurses working in paediatric clinics completed the Minnesota job satisfaction scale and the Maslach burnout scale. Average scores of the emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation score were low, while personal accomplishment scores were high. A high level of job satisfaction, being married, increased age and a decreased number of assigned patients were significantly associated with a low level of burnout. Paediatric nurses experience burnout at significant levels. The most important variable that affected job satisfaction was income. The results of the study could guide development of strategies that might prevent or alleviate burnout of paediatric nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy in children: optimising outcome of uncommon paediatric procedures.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Yeap, B H

2012-02-01

Contemporary surgical practice is increasingly dominated by subspecialisation in response to improved outcome from high volume centres, though uncertainties persist for uncommon paediatric procedures. Three paediatric pancreaticoduodenectomies performed at Our Lady\\'s Children\\'s Hospital, Dublin, over a period of 9 years were evaluated to substantiate their continuing performance by paediatric rather than adult pancreatic surgeons. With ages ranging from 18 months to 8 years old, the mean operating time was 263 minutes, while the average hospital stay was 12 days. There was no perioperative mortality, although complication rate was 100%. Re-operation was required in 33%. The long term outcome of this small paediatric cohort was comparable to adult series despite the low patient accrual, underscoring the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach afforded by tertiary paediatric institutions for intricate yet infrequent operations in children.

Survey of diagnostic and treatment practices for multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe. Part 2: Progressive MS, paediatric MS, pregnancy and general management.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, O; Delvecchio, M; Edan, G; Fredrikson, S; Giovannoni, G; Hartung, H-P; Havrdova, E; Kappos, L; Pozzilli, C; Soerensen, P S; Tackenberg, B; Vermersch, P; Comi, G

2018-05-01

The European Charcot Foundation supported the development of a set of surveys to understand current practice patterns for the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe. Part 2 of the report summarizes survey results related to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), pregnancy, paediatric MS and overall patient management. A steering committee of MS neurologists developed case- and practice-based questions for two sequential surveys distributed to MS neurologists throughout Europe. Respondents generally favoured changing rather than stopping disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in patients transitioning from relapsing-remitting MS to SPMS, particularly with active disease. Respondents would not initiate DMT in patients with typical PPMS symptoms, although the presence of ≥1 spinal cord or brain gadolinium-enhancing lesion might affect that decision. For patients considering pregnancy, respondents were equally divided on whether to stop treatment before or after conception. Respondents strongly favoured starting DMT in paediatric MS with active disease; recommended treatments included interferon, glatiramer acetate and, in John Cunningham virus negative patients, natalizumab. Additional results regarding practice-based questions and management are summarized. Results of part 2 of the survey of diagnostic and treatment practices for MS in Europe largely mirror results for part 1, with neurologists in general agreement about the treatment and management of SPMS, PPMS, pregnancy and paediatric MS as well as the general management of MS. However, there are also many areas of disagreement, indicating the need for evidence-based recommendations and/or guidelines. © 2018 EAN.

Implementing video cases in clinical paediatric teaching increases medical students' self-assessed confidence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malon, Michelle; Cortes, Dina; Andersen, Jesper

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Use of video cases in clinical education is rarely used systematically. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical students (n = 127) reported by questionnaire whether they had or had not seen a bedside case of each of 22 specific clinical conditions during their five-week clinical course...... the intervention, this share was 75% (218/289) (p = 0.06). Furthermore, internal as well as external examiners found video cases valuable, but the use of videos did not change the average examination grade. CONCLUSION: A video case supplement to teaching in clinical paediatrics was considered to be of value...... for teaching. We were successful in establishing an educational resource that students considered useful. Internal and external examiners found that a short video case was a valuable supplementary tool during the oral examination. FUNDING: The University of Copenhagen funded the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION...

Diagnosing autism: Contemporaneous surveys of parent needs and paediatric practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennel, Sabine; Coates, Cathy; Symeonides, Christos; Gulenc, Alisha; Smith, Libby; Price, Anna Mh; Hiscock, Harriet

2016-05-01

Concurrence between parents' information needs and clinicians' practice when diagnosing autism is unknown but may influence families' uptake of management and adjustment. We aimed to compare parents' experience and preferences with paediatrician report of (i) diagnosis delivery and (ii) information given at diagnosis and identify types and usefulness of resources accessed by families post-diagnosis. The design used for the study are parent and paediatrician surveys. Participants are parents of children aged 1.5-18 years, diagnosed with autism between 01 January 2010 and 30 September 2012 and their paediatricians who are members of the Australian Paediatric Research Network. Study-designed quantitative and qualitative questions about diagnosis delivery and information given at diagnosis (written and spoken vs. neither) and parent perceived importance and harms of information accessed post-diagnosis. Paediatricians (53/198 (27%)) identified 1127 eligible families, of whom 404 (36%) participated. Parents were more likely to report receiving adequate time to discuss diagnosis than paediatricians (71 vs. 51%). Parents (98%) rated information about accessing allied health professionals and the meaning of diagnosis as most important, yet paediatricians offered written or spoken information about each infrequently (allied health: 22%; diagnosis: 42%). Post-diagnosis, allied health was the most important source of information (83%). Harmful resources conveyed helplessness or non-evidenced-based therapies, but few parents (14%) reported this. Parents want more information than can be conveyed in a single diagnostic consultation. Developing a tailored 'autism action plan' with written materials could improve parents' understanding of and satisfaction with children's autism diagnoses. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Clinician's gaze behaviour in simulated paediatric emergencies.

Science.gov (United States)

McNaughten, Ben; Hart, Caroline; Gallagher, Stephen; Junk, Carol; Coulter, Patricia; Thompson, Andrew; Bourke, Thomas

2018-03-07

Differences in the gaze behaviour of experts and novices are described in aviation and surgery. This study sought to describe the gaze behaviour of clinicians from different training backgrounds during a simulated paediatric emergency. Clinicians from four clinical areas undertook a simulated emergency. Participants wore SMI (SensoMotoric Instruments) eye tracking glasses. We measured the fixation count and dwell time on predefined areas of interest and the time taken to key clinical interventions. Paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) consultants performed best and focused longer on the chest and airway. Paediatric consultants and trainees spent longer looking at the defibrillator and algorithm (51 180 ms and 50 551 ms, respectively) than the PICU and paediatric emergency medicine consultants. This study is the first to describe differences in the gaze behaviour between experts and novices in a resuscitation. They mirror those described in aviation and surgery. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential use of eye tracking as an educational tool. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Paediatric physician-researchers: coping with tensions in dual accountability.

Science.gov (United States)

Boydell, Katherine; Shaul, Randi Zlotnik; D'Agincourt-Canning, Lori; Da Silva, Michael; Simpson, Christy; Czoli, Christine D; Rashkovan, Natalie; Kim, Celine C; Levin, Alex V; Schneider, Rayfel

2012-01-01

Potential conflicts between the roles of physicians and researchers have been described at the theoretical level in the bioethics literature (Czoli, et al., 2011). Physicians and researchers are generally in mutually distinct roles, responsible for patients and participants respectively. With increasing emphasis on integration of research into clinical settings, however, the role divide is sometimes unclear. Consequently, physician-researchers must consider and negotiate salient ethical differences between clinical- and research-based obligations (Miller et al, 1998). This paper explores the subjective experiences and perspectives of 30 physician-researchers working in three Canadian paediatric settings. Drawing on qualitative interviews, it identifies ethical challenges and strategies used by physician-researchers in managing dual roles. It considers whether competing obligations could have both positive and adverse consequences for both physician-researchers and patients. Finally, we discuss how empirical work, which explores the perspectives of those engaged in research and clinical practice, can lead the way to understanding and promoting best practice.

The Swiss regulatory framework for paediatric health research.

Science.gov (United States)

Junod, Valerie

2008-07-01

Medical research on minors entails both risks and benefits. Under Swiss law, clinical trials on children, including nontherapeutic drug trials, are permissible. However, ethics committees must systematically verify that all clinical studies have a favorable risk-benefit profile. Additional safeguards are designed to ensure that children are not unnecessarily involved in research and that proper consent is always obtained. Federal Swiss law is undergoing revision to extend these protections beyond clinical trials to a broad array of health research. The Swiss drug agency also seeks to improve the incentives for pharmaceutical firms to develop new paediatric drugs and relevant paediatric drug labels.

Common tasks and problems in paediatric trauma radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paertan, Gerald; Pamberger, Petra; Blab, Edmund; Hruby, Walter

2003-01-01

Scope of this article is to give practical hints for the most common, typical and important topics of trauma radiology in children to those radiologists who are not exclusively occupied with paediatric imaging. Due to the increased radiation sensitivity of children compared with adults balancing radiation protection and necessary image quality is of utmost importance. Outlines for this optimisation process are given. Especially in imaging of the extremities perhaps the greatest difficulties are posed by the dynamically changing face of the immature, growing, only partially ossified skeleton. Lack of experience must be compensated by meticulous comparison with the normal skeletal development as shown in standard textbooks, and by knowledge of the radiological image of the developmental variants. Besides general remarks about paediatric trauma radiology, some important topics are discussed into more detail. Especially the elbow joint poses a challenge for those less experienced with its radiological appearance in children. More than in adults, ultrasound should remain the primary imaging modality of choice especially in the assessment of abdominal trauma, and CT be tailored to radiological and clinical findings. Imaging and diagnosis of non-accidental injury (NAI) may be a less common task for the general radiologist, however, the severe social implications of physical child abuse mandate a basic knowledge about the radiological symptoms and the imaging management of this problem for all physicians occupied with paediatric radiology

Common tasks and problems in paediatric trauma radiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paertan, Gerald E-mail: gerald.paertan@smz.magwien.gv.at; Pamberger, Petra; Blab, Edmund; Hruby, Walter

2003-10-01

Scope of this article is to give practical hints for the most common, typical and important topics of trauma radiology in children to those radiologists who are not exclusively occupied with paediatric imaging. Due to the increased radiation sensitivity of children compared with adults balancing radiation protection and necessary image quality is of utmost importance. Outlines for this optimisation process are given. Especially in imaging of the extremities perhaps the greatest difficulties are posed by the dynamically changing face of the immature, growing, only partially ossified skeleton. Lack of experience must be compensated by meticulous comparison with the normal skeletal development as shown in standard textbooks, and by knowledge of the radiological image of the developmental variants. Besides general remarks about paediatric trauma radiology, some important topics are discussed into more detail. Especially the elbow joint poses a challenge for those less experienced with its radiological appearance in children. More than in adults, ultrasound should remain the primary imaging modality of choice especially in the assessment of abdominal trauma, and CT be tailored to radiological and clinical findings. Imaging and diagnosis of non-accidental injury (NAI) may be a less common task for the general radiologist, however, the severe social implications of physical child abuse mandate a basic knowledge about the radiological symptoms and the imaging management of this problem for all physicians occupied with paediatric radiology.

Clinical assessment and treatment in paediatric wards in the north-east of the United Republic of Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reyburn, Hugh; Mwakasungula, Emmanuel; Chonya, Semkini

2008-01-01

; appropriate feeds were not present in any of the hospitals. A diagnosis of HIV-AIDS was made in only two cases while approximately 5% children admitted were expected to be infected with HIV in this area. CONCLUSION: Clinical assessment of children admitted to paediatric wards is disturbingly poor...

Listening to paediatric primary care nurses: a qualitative study of the potential for interprofessional oral health practice in six federally qualified health centres in Massachusetts and Maryland.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Judith; Gebel, Christina; Vargas, Clemencia; Geltman, Paul; Walter, Ashley; Garcia, Raul; Tinanoff, Norman

2017-03-29

To explore the opportunities for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) to improve paediatric oral health in federally qualified health centres (FQHCs), to identify challenges to IPC-led integration of oral health prevention into the well-child visit and to suggest strategies to overcome barriers. Nurse managers (NMs), nurse practitioners (NPs), paediatric clinical staff and administrators in six FQHCs in two states were interviewed using a semistructured format. Grounded theory research. Topics included feasibility of integration, perceived barriers and strategies for incorporating oral health into paediatric primary care. Qualitative data were coded and analysed using NVivo 10 to generate themes iteratively. Nurses in diverse roles recognised the importance of oral health prevention but were unaware of professional guidelines for incorporating oral health into paediatric encounters. They valued collaborative care, specifically internal communication, joint initiatives and training and partnering with dental schools or community dental practices. Barriers to IPC included inadequate training, few opportunities for cross-communication and absence of charting templates in electronic health records. NMs, NPs and paediatric nursing staff all value IPC to improve patients' oral health, yet are constrained by lack of oral health training and supportive charting and referral systems. With supports, they are willing to take on responsibility for introducing oral health preventive measures into the well-child visit, but will require IPC approaches to training and systems changes. IPC teams in the health centre setting can work together, if policy and administrative supports are in place, to provide oral health assessments, education, fluoride varnish application and dental referrals, decrease the prevalence of early childhood caries and increase access to a dental home for low-income children. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not

Faith healing in paediatrics: what do we know about its relevance to clinical practice?

Science.gov (United States)

Baverstock, A; Finlay, F

2012-05-01

There is widespread use of complementary or alternative medicine among adults and children. Families may use faith healing alongside conventional medicine or as an alternative. In their clinical practice, professionals should be aware of this and need to consider asking patients and their families about complementary or alternative medicine use, including faith healing. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Current educational status of paediatric rheumatology in Europe: the results of PReS survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirkaya, E; Ozen, S; Türker, T; Kuis, W; Saurenmann, R K

2009-01-01

To understand the status of education and problems in paediatric rheumatology practice in Europe, through a survey. A 26-item questionnaire was conducted during the 14th Congress of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society in Istanbul, 2007. Physicians who were practicing or studying within the field of paediatric rheumatology for at least one year were included in the survey. One hundred and twenty eight physicians, 79 paediatric rheumatologists (including 5 paediatric immunologists and 10 paediatric nephrologists), 34 paediatric rheumatology fellows and 15 adult rheumatologists completed the survey. The physicians were from: Europe 95 (81.9%), South America 12 (10.4%), Middle East 5 (4.3%), Asia 2 (1.7%), Africa 2 (1.7%). The duration of training for paediatric rheumatology ranged between 1-5 years (mean: 3.12+/-1.11). Sixty physicians scored their education as unsatisfactory and among those, 48 physicians were from Europe. Physicians reported good skills in the following items; intraarticular injections (83.3%); soft tissue injections (47.6%); evaluation of radiographs (67.5%); whereas competence in the evaluation of computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (30.5%); and musculoskeletal sonography (16.7%) was much lower. A need for improved basic science and rotations among relevant fields were specifically expressed. Being a relatively new speciality in the realm of paediatrics, paediatric rheumatology education at the European level needs to be further discussed, revised and uniformed.

Re-envisioning paediatric nurse training in a re-engineered health care system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minette Coetzee

2014-10-01

Method: In response to the Committee on Morbidity and Mortality in Children recommendation, a colloquium was convened as a national forum for schools of nursing, departments of health, health care facilities, clinicians and regulatory bodies to advance children’s nursing in South Africa. Objectives: The goals of the colloquium were to thoroughly investigate the situation in South Africa’s paediatric nurse training, plot ways to strengthen and expand postgraduate paediatric programmes to meet priority child health needs, and to build relationships between the various schools and stakeholders. Results: Outcomes included the clarification and strengthening of a ‘stakeholder grid’ in nurse training, recognition of the need for more active teaching and learning strategies in curricula linked to national child health priorities, as well as the need to develop and support clinical nursing practice in facilities.

Clinical and economic impact of using macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes in an outpatient setting compared to enemas and suppositories and manual evacuation to treat paediatric faecal impaction based on actual clinical practice in England and Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Guest, Julian F; Candy, David C A; Clegg, John P; Edwards, Di; Helter, Marianne T; Dale, Anne K; Fell, John; Cosgrove, Michael; Debelle, Geoffrey

2007-09-01

To estimate the clinical and economic impact of using macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes (macrogol 3350; Movicol; Movicol Paediatric Plain) in an outpatient setting compared to enemas and suppositories and manual evacuation to treat paediatric faecal impaction. A chart review was undertaken to extract clinical outcomes and resource use from the case notes of a cohort of children aged 2-11 years with faecal impaction who initially received either macrogol 3350 (in an outpatient setting) or enemas and suppositories or manual evacuation for initial disimpaction. Five centres across England and Wales participated in the study. These data were used to inform a decision model which depicted the management of children during the disimpaction phase and for a period of 12 weeks following initial disimpaction. Unit resource costs at 2005/2006 prices were applied to the resource utilisation estimates within the model, enabling the incremental costs and consequences of using macrogol 3350 in an outpatient setting, compared to the other treatments, to be estimated. 112 patients treated with macrogol 3350, 101 who received enemas and suppositories and 11 who underwent a manual evacuation were eligible for analysis. Ninety-seven per cent of children treated with macrogol 3350 were successfully disimpacted within 5 days, compared to 73% of those who received enemas and suppositories and 89% of those who underwent a manual evacuation (p suppositories and manual evacuation respectively; p suppositories or underwent a manual evacuation, respectively. Hence, using macrogol 3350 instead of enemas and suppositories and manual evacuation to disimpact the whole annual cohort of faecally impacted children aged 2-11 years in England could potentially reduce annual NHS expenditure on this condition by 59% (5 million pounds sterling) and reduce the annual number of paediatric hospital admissions for this condition by 92% (4330). Within the limitations of our model, macrogol 3350 affords the NHS

The world's longest surviving paediatric practices: some themes of Aboriginal medical ethnobotany in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearn, John

2005-01-01

Contemporary paediatric practices of Australian Aboriginal men and women, in more than 100 Aboriginal Language Groups, comprise a living discipline whose origins predate Western medicine by tens of millennia. The history of paediatrics acknowledges this surviving continuum of the world's oldest child-care practices. Because of the inextricable nexus between Aboriginal men and women and the land in which they live, medical ethnobotany forms a major part of the medical aspects of Aboriginal child care. Traditional tribal healers, called 'Nungungi' in some language groups of Central Australia, are identified as such whilst still young children and are given special education in the healing arts, especially that of medical ethnobotany, by older healers. Distinct from this specialized role, all Aboriginal men and women (and in particular grandmothers) in traditional communities use a sophisticated botanical materia medica in the treatment of sick and injured children. In cultures in transition, medical ethnobotanical practices may persist long after the local use of flora as sources of traditional food, weaponry, totemic identity and religious rites have disappeared. Some selected botanical 'cures' were adopted by early European settlers and a number of such relict uses have become part of mainstream Western life today, particularly as this applies to self-medication. Drugs and medicaments used in the treatment of children are obtained from leaves, bark, roots and flowers, usually as fresh preparations. They are prepared as infusions, decoctions and macerations and may be enjoined with emollients such as emu or kangaroo fat for topical application. Botanical drugs and medicaments are usually prepared fresh for each administration and are rarely stored. Contemporary Australian ethnobotany exploits the medicinal properties of more than 100 genera - using such extracts as antiseptics, analgesics, astringents, antipyretics, sedatives, hypnotics, expectorants and

The use of the Statscan digital X-ray unit in paediatric polytrauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pitcher, Richard D. [University of Cape Town, Division of Paediatric Radiology, Red Cross War Memorial Children' s Hospital, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town (South Africa); Wilde, Jim C.H. [University of Cape Town, Division of Paediatric Surgery, Red Cross War Memorial Children' s Hospital, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town (South Africa); University of Amsterdam, Paediatric Surgical Centre of Amsterdam, Emma Children' s Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Douglas, Tania S. [University of Cape Town, MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town (South Africa); As, Arjan Bastiaan van [University of Cape Town, Division of Paediatric Surgery, Red Cross War Memorial Children' s Hospital, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town (South Africa)

2009-05-15

We present a 3-year review of clinical paediatric experience with the statscan (Lodox Systems, Johannesburg, South Africa), a low-dose, digital, whole-body, slit-scanning X-ray machine. While focusing on the role of the unit in paediatric polytrauma, insight into its applications in other paediatric settings is provided. (orig.)

The use of the Statscan digital X-ray unit in paediatric polytrauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitcher, Richard D.; Wilde, Jim C.H.; Douglas, Tania S.; As, Arjan Bastiaan van

2009-01-01

We present a 3-year review of clinical paediatric experience with the statscan (Lodox Systems, Johannesburg, South Africa), a low-dose, digital, whole-body, slit-scanning X-ray machine. While focusing on the role of the unit in paediatric polytrauma, insight into its applications in other paediatric settings is provided. (orig.)

Radiation exposure in computed tomography: comparison of adult and paediatrics radiology practice in Serbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciraj-Bjelac, O.; Arandjic, D.; Kosutic, D.; Kovacevic, M.

2008-01-01

There are 90 CT units operating in Serbia, with tenfold increase in the last decade, resulting with annual total of approximately 350000 procedures. The objective of this paper is to assess typical patient dose from adult and paediatric CT examinations. Initially, three hospitals (two general hospitals performing examination of adults and a dedicated paediatric hospital) were enrolled into the study. The hospitals have high workload. Both multi detector CT (MDCT) and single detector CT (SDCT) were included, to represent typical practice in Serbia. Typical patients exposure parameters based on predefined protocol for CT examinations of head, chest, abdomen and pelvis were collected. Data were taken form CT unit display. This includes exposure parameters and volumetric and weighted CT dose index (CTDI). Dose length product (DLP) was calculated from CTDI values and information on typical scan length. Also, the effective dose was estimated. DLP values were 575 mGy·cm, 310 mGy·cm, 703 mGy·cm and 470 mGy·cm for head, chest, abdomen and pelvic CT respectively in general hospital using SDCT and 325 mGy·cm, 160 mGy·cm, 321 mGy·cm and 140 mGy·cm for the same examination using MDCT. In paediatric hospital these values were 525 mGy·cm, 230 mGy·cm , 385 mGy·cm and 330 mGy·cm. The assessed patients' doses in terms of CTDI and DLP were well below reference levels and in accordance with surveys from other countries, although the scope for dose reduction trough optimisation of the examination protocol was observed. (author)

Review of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Practice guidelines for management of heart failure in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Colan, Steven D

2015-08-01

In 2004, practice guidelines for the management of heart failure in children by Rosenthal and colleagues were published in conjunction with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. These guidelines have not been updated or reviewed since that time. In general, there has been considerable controversy as to the utility and purpose of clinical practice guidelines, but there is general recognition that the relentless progress of medicine leads to the progressive irrelevance of clinical practice guidelines that do not undergo periodic review and updating. Paediatrics and paediatric cardiology, in particular, have had comparatively minimal participation in the clinical practice guidelines realm. As a result, most clinical practice guidelines either specifically exclude paediatrics from consideration, as has been the case for the guidelines related to cardiac failure in adults, or else involve clinical practice guidelines committees that include one or two paediatric cardiologists and produce guidelines that cannot reasonably be considered a consensus paediatric opinion. These circumstances raise a legitimate question as to whether the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation paediatric heart failure guidelines should be re-reviewed. The time, effort, and expense involved in producing clinical practice guidelines should be considered before recommending an update to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Paediatric Heart Failure guidelines. There are specific areas of rapid change in the evaluation and management of heart failure in children that are undoubtedly worthy of updating. These domains include areas such as use of serum and imaging biomarkers, wearable and implantable monitoring devices, and acute heart failure management and mechanical circulatory support. At the time the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines were published, echocardiographic tissue Doppler, 3 dimensional

Myocarditis in Paediatric Patients: Unveiling the Progression to Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inês Teixeira Farinha

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Myocarditis is a challenging and potentially life-threatening disease associated with high morbidity in some paediatric patients, due to its ability to present as an acute and fulminant disease and to ultimately progress to dilated cardiomyopathy. It has been described as an inflammatory disease of the myocardium caused by diverse aetiologies. Viral infection is the most frequent cause of myocarditis in developed countries, but bacterial and protozoal infections or drug hypersensitivity may also be causative agents. The prompt diagnosis in paediatric patients is difficult, as the spectrum of clinical manifestation can range from no myocardial dysfunction to sudden cardiac death. Recent studies on myocarditis pathogenesis have revealed a triphasic nature of this disease, which influences the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to adopt in each patient. Endomyocardial biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosing myocarditis, and several non-invasive diagnostic tools can be used to support the diagnosis. Intravenous immunoglobulin has become part of routine practice in the treatment of myocarditis in paediatric patients at many centres, but its true effect on the cardiac function has been the target of many studies. The aim of this review is to approach the recently discovered facets of paediatric myocarditis regarding its progression to dilated cardiomyopathy.

Development of a paediatric population-based model of the pharmacokinetics of rivaroxaban.

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Willmann, Stefan; Becker, Corina; Burghaus, Rolf; Coboeken, Katrin; Edginton, Andrea; Lippert, Jörg; Siegmund, Hans-Ulrich; Thelen, Kirstin; Mück, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

Venous thromboembolism has been increasingly recognised as a clinical problem in the paediatric population. Guideline recommendations for antithrombotic therapy in paediatric patients are based mainly on extrapolation from adult clinical trial data, owing to the limited number of clinical trials in paediatric populations. The oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban has been approved in adult patients for several thromboembolic disorders, and its well-defined pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics and efficacy and safety profiles in adults warrant further investigation of this agent in the paediatric population. The objective of this study was to develop and qualify a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for rivaroxaban doses of 10 and 20 mg in adults and to scale this model to the paediatric population (0-18 years) to inform the dosing regimen for a clinical study of rivaroxaban in paediatric patients. Experimental data sets from phase I studies supported the development and qualification of an adult PBPK model. This adult PBPK model was then scaled to the paediatric population by including anthropometric and physiological information, age-dependent clearance and age-dependent protein binding. The pharmacokinetic properties of rivaroxaban in virtual populations of children were simulated for two body weight-related dosing regimens equivalent to 10 and 20 mg once daily in adults. The quality of the model was judged by means of a visual predictive check. Subsequently, paediatric simulations of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), maximum (peak) plasma drug concentration (C max) and concentration in plasma after 24 h (C 24h) were compared with the adult reference simulations. Simulations for AUC, C max and C 24h throughout the investigated age range largely overlapped with values obtained for the corresponding dose in the adult reference simulation for both body weight-related dosing regimens. However

Sweat testing for the detection of atomoxetine from paediatric patients with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder: application to clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchei, Emilia; Papaseit, Esther; Garcia-Algar, Oscar; Bilbao, Amaia; Farré, Magí; Pacifici, Roberta; Pichini, Simona

2013-03-01

Atomoxetine (ATX) is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved since 2002 for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, adolescents, and adults as an alternative treatment to methylphenidate. Within the framework of a project evaluating the use of alternative biological matrices for therapeutic monitoring of psychoactive drugs in paediatric and non-paediatric individuals, the excretion of ATX and its principal metabolites has been recently studied in oral fluid and hair. The aim of this study was to describe the excretion profile of ATX and its metabolites 4-hydroxyatomoxetine (4-OH-ATX) and N-desmethylatomoxetine (N-des-ATX) in sweat following the administration of different dosage regimens (60, 40, 35, and 18 mg/day) of ATX to six paediatric patients. Sweat patches were applied to the back of each participant and removed at timed intervals. ATX and its metabolites were measured in patches using a previously validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method. Independently from the administered dose, ATX appeared in the sweat patches 1 h post administration and reached its maximum concentration generally at 24 h. Peak ATX concentrations ranged between 2.31 and 40.4 ng/patch and did not correlate with the administered drug dose, or with body surface area. Total ATX excreted in sweat ranged between 0.008 and 0.121 mg, corresponding to 0.02 and 0.3% of the administered drug. Neither 4-OH-ATX, nor N-des-ATX was detected in either of the collected sweat patches. Measuring ATX in sweat patches can provide information on cumulative drug use from patch application until removal. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Efficacy of paediatric anaesthetic trolleys: A call for a basic standard and layout.

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Griffiths, Sian E; Boleat, Elizabeth; Goodwin, Alison; Sheikh, Asme; Goonasekera, Chulananda

2015-01-01

Providing safe anaesthesia to children especially in emergency situations goes hand in hand with instant availability of appropriately sized equipment and monitoring. This is best achieved using a designated paediatric anaesthetic trolley containing essential equipment. Guidance for the contents of such trolleys is neither explicit nor standard. We used a survey and a qualitative enquiry to develop a checklist suitable for standardisation of contents and layout of paediatric anaesthetic trolleys. We conducted an observational study of our current practice and paediatric anaesthetic trolleys in a tertiary care hospital. We also performed a qualitative enquiry from experienced paediatric anaesthetists and operating department practitioners.We developed an empirical checklist to ensure the minimum 'essential' equipment is available on these trolleys and implemented a standard layout to facilitate its use. We identified 11 areas in our hospital where anaesthesia is provided to children, each with a designated paediatric anaesthetic trolley. There were considerable deficiencies of items in all areas with no standard pattern or layout. Different types of trolleys contributed to the confusion. In addition, overstocking of inappropriate items hindered its efficient use. Standardising the contents and layout of the paediatric anaesthetic trolley is an essential pre-requisite for safer paediatric anaesthetic practice.

Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in paediatric patients.

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Falces-Romero, Iker; Troyano-Hernáez, Paloma; García-Bujalance, Silvia; Baquero-Artigao, Fernando; Mellado-Peña, María José; García-Rodríguez, Julio

2017-07-06

Our main objective was a revision of clinical, microbiological and epidemiological results of Clostridium difficile-associated infection in paediatric patients (2010-2015). We compared the diagnoses performed by detection of toxins in feces and those performed by real-time PCR. This retrospective study included 82 paediatric patients. Detection of toxigenic C. difficile was performed sequentially, in diarrheal feces and under clinical request. A total of 39% of the patients were attended at Haematology-oncology Unit and >50% of them had previously received cephalosporins. Fever associated with diarrhea was more frequent in the group of toxin detection, whereas not receiving specific antibiotic treatment was more frequent in the group of positive PCR, without statistically significant differences. We highlight the presence of C. difficile infection in children under 2years old. A diagnostic testing in selected paediatric patients would be advisable when there is clinical suspicion of infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Paediatric stoma care nursing in the UK and Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, Marie

Improving quality of care and developing and maintaining high standards of care are issues that are high on the NHS, nursing, and paediatric care agendas. Stoma formation will have an impact on the wellbeing and lifestyle of the person and their family, whatever the person's age. The specialty of stoma care nursing in the UK and Ireland is well established. However, the sub-specialty of paediatric stoma care nursing is much smaller in its 'membership' and its client group. There are differences in the needs of, and the associated care of, paediatric stoma patients even within this overall patient group. Paediatric stoma care nurses are in an ideal position to increase awareness about the specialty and improve standards of nursing care for neonates, children, adolescents and their families. However, until the establishment of the Paediatric Stoma Nurse Group (PSNG) in 2005, this 'position' had not being utilized. This article discusses the ongoing work of the PSNG to devise standards of paediatric stoma care nursing, best practice guidelines, relevant patient/parental information and establish itself as a valuable, proactive and independent forum for all healthcare professionals involved in the care of children with stomas.

A multisource feedback tool to assess ward round leadership skills of senior paediatric trainees: (2) Testing reliability and practicability.

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Goodyear, Helen M; Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

2015-05-01

A five-domain multisource feedback (MSF) tool was previously developed in 2009-2010 by the authors to assess senior paediatric trainees' ward round leadership skills. To determine whether this MSF tool is practicable and reliable, whether individuals' feedback varies over time and trainees' views of the tool. The MSF tool was piloted (April-July 2011) and field tested (September 2011-February 2013) with senior paediatric trainees. A focus group held at the end of field testing obtained trainees' views of the tool. In field testing, 96/115 (84%) trainees returned 633 individual assessments from three different ward rounds over 18 months. The MSF tool had high reliability (Cronbach's α 0.84, G coefficient 0.8 for three raters). In all five domains, data were shifted to the right with scores of 3 (good) and 4 (excellent). Consultants gave significantly lower scores (p<0.001), as did trainees for self-assessment (p<0.001). There was no significant change in MSF scores over 18 months but comments showed that trainees' performance improved. Trainees valued these comments and the MSF tool but had concerns about time taken for feedback and confusion about tool use and the paediatric assessment strategy. A five-domain MSF tool was found to be reliable on pilot and field testing, practicable to use and liked by trainees. Comments on performance were more helpful than scores in giving trainees feedback. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Evaluating service delivery for speech and swallowing problems following paediatric brain injury: an international survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Angela T; Skeat, Jemma

2011-04-01

Little is documented about contemporary management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). It is therefore challenging for clinicians in this field to benchmark their clinical management against current evidence or practices undertaken in other centres. To address this issue, we aimed to provide much-needed baseline data on speech and language pathology management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with childhood ABI. Key objectives were to: (i) determine whether clinicians use formalized referral criteria, clinical guidelines, protocols or care pathways; and (ii) to document the specific assessment and treatment approaches used. Speech and language pathology managers and clinicians at 31 major paediatric rehabilitation centres across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland were invited to participate in an online survey. Fifty-one speech and language pathologists responded representing 26 centres (84% response rate). Routine referrals of ABI patients to speech and language pathology occurred relatively infrequently in these centres (12%). Centres utilized assessment protocols (23%) and guidelines (35%) more frequently than treatment guidelines (8%). Multidisciplinary care pathways were applied by 31%. Most centres used adult-based motor speech assessments and informal ('in-house developed') swallowing assessment tools. The limited use of referral criteria, protocols, care pathways and guidelines invites the possibility of unequal care, and less than optimal outcomes. Reliance on adult-based or in-house assessments is inappropriate, yet frequently a necessity due to an absence of paediatric-specific tools in this field. Further research is required in parallel with the formation of consensus groups to support the development of: (i) paediatric-specific assessment tools and management approaches; and (ii) clinical protocols and guidelines. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Predicting mortality in sick African children: the FEAST Paediatric Emergency Triage (PET) Score.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Elizabeth C; Walker, A Sarah; Kiguli, Sarah; Olupot-Olupot, Peter; Opoka, Robert O; Engoru, Charles; Akech, Samuel O; Nyeko, Richard; Mtove, George; Reyburn, Hugh; Berkley, James A; Mpoya, Ayub; Levin, Michael; Crawley, Jane; Gibb, Diana M; Maitland, Kathryn; Babiker, Abdel G

2015-07-31

Mortality in paediatric emergency care units in Africa often occurs within the first 24 h of admission and remains high. Alongside effective triage systems, a practical clinical bedside risk score to identify those at greatest risk could contribute to reducing mortality. Data collected during the Fluid As Expansive Supportive Therapy (FEAST) trial, a multi-centre trial involving 3,170 severely ill African children, were analysed to identify clinical and laboratory prognostic factors for mortality. Multivariable Cox regression was used to build a model in this derivation dataset based on clinical parameters that could be quickly and easily assessed at the bedside. A score developed from the model coefficients was externally validated in two admissions datasets from Kilifi District Hospital, Kenya, and compared to published risk scores using Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow tests. The Net Reclassification Index (NRI) was used to identify additional laboratory prognostic factors. A risk score using 8 clinical variables (temperature, heart rate, capillary refill time, conscious level, severe pallor, respiratory distress, lung crepitations, and weak pulse volume) was developed. The score ranged from 0-10 and had an AUROC of 0.82 (95 % CI, 0.77-0.87) in the FEAST trial derivation set. In the independent validation datasets, the score had an AUROC of 0.77 (95 % CI, 0.72-0.82) amongst admissions to a paediatric high dependency ward and 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.82-0.89) amongst general paediatric admissions. This discriminative ability was similar to, or better than other risk scores in the validation datasets. NRI identified lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and pH to be important prognostic laboratory variables that could add information to the clinical score. Eight clinical prognostic factors that could be rapidly assessed by healthcare staff for triage were combined to create the FEAST Paediatric Emergency Triage (PET) score and externally

Implementing paediatric early warning scores systems in the Netherlands: future implications.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, J.F. de; Damen, N.; Loos, E. de; Steeg, L. van de; Rosias, P.; Bruijn, M.; Goorhuis, J.; Wagner, C.

2018-01-01

Background: Paediatric Early Warning Scores (PEWS) are increasingly being used for early identification and management of clinical deterioration in paediatric patients. A PEWS system includes scores, cut-off points and appropriate early intervention. In 2011, The Dutch Ministry of Health advised

Study motives, career choices and interest in paediatric dentistry among final year dental students in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Students’ motives for studying Dentistry have been a subject of interest for years because of the potential for understanding the psychological makeup and subsequent job satisfaction for the dentist. It is also useful in identifying expectations of the profession. This study therefore tried to identify study motives and career preferences of dental students especially with respect to the practice of paediatric dentistry. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. The final year students in six dental schools in Nigeria were required to fill the questionnaire. Students were asked to rank their motives and career preferences on a Likert like scale with points ranging from 0–5 where 0 represented a factor that had no influence on their decision and 5 represented a very influential factor. The underlying dimensions for study motives, career preference, impression about and motive for interest in the practice of paediatric dentistry were identified using factor analysis. Results One hundred and seventy nine of 223 students (80.3%) participated in this study. Motives for the practice of dentistry included characteristics of the profession, altruism and intellectual challenges, existence of artistic theme in dentistry and parent’s recommendation. Overall, 67.1% of respondents indicated interest in postgraduate studies and 50.8% were interested in paediatric dentistry practice. The main motives for showing interest in the practice of paediatric dentistry were ‘personal interest, professional interest and interest of significant others in children’, and ‘family influence’. Significantly more males than females were interested in the practice of paediatric dentistry though the motives for interest in the practice of paediatric dentistry did not differ significantly by sex or age. Conclusion The non-significant sex difference in the motives for interest in the practice of paediatric dentistry is a possible

Radiological protection of paediatric patients: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringertz, H.G.; Bremmer, S.

2001-01-01

Paediatric patients require special attention with respect to radiation protection, for various reasons. The difference between a 1 kg premature baby and a 100 kg teenager puts special demands on the radiographic techniques used, and the increased radiosensitivity of growing tissue and the patients' longer life expectancy put greater demands on the justification of the procedures to be carried out. The optimization procedure involves practical aspects such as immobilization, body build specific exposure parameters and body build specific anatomical knowledge. These and other aspects of paediatric radiological protection are discussed in this overview. (author)

Paediatric doses from diagnostic radiology in Victoria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boal, T.J.; Cardillo, I.; Einsiedel, P.F.

1998-01-01

This study examines doses to paediatric patients from diagnostic radiology. Measurements were made at 29 hospitals and private radiology practices in the state of Victoria. Entrance skin doses in air were measured for the exposure factors used by hospital radiology departments and private radiology practices for a standard size 1, 5, 10 and 15 year old child, for the following procedures: chest AP/PA, lat; abdomen AP; pelvis AP; lumbar spine AP, lat; and skull AP, lat. There was a large range of doses for each particular procedure and age group. Factors contributing to the range of doses were identified. Guidance levels for paediatric radiology based on the third quartile value of the skin entrance doses have been recommended and are compared with guidance levels. Copyright (1998) Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine

A practical approach to anaesthesia for paediatric liver transplantation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adele

REVIEW. Introduction. The first liver transplant in children was performed by Starzl in ... program has performed 79 transplants in 76 patients with ... Paediatric liver transplantation in South Africa, up until the present time, has been centered at the Red Cross Children's Hospital ..... infrahepatic connections (i.e. steps 1 and 2).

Ibuprofen in paediatrics: pharmacology, prescribing and controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, Camilla; Carroll, Will

2016-12-01

Ibuprofen, a propionic acid derivative, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The oral formulation is widely used in paediatric practice and after paracetamol it is one of the most common drugs prescribed for children in hospital. The treatment of fever with antipyretics such as ibuprofen is controversial as fever is the normal response of the body to infection and unless the child becomes distressed or symptomatic, fever alone should not be routinely treated. Combined treatment with paracetamol and ibuprofen is commonly undertaken but almost certainly is not helpful. This article aims to describe the indications and mode of action of the drug, outline its pharmacokinetics and highlight the important key messages regarding its use in clinical practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Organ and tissue donation in a regional paediatric intensive care unit: evaluation of practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Carone, Laura; Alurkar, Shrirang; Kigozi, Phoebe; Vyas, Harish

2018-05-01

Approximately 2% of those on the organ transplant list in the UK are children. Early identification of donors and referral to organ donation teams (ODT) has proven to increase both the success rate of gaining consent and the number of organs actually retrieved. To evaluate the practice relating to organ donation for children receiving end-of-life care on a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) measured against the National Guidelines. All children 0-18 who received their end-of-life care and died on the PICU. A retrospective cohort study of organ donation patterns including referral, approach, consent and donation. This involved a review of case notes on PICU between the years 2009 and 2014. One hundred five deaths were identified and 100 notes were examined and data analysed to ascertain if religion, age and length of stay on PICU impacted on practice. Eighty-six children met the early identification criteria for potential donors, 40 (46.5%) children were referred to the ODT and 33 (38.3%) families were approached regarding donation. Twenty-one (24.4%) families consented to donation. Seventeen donations took place with a total of 41 sets of organs/tissues retrieved. Despite the majority of children meeting early identification for potential donors, many were not being referred. All children on end-of-life care should be referred for potential organ donation. Organ donation needs to be seen as a priority for hospitals as a part of routine end-of-life care to help increase referral rates and give families the opportunity to donate. Many paediatric deaths are not referred for consideration of organ donation, despite guidelines stating that this process should be standard of care. Further optimization of referral rates may aid in increasing the number of organs available for donation. What is Known: • Shortage of organs continues to be a national problem. • NICE guidelines state that all patients who are on end-of-life care should have the option of organ donation

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Parents of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Subscription or Fee Access ... of children with congenital heart defects attending the Paediatric Cardiology Clinic of ... Keywords: Congenital heart disease, Oral health knowledge, Oral health practices.

Paediatric nurses' understanding of the process and procedure of double-checking medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, Annette; McCall, Elaine; Twomey, Bernadette; James, Natalie

2010-03-01

To understand paediatric nurses' understanding and practice regarding double-checking medication and identify facilitators and barriers to the process of independent double-checking (IDC). A system of double-checking medications has been proposed as a way of minimising medication error particularly in situations involving high-risk medications, complex processes such as calculating doses, or high-risk patient populations such as infants and children. While recommendations have been made in support of IDC in paediatric settings little is known about nursing practice and the facilitators and barriers to this process. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were collected via three focus group interviews. Six to seven paediatric nurses participated in homogenous groups based on level of practice. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. This study demonstrates that, while IDC is accepted and promoted as best practice in a paediatric setting, there is a lack of clarity as to what this means. This study supports other studies in relation to the influence of workload, distraction and environmental factors on the administration process but highlights the need for more research in relation to the impact of the power dynamic between junior and senior nurses. The issue of automaticity has been unexplored in relation to nursing practice but this study indicates that this may have an important influence on how care is delivered to patients. While the focus of this study was in the paediatric setting, the findings have relevance to other settings and population groups. The adoption of IDC in health care settings must have in place: policy and guidelines that clearly define the process of checking, educational support, an environment that supports peer critique and review, well-designed medication areas and accessible resources to support drug administration.

The status of paediatric medicines initiatives around the world--What has happened and what has not?

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppu, Kalle; Anabwani, Gabriel; Garcia-Bournissen, Facundo; Gazarian, Madlen; Kearns, Gregory L; Nakamura, Hidefumi; Peterson, Robert G; Sri Ranganathan, Shalini; de Wildt, Saskia N

2012-01-01

This review was conducted to examine the current status of paediatric medicines initiatives across the globe. The authors made a non-systematic descriptive review of current world situation. Two regions, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have introduced strong paediatric initiatives to improve children's health through improving access to better paediatric medicines. The experience from the US initiative indicates that it is possible to stimulate development and study of paediatric medicines and provide important new information for improvement of paediatric therapy. The early results from the EU initiative are similarly encouraging. In Canada, Japan, Australia and other developed countries, specific paediatric medicines initiatives have been less extensive and weaker, with modest results. Disappointingly, current evidence suggests that results from clinical trials outside the US often do not benefit children in the country in which the trials were largely conducted. Pharmaceutical companies that have derived a financial benefit commensurate with the cost of doing the paediatric trials in one country do not seem to be making the results of these trials available to all countries if there is no financial incentive to the company. The WHO campaign 'make medicines child size' has produced substantive accomplishments in building improved foundations to improve mechanisms that will enhance children's access to critical medicines in resource-limited settings. However, practically all of this work has been performed using an amalgamation of short-term funding from a variety of sources as opposed to a sustained, programmatic commitment. Although much still needs to be done, it's clear that with concerted efforts and appropriate resources, change is possible but slow. Retaining and fostering public and political interest in paediatric medicines is challenging, but pivotal for success.

Internet health seeking behaviour of parents attending a general paediatric outpatient clinic: A cross-sectional observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebelefsky, Christian; Karner, Denise; Voitl, Jasmin; Klein, Frederic; Voitl, Peter; Böck, Andreas

2015-10-01

Our aim was to examine the internet health seeking behaviour of parents attending a general paediatric outpatient clinic. For this purpose, the proportion of parents going online to obtain child health information, the most commonly used online resources, and factors having an influence on internet usage were identified. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a general paediatric outpatient clinic in Vienna, Austria. Data collection was done by means of an anonymous questionnaire containing 14 items. A total number of 500 questionnaires were collected. Among parents visiting the outpatient clinic, 94.4% use the internet to obtain child health information in general and 21% to be informed about the reason for consultation. Most commonly used online resources are Google (91.4%), websites run by doctors (84.8%), Wikipedia (84.7%), health portals (76.4%), the outpatient clinic's homepage (76.4%), as well as health forums and communities (61.9%). Younger parents (p = 0.022) and parents of younger children (p parents with different completed educational levels (mothers: p = 0.078; fathers: p = 0.388) do not differ in this behaviour. Important reasons for high internet use might be the inexperience of young parents regarding child health as well as the frequent infections, vaccinations, and preventive check-ups which are associated with young age of children. In contrast to former findings relating to health seekers in general, internet usage of parents is independent of their sex and educational level. © The Author(s) 2015.

Paediatric acute care: Highlights from the Paediatric Acute Care-Advanced Paediatric Life Support Conference, Gold Coast, 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Teo, Stephen Ss; Rao, Arjun; Acworth, Jason

2018-04-25

The Paediatric Acute Care Conference is an annual conference organised by APLS Australia to advance paediatric acute care topics for clinicians in pre-hospital medicine, EDs, acute paediatrics, intensive care and anaesthesia. The Conference 2017 was held at Surfers Paradise, Queensland. We provide a summary of some of the presentations. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Routine perinatal and paediatric post-mortem radiography: detection rates and implications for practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arthurs, Owen J. [NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Radiology Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom); Calder, Alistair D. [NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Radiology Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom); Kiho, Liina [Camelia Botnar Laboratories Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Department of Paediatric Pathology, London (United Kingdom); Taylor, Andrew M. [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Cardiorespiratory Unit, London (United Kingdom); UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom); Sebire, Neil J. [Camelia Botnar Laboratories Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Department of Paediatric Pathology, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom)

2014-03-15

Routine perinatal and paediatric post-mortem plain radiography allows for the diagnosis and assessment of skeletal dysplasias, fractures and other bony abnormalities. The aim of this study was to review the diagnostic yield of this practice. We identified 1,027 cases performed in a single institution over a 21/2-year period, including babygrams (whole-body examinations) and full skeletal surveys. Images were reported prior to autopsy in all cases. Radiology findings were cross-referenced with the autopsy findings using an autopsy database. We scored each case from 0 to 4 according to the level of diagnostic usefulness. The overall abnormality rate was 126/1,027 (12.3%). There was a significantly higher rate of abnormality when a skeletal survey was performed (18%) rather than a babygram (10%; P < 0.01); 90% (665/739) of babygrams were normal. Of the 74 abnormal babygrams, we found 33 incidental non-contributory cases, 19 contributory, 20 diagnostic, and 2 false-positive cases. There were only 2 cases out of 739 (0.27%) in whom routine post-mortem imaging identified potentially significant abnormalities that would not have been detected if only selected imaging had been performed. A policy of performing selected, rather than routine, foetal post-mortem radiography could result in a significant cost saving. Routine post-mortem paediatric radiography in foetuses and neonates is neither diagnostically useful nor cost-effective. A more evidence-based, selective protocol should yield significant cost savings. (orig.)

Routine perinatal and paediatric post-mortem radiography: detection rates and implications for practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arthurs, Owen J.; Calder, Alistair D.; Kiho, Liina; Taylor, Andrew M.; Sebire, Neil J.

2014-01-01

Routine perinatal and paediatric post-mortem plain radiography allows for the diagnosis and assessment of skeletal dysplasias, fractures and other bony abnormalities. The aim of this study was to review the diagnostic yield of this practice. We identified 1,027 cases performed in a single institution over a 21/2-year period, including babygrams (whole-body examinations) and full skeletal surveys. Images were reported prior to autopsy in all cases. Radiology findings were cross-referenced with the autopsy findings using an autopsy database. We scored each case from 0 to 4 according to the level of diagnostic usefulness. The overall abnormality rate was 126/1,027 (12.3%). There was a significantly higher rate of abnormality when a skeletal survey was performed (18%) rather than a babygram (10%; P < 0.01); 90% (665/739) of babygrams were normal. Of the 74 abnormal babygrams, we found 33 incidental non-contributory cases, 19 contributory, 20 diagnostic, and 2 false-positive cases. There were only 2 cases out of 739 (0.27%) in whom routine post-mortem imaging identified potentially significant abnormalities that would not have been detected if only selected imaging had been performed. A policy of performing selected, rather than routine, foetal post-mortem radiography could result in a significant cost saving. Routine post-mortem paediatric radiography in foetuses and neonates is neither diagnostically useful nor cost-effective. A more evidence-based, selective protocol should yield significant cost savings. (orig.)

Medication communication between nurses and doctors for paediatric acute care: An ethnographic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Borrott, Narelle; Kinney, Sharon; Newall, Fiona; Williams, Allison; Cranswick, Noel; Wong, Ian; Manias, Elizabeth

2017-07-01

To examine how communication between nurses and doctors occurred for managing medications in inpatient paediatric settings. Communication between health professionals influences medication incidents' occurrence and safe care. An ethnographic study was undertaken. Semi-structured interviews, observations and focus groups were conducted in three clinical areas of an Australian tertiary paediatric hospital. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using the Medication Communication Model. The actual communication act revealed health professionals' commitment to effective medication management and the influence of professional identities on medication communication. Nurses and doctors were dedicated to providing safe, effective medication therapy for children, within their scope of practice and perceived role responsibilities. Most nurses and junior doctors used tentative language in their communication while senior doctors tended to use direct language. Irrespective of language style, nurses actively engaged with doctors to promote patients' needs. Yet, the medical hierarchical structure, staffing and attendant expectations influenced communication for medication management, causing frustration among nurses and doctors. Doctors' lack of verbal communication of documented changes to medication orders particularly troubled nurses. Nurses persisted in their efforts to acquire appropriate orders for safe medication administration to paediatric patients. Collaborative practice between nurses and doctors involved complex, symbiotic relationships. Their dedication to providing safe medication therapy to paediatric patients facilitated effective medication management. At times, shortcomings in interdisciplinary communication impacted on potential and actual medication incidents. Understanding of the complexities affecting medication communication between nurses and doctors helps to ensure interprofessional respect for each other's roles and inherent demands

Identification of a common language describing paediatric physiotherapy practice for children with additional support needs, to support communication with those outside the physiotherapy profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Cathleen; Maciver, Donald; Howden, Stella; Forsyth, Kirsty; Adamson, Amanda; Bremner, Lynne

2013-03-01

Children with additional support needs (ASNs) often require physiotherapy intervention to help maximise their participation within the primary school setting. The aim of this research was to investigate paediatric physiotherapy practice in supporting primary school aged children with ASNs, in order to identify a language to describe this, which could be used to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession. Using a qualitative research multiple methods design, 2 focus groups and 5 structured interviews were held to investigate physiotherapy practice for this group. Senior paediatric physiotherapists (n=13) from a range of specialities, with experience of supporting primary school aged children with ASNs. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed to establish links and patterns: followed by a cyclical process of respondent validation, and expert review. Eight targets for physiotherapy intervention and twelve technique headings were synthesised from the data. The language used for labelling and description of these was aimed to be easily understood by colleagues outside the profession. The findings clearly identified the role of the paediatric physiotherapist as being to support primary school aged children with ASNs to acquire aspects of postural control, mobility and cardio-respiratory function. By grouping the data into eight areas of challenge as the focus of intervention, and twelve commonly used techniques, the researchers generated a language which can be used by paediatric physiotherapists to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession, when describing their intent and interactions regarding these children. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards the definition of Institutional diagnostic reference levels in paediatric interventional cardiology procedures in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kottou, S; Kollaros, N; Plemmenos, C; Mastorakou, I; Apostolopoulou, S C; Tsapaki, V

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate paediatric radiation doses in a dedicated cardiology hospital, with the objective of characterising patterns in dose variation. The ultimate purpose was to define Local (Institutional) Diagnostic Reference Levels (LDRLs) for different types of paediatric cardiac interventional procedures (IC), according to patient age. From a total of 710 cases performed during three consecutive years, by operators with more than 15 years of experience, the age was noted in only 477 IC procedures. The median values obtained for Fluoroscopy Time (FT), Number of Frames (N) and Kerma Area Product (P KA ) by age range were 5.8 min, 1322 and 2.0 Gy.cm 2 for definition of LDRLs presents challenges mainly due to the multiple clinical and technical factors affecting the outcome. On the other hand the lack of paediatric IC DRLs makes the identification of good practices more difficult. A consensus is needed on IC procedures nomenclature and grouping in order to allow a common assessment and comparison of doses. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shared decision-making in the paediatric field: a literature review and concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Eun Sook; Cho, In Young

2017-09-13

The concept of shared decision-making is poorly defined and often used interchangeably with related terms. The aim of this study was to delineate and clarify the concept of shared decision-making in the paediatric field. Rodgers and Knafl's evolutionary concept analysis was used to delineate and clarify the concept. Following a search of the CINAHL, PubMed and MEDLINE databases and online journals between 1995 and 2016, we included a total of 42 articles that referred to shared decision-making in the paediatric field. The attributes included active participation of the three: parents, children and health professionals; collaborative partnership; reaching a compromise; and common goal for child's health. Antecedents were existing several options with different possible outcomes; substantial decisional conflict; recognising child's health situations that decision-making is needed; and willingness to participate in decision-making. Finally, the consequences included decreased decisional conflict; mutual empowerment; improved child health status; and improved quality of paediatric health care. This study provides a theoretical understanding of the concept of shared decision-making in the paediatric field; furthermore, by integrating this concept into paediatric practice, it may help to reduce the gap between theory and practice. The analysis could also provide nursing researchers with insight into paediatric decision-making and establish a foundation to develop future interventions and situation-specific theory for promoting high-quality decision-making in the paediatric field. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Multidetector row CT for imaging the paediatric tracheobronchial tree

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papaioannou, Georgia; Young, Carolyn; Owens, Catherine M.

2007-01-01

The introduction of multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) scanners has altered the approach to imaging the paediatric thorax. In an environment where the rapid acquisition of CT data allows general hospitals to image children instead of referring them to specialist paediatric centres, it is vital that general radiologists have access to protocols appropriate for paediatric applications. Thus a dramatic reduction in the delivered radiation dose is ensured with optimal contrast bolus delivery and timing, and inappropriate repetition of the scans is avoided. This article focuses on the main principles of volumetric CT imaging that apply generically to all MDCT scanners. We describe the reconstruction techniques for imaging the paediatric thorax and the low-dose protocols used in our institution on a 16-slice detector CT scanner. Examples of the commonest clinical applications are also given. (orig.)

Methodologies to assess paediatric adiposity.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Horan, M

2014-05-04

Childhood obesity is associated with increased risk of adult obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Appropriate techniques for assessment of childhood adiposity are required to identify children at risk. The aim of this review was to examine core clinical measurements and more technical tools to assess paediatric adiposity.

What's new in paediatric dentistry?

Science.gov (United States)

Vitale, M. C.

2016-03-01

Since the early 80's, the use of laser has been introduced in the daily dental practice and the technological development has also provided over time to optimize its use. Various types of lasers with different wavelengths have been developed for use in a handy, easy and ergonomic manner. In daily paediatric dentistry, laser could be a very useful medical device which can completely replace the traditional high hand-piece and bur to realize a "micro-invasive" dentistry and a "clean" surgery, without bleeding and sutures. According to the international literature and in the light of recent researches, this work could give an overview on assisted laser therapy in paediatric dentistry, highlighting advantages and disadvantages of this new technology and pointing out the high compliance of the young patient.

Drug development: EU paediatric legislation, the European Medicines Agency and its Paediatric Committee--adolescents' melanoma as a paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Klaus; Senn, Stephen

2014-01-01

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) website lists all diseases that officially exist in adults only. The class waiver for juvenile melanoma was revoked in 2008 referring to US SEER statistics. This statistical justification is misleading. Melanoma in adolescents is much rarer than claimed by EMA/Paediatric Committee; < 1 ∕ 4 of adolescents with melanoma need systemic treatment; separate efficacy studies are neither medically justified nor feasible. The scarce adolescent patients should be allowed to participate in adult trials. To force companies to investigate them separately turns them into paediatric hostages, to adapt the term therapeutic orphans coined in 1968 by Shirkey. There are now five melanoma Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs). Probably none of the PIP-triggered clinical studies will ever be completed; we propose to call them ghost studies. An oncology research network considering a reasonable trial in melanoma, including adolescents, will compete for recruitment with the PIP-triggered trials designed by regulatory tunnel vision and sponsored by companies under EMA-imposed pressure. EMA/Paediatric Committee's territorial enthusiasm ("our patients") damages oncology research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improving clinical handover in a paediatric ward: implications for nursing management.

Science.gov (United States)

Mannix, Trudi; Parry, Yvonne; Roderick, Allison

2017-04-01

To describe how nursing staff in a paediatric ward improved the conduct of clinical handover, using a practise development approach. ISBAR (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation) is a mnemonic tool to aid the safe transfer of patient information in clinical handover. The nurses identified the need to improve the use of ISBAR, and other issues related to handover that could compromise patient safety and constrain family-centred care. Sixty-one percent of nurses on the ward contributed to issue identification and the design of the educational material, including a set of written and video resources and incorporating the role of a handover coach. Staff performance was evaluated before and after access to the resources using self-administered Likert scales, observation and a focus group. After the intervention, there was a stronger relationship between the participants' understanding of ISBAR and their application of it in handover. Further, there were statistically significant increases in improved handover practises, including family inclusion and safety checks. A practise development approach is useful in the provision of education to guide clinical performance in patient handover. Nurse managers can use this approach to empower their staff to make positive changes to practise. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Paediatric renal length measurements from ultrasound and DMSA scans: does clinical practice reflect theoretical normal values?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Que, L.; Rutland, M.D.; Hassan, I.M.

1999-01-01

Full text: Renal length measurement is a routine part of ultrasound examination in children and those results are plotted on a normogram style graph, so that each child's results are compared to a normal range (mean ± 2 S.D.). Renal length measurements from the posterior oblique views of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scans in our department have not always correlated well with the ultrasound measurements on the same patients. Renal lengths from the DMSA scans of 120 patients with apparently normal kidneys were recorded and used to generate a normogram of renal length at different ages (0.5-7 years). This DMSA normogram was compared to the ultrasound (US) normogram used in the Paediatric Radiology Department, and it showed slight differences in renal lengths (3-8 mm), but that the US normogram had smaller coefficients of variation (US = 6.6%, NM 8.3%), implying a 'tighter' normal range. 39 of these patients had DMSA and ultrasound measurements of renal length within 3 months, and these were studied first by calculating the mean and CV values for different age groups, and then by plotting individual renal lengths on the appropriate normograms. The measured data produced much greater variability in the ultrasound measurements than the DTPA measurements, and the individual points produced 4/78 (5.1%) abnormal results for DMSA, but 21/78 (26.9%) abnormal results for ultrasound. Thus, in routine clinical use, using patients with apparently normal kidneys, ultrasound was unable to match the 'normal range' set by their current normogram, but the nuclear medicine showed 5.1% of values outside the normal (DMSA) range, which was completely appropriate for a range of ± 2 standard deviations

[Current situation of the organisation, resources and activity in paediatric cardiology in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez Ferrer, Francisco; Castro García, Francisco José; Pérez-Lescure Picarzo, Javier; Roses Noguer, Ferrán; Centeno Malfaz, Fernándo; Grima Murcia, María Dolores; Brotons, Dimpna Albert

2018-04-26

The results are presented on the «current situation of the organisation, resources and activity in paediatric cardiology in Spain». It was promoted by the Spanish Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart disease. An analysis was carried out on the results obtained from a specifically designed questionnaire, prepared by the Spanish Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart disease, that was sent to all hospitals around the country that offer the speciality of paediatric cardiology. A total of 86 questionnaires were obtained, including 14 hospitals that perform cardiac surgery on children. A total of 190 paediatric cardiology consultants, 40 cardiac surgeons, and 27 middle grade doctors performing their paediatric residency (MIR program) were identified. All hospitals had adequate equipment to perform an optimal initial evaluation of any child with a possible cardiac abnormality, but only tertiary centres could perform complex diagnostic procedures, interventional cardiology, and cardiac surgery. In almost all units around the country, paediatric cardiology consultants were responsible for outpatient clinics and hospital admissions, whereas foetal cardiology units were still mainly managed by obstetricians. The number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was similar to those reported in the first survey, except for a slight decrease in the total number of closed cardiac surgery procedures, and a proportional increase in the number of therapeutic catheterisations. Paediatric Cardiology in Spain is performed by paediatric cardiology consultants that were trained initially as general paediatricians, and then completed a paediatric cardiology training period. Almost all units have adequate means for diagnosis and treatment. Efforts should be directed to create a national registry that would not only allow a prospective quantification of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, but also focus on their clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2018

Best practice in management of paediatric and adolescent hydrosalpinges: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazmi, Zainab; Gupta, Sujata

2015-12-01

Hydrosalpinx is a rare cause of abdominal pain in paediatric patients, though cases are documented in the literature. Its aetiology differs considerably from traditional hydrosalpinx due to ascending sexually transmitted infection. Hydrosalpinx can present mimicking an acute abdomen or can be asymptomatic. Management of paediatric hydrosalpinx varies, but often involves surgical removal of the affected tube. In June 2015, a literature search using relevant keywords was completed on MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to determine best management of paediatric hydrosalpinx. We found 66 cases from 38 articles. Surgical intervention took place in 74% of cases (n=49). The most common surgical intervention was salpingectomy. In 3% of cases (n=2), nonsurgical medical management with hormonal therapy was utilized, with post-operative improvement in symptomology. In 23% of cases (n=15), conservative management was utilized: 2 of these cases torted, 4 cases persisted and 9 cases resolved. Overall, the results of this review demonstrate that there are comparable outcomes between surgical, medical and conservative management. However, medical and conservative management was not often offered, and more research is needed on the subject. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Socio-clinical issues in cerebral palsy in Sagamu, Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigeria, provides specialist paediatric neurological care to at least three states of the ... parental social indices, clinical diagnoses and the frequencies of clinic .... palsy and oral motor dysfunction.16 Special feeding devices may therefore be .... Knowledge, attitude and practice of community health workers in. Nigeria.

Management of paediatric spontaneous pneumothorax: a multicentre retrospective case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Paul D; Blackburn, Carol; Babl, Franz E; Gamage, Lalith; Schutz, Jacquie; Nogajski, Rebecca; Dalziel, Stuart; Donald, Colin B; Druda, Dino; Krieser, David; Neutze, Jocelyn; Acworth, Jason; Lee, Mark; Ngo, Peter K

2015-10-01

Paediatric guidelines are lacking for management of spontaneous pneumothorax. Adult patient-focused guidelines (British Thoracic Society 2003 and 2010) introduced aspiration as first-line intervention for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and small secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces (SSP). Paediatric practice is unclear, and evidence for aspiration success rates is urgently required to develop paediatric-specific recommendations. Retrospective analysis of PSP and SSP management at nine paediatric emergency departments across Australia and New Zealand (2003-2010) to compare PSP and SSP management. 219 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax occurred in 162 children (median age 15 years, 71% male); 155 PSP episodes in 120 children and 64 SSP episodes in 42 children. Intervention in PSP vs SSP episodes occurred in 55% (95% CI 47% to 62%) vs 70% (60% to 79%), pmanagement, PSP and SSP management did not differ and ICC insertion was the continuing preferred intervention. Overall success of aspiration was lower than reported results for adults, although success was greater for small than for large pneumothoraces. Paediatric prospective studies are urgently required to determine optimal paediatric interventional management strategies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Is magnetic resonance imaging a viable alternative to ultrasound as the primary imaging modality in the diagnosis of paediatric appendicitis? A systematic review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogunmefun, G.; Hardy, M.; Boynes, S.

2016-01-01

Background: Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical intervention in paediatric patients. Ultrasound is generally the diagnostic imaging modality of choice, followed by CT, where paediatric appendicitis is suspected. However, high operator dependency and diagnostic restrictions related to anatomical and clinical presentation may limit consistency of application. This paper explores whether MRI is a viable alternative to ultrasound as the primary imaging modality. Method: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. A search of Medline, Cinahl, PubMed Central and Google Scholar was undertaken supplemented by a review of reference lists, author searching and review of NICE evidence base for existing guidelines. Included studies were assessed for bias using the QUADAS-2 quality assessment tool and data were extracted systematically using a purposefully designed electronic data extraction proforma. Results: Seven studies were included in final review. The age range of participants extended from 0 to 19 years. Only one study with a patient age range of 0–14 used sedation. Sensitivity estimates from the included studies ranged from 92% to 100% while specificity ranged from 89% to 100%. A significant variation in the number and type of sequences was noted between the studies. Conclusion: MRI offers high sensitivity and specificity comparable to contrast enhanced CT and greater than ultrasound as reported in the literature. Where accessibility is not a restriction, MRI is a viable alternative to ultrasound in the assessment and diagnosis of paediatric appendicitis. Clinical practice recommendations have been provided to facilitate the translation of evidence into practice. - Highlights: • MRI may be used as the primary imaging tool to investigate paediatric appendicitis. • Gadolinium is not necessary for MRI evaluation of appendicitis in children. • Sedation for MRI evaluation of appendicitis is not required

Psychometric analysis of subjective sedation scales used for critically ill paediatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Xiaohua; Zhang, Tingting; Zhou, Lingling

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of subjective sedation scales using one psychometric scoring system to identify the appropriate scale that is most suitable for clinical care practice. A number of published sedation assessment scales for paediatric patients are currently used to attempt to achieve a moderate depth of sedation to avoid the undesirable effects caused by over- or undersedation. However, there has been no systematic review of these scales. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, etc., to obtain relevant articles. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated according to the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist. Articles that had been published or were in press and discussed the psychometric properties of sedation scales were included. The population comprised critically ill infants and non-verbal children ranging in age from 0 to 18 years who underwent sedation in an intensive care unit. Data were independently extracted by two investigators using a standard data extraction checklist: 43 articles were included in this review, and 13 sedation scales were examined. The quality of the psychometric evidence for the Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale was 'very good', with the Comfort Scale having a higher quality (total weighted scores, Comfort Scale = 17·3 and Comfort Behaviour Scale = 15·5). We suggest that the scales be systematically and comprehensively tested in terms of development method, reliability, validation, feasibility and correlation with clinical outcome. The Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale are useful tools for measuring sedation in paediatric patients. Nursing staff should choose one subjective sedation scale that is suitable for assessing paediatric patients' depth of sedation. We recommend the Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale as optimal choices if the clinical

Admission, discharge and triage guidelines for paediatric intensive care units in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Oliva, Pedro; Cambra-Lasaosa, Francisco José; Quintana-Díaz, Manuel; Rey-Galán, Corsino; Sánchez-Díaz, Juan Ignacio; Martín-Delgado, María Cruz; de Carlos-Vicente, Juan Carlos; Hernández-Rastrollo, Ramón; Holanda-Peña, María Soledad; Pilar-Orive, Francisco Javier; Ocete-Hita, Esther; Rodríguez-Núñez, Antonio; Serrano-González, Ana; Blanch, Luis

2018-05-01

A paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a separate physical facility or unit specifically designed for the treatment of paediatric patients who, because of the severity of illness or other life-threatening conditions, require comprehensive and continuous inten-sive care by a medical team with special skills in paediatric intensive care medicine. Timely and personal intervention in intensive care reduces mortality, reduces length of stay, and decreases cost of care. With the aim of defending the right of the child to receive the highest attainable standard of health and the facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation, as well as ensuring the quality of care and the safety of critically ill paediatric patients, the Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP), Spanish Society of Paediatric Intensive Care (SECIP) and Spanish Society of Critical Care (SEMICYUC) have approved the guidelines for the admission, discharge and triage for Spanish PICUs. By using these guidelines, the performance of Spanish paediatric intensive care units can be optimised and paediatric patients can receive the appropriate level of care for their clinical condition. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Litigation in paediatrics

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murphu, JFA

2011-03-01

on the issue. This is understandable. Most individuals are healthy during their childhood and have less need of and less interaction with medical services when compared with adults. However, Paediatric litigation does happen and furthermore it is likely to increase in parallel with other specialties. Carroll and Buddenbaum1 have described the pattern of Paediatric litigation in the US. The annual incidence of malpractice claims has been quoted to be as high as 6.6 claims per 100 Paediatricians per year. Almost 30% of Paediatricians have been sued with many being sued on more than one occasion. Of these cases 36% were settled out of court, 33% were dropped by the plaintiff with the remainder going before the judiciary. The authors point out that in the US medical malpractice is a hotly debated issue. Litigation has a questionable impact on health care quality, cost, and access to services. The AMA believes that rising premiums are resulting in the curtailment of medical care particularly in states with high medico-legal rates. The Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA) is a trade organisation which insures 60% of all private practicing physicians and surgeons has been a useful source of data. In the 20 year period 1985-2005 among a total of 214,226 claims there were 6363 (2.9%) Paediatric claims which ranked it 10th among the 28 specialties covered. The claims arose in equal numbers from the hospital and Paediatrician’s office settings. Common reasons for Paediatric litigation were errors in diagnosis (32%), incorrect performance of a medical or surgical procedure (13%), failure to monitor or manage a case effectively (10%) and medication error (5%). The top five medico-legal conditions were meningitis, routine infant or child checks, newborn respiratory problems, appendicitis and brain-damaged infants as a co-defendant with Obstetrics. Good quality information about litigation is important because the discussion among doctors is frequently confused by

Paediatric nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Da Costa, H [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Radiation Medicine Centre

1978-05-01

The use of radiopharmaceutical agents for the diagnosis of diseases frequently encountered in the paediatric age group is outlined. The agents suitable for scanning of brain, thyroid, kidney, liver and spleen are mentioned and their efficacy in diagnosis of pathological conditions based on practical experience is reported. Bromide partition test for diagnosis of intracranial tuberculosis and /sup 131/I uptake test for thyroid study are also described. Dose of the agent is smaller than that in the case of adults and depends upon the child's body weight.

[Results of applying a paediatric early warning score system as a healthcare quality improvement plan].

Science.gov (United States)

Rivero-Martín, M J; Prieto-Martínez, S; García-Solano, M; Montilla-Pérez, M; Tena-Martín, E; Ballesteros-García, M M

2016-06-01

The aims of this study were to introduce a paediatric early warning score (PEWS) into our daily clinical practice, as well as to evaluate its ability to detect clinical deterioration in children admitted, and to train nursing staff to communicate the information and response effectively. An analysis was performed on the implementation of PEWS in the electronic health records of children (0-15 years) in our paediatric ward from February 2014 to September 2014. The maximum score was 6. Nursing staff reviewed scores >2, and if >3 medical and nursing staff reviewed it. Monitoring indicators: % of admissions with scoring; % of complete data capture; % of scores >3; % of scores >3 reviewed by medical staff, % of changes in treatment due to the warning system, and number of patients who needed Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admission, or died without an increased warning score. The data were collected from all patients (931) admitted. The scale was measured 7,917 times, with 78.8% of them with complete data capture. Very few (1.9%) showed scores >3, and 14% of them with changes in clinical management (intensifying treatment or new diagnostic tests). One patient (scored 2) required PICU admission. There were no deaths. Parents or nursing staff concern was registered in 80% of cases. PEWS are useful to provide a standardised assessment of clinical status in the inpatient setting, using a unique scale and implementing data capture. Because of the lack of severe complications requiring PICU admission and deaths, we will have to use other data to evaluate these scales. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Clinical features of functional somatic symptoms in children and referral patterns to child and adolescent mental health services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tøt-Strate, Simone; Dehlholm-Lambertsen, Gitte; Lassen, Karin

2016-01-01

AIM: Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are common in paediatric patients who are referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), but little is known about current referral practices. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate clinical features of paediatric inpatients...... who had been referred and 44 children who had not. RESULTS: Most paediatric records lacked information on psychosocial factors and symptoms. Referred children were significantly more multisymptomatic of FSS (p controls, had longer symptom duration, underwent more clinical...... reasons were generally vague and psychosocial information was frequently missing. Clinical guidelines are needed to improve and systematise mental health referrals for children with FSS....

Fast tracking in paediatric cardiac anaesthesia : an update.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lake Carol

2002-01-01

Full Text Available A care plan in which cardiac surgical patients progress quickly through the perioperative course to hospital discharge is often referred to as a Fast Track. Such care plans have been used extensively in adult cardiac patients but are also applicable to paediatric patients. Although no randomised controlled trials are available to document a reduction in hospital costs and avoidance of iatrogenic complications with paediatric fast tracks, many healthcare administrators encourage their use. Fast Track clinical guidelines usually include same day surgery, use of short- acting anaesthetic drugs, early extubation, effective pain management, and reduced intensive care unit stays. These protocols are certainly appropriate for simple procedures such as repair of atrial or ventricular septal defects or ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus. However, many paediatric cardiac anaesthesiologists consider that all paediatric patients without significant pulmonary or residual cardiac pathology can be managed using expedited postoperative protocols. Essential components in a "fast track" protocol include use of minimally invasive surgical techniques, modified ultrafiltration during cardiopulmonary bypass, transoesophageal echocardiography to evaluate the cardiac repair, and postoperative pain control. Using such techniques, 80-90% of paediatric patients can be extubated in the operating room or within 2-4 hours postoperatively. Despite the opinions of recognised experts, an appropriately sized and powered multicentre, controlled, randomised, prospective study is still needed to conclusively document the efficiency and effectiveness of the Fast Track in paediatric cardiac patients.

Dutch guideline for clinical foetal-neonatal and paediatric post-mortem radiology, including a review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonnemans, L J P; Vester, M E M; Kolsteren, E E M; Erwich, J J H M; Nikkels, P G J; Kint, P A M; van Rijn, R R; Klein, W M

2018-06-01

Clinical post-mortem radiology is a relatively new field of expertise and not common practice in most hospitals yet. With the declining numbers of autopsies and increasing demand for quality control of clinical care, post-mortem radiology can offer a solution, or at least be complementary. A working group consisting of radiologists, pathologists and other clinical medical specialists reviewed and evaluated the literature on the diagnostic value of post-mortem conventional radiography (CR), ultrasonography, computed tomography (PMCT), magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI), and minimally invasive autopsy (MIA). Evidence tables were built and subsequently a Dutch national evidence-based guideline for post-mortem radiology was developed. We present this evaluation of the radiological modalities in a clinical post-mortem setting, including MIA, as well as the recently published Dutch guidelines for post-mortem radiology in foetuses, neonates, and children. In general, for post-mortem radiology modalities, PMMRI is the modality of choice in foetuses, neonates, and infants, whereas PMCT is advised in older children. There is a limited role for post-mortem CR and ultrasonography. In most cases, conventional autopsy will remain the diagnostic method of choice. Based on a literature review and clinical expertise, an evidence-based guideline was developed for post-mortem radiology of foetal, neonatal, and paediatric patients. What is Known: • Post-mortem investigations serve as a quality check for the provided health care and are important for reliable epidemiological registration. • Post-mortem radiology, sometimes combined with minimally invasive techniques, is considered as an adjunct or alternative to autopsy. What is New: • We present the Dutch guidelines for post-mortem radiology in foetuses, neonates and children. • Autopsy remains the reference standard, however minimal invasive autopsy with a skeletal survey, post-mortem computed tomography, or post

An Analysis of Disorders seen at the Paediatric Neurology Clinic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: Paediatric neurological disorders constitute a major cause of disability in childhood. Children in the developing countries are disproportionately affected and in addition face the added burden of poverty, inadequate health facilities, stigmatisation and lack of facilities for rehabilitative care. OBJECTIVE: To ...

Initial evaluation of children admitted on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esperanza Arce Delgado

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The initial evaluation of the child, when admitted on the Paediatric Intensive Unit, is a essential tool and key piece as a starting point on the development of a specific Care Plan for each child. Therefore, it is necessary the existence of a protocol, according to a rigorous methodology, so that cares will have quality and thus, it will be avoided that each nursing professional will act in a different way, according to his intuition, beliefs or improvisation capacity.The initial evaluation of the child will allow us not only to coordinate the interventions, but also to give continuity to the cares.The initial evaluation of the child document is a nursing register that is part of the clinical register of the paediatric patient. Nursing registers turn to be the best approximation of what nowadays is our job’s practice, and they are, therefore, necessary for us to be judged by a professional perspective and to make it possible to classify the services we carry out to the society.

Informed consent in paediatric critical care research--a South African perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, Brenda M; Argent, Andrew C; Kling, Sharon

2015-09-09

Medical care of critically ill and injured infants and children globally should be based on best research evidence to ensure safe, efficacious treatment. In South Africa and other low and middle-income countries, research is needed to optimise care and ensure rational, equitable allocation of scare paediatric critical care resources. Ethical oversight is essential for safe, appropriate research conduct. Informed consent by the parent or legal guardian is usually required for child research participation, but obtaining consent may be challenging in paediatric critical care research. Local regulations may also impede important research if overly restrictive. By narratively synthesising and contextualising the results of a comprehensive literature review, this paper describes ethical principles and regulations; potential barriers to obtaining prospective informed consent; and consent options in the context of paediatric critical care research in South Africa. Voluntary prospective informed consent from a parent or legal guardian is a statutory requirement for child research participation in South Africa. However, parents of critically ill or injured children might be incapable of or unwilling to provide the level of consent required to uphold the ethical principle of autonomy. In emergency care research it may not be practical to obtain consent when urgent action is required. Therapeutic misconceptions and sociocultural and language issues are also barriers to obtaining valid consent. Alternative consent options for paediatric critical care research include a waiver or deferred consent for minimal risk and/or emergency research, whilst prospective informed consent is appropriate for randomised trials of novel therapies or devices. We propose that parents or legal guardians of critically ill or injured children should only be approached to consent for their child's participation in clinical research when it is ethically justifiable and in the best interests of both

Prosthetics in Paediatric Dentistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vulićević Zoran

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Premature loss of teeth in children may lead to both functional and esthetic problems. Missing teeth in both anterior and posterior regions may cause malfunctions in mastication and proper pronunciation. If the missing teeth are not replaced, further complications may occur, including adjacent tooth migration, loss of alveolar bone, and irregular occlusion. Considering the sensitive nature of children, loss of teeth may cause the development of insecurities and low self esteem problems. Due to dynamic nature of growth in children and adolescents, prosthetic appliances must not hinder development of orofacial system, and must meet adequate esthetic and functional standards. Dental prosthetic appliances in paediatrics must be planned with respect to the special conditions that led to tooth loss or damage. Multi-disciplinary approach is needed, under constant supervision of paediatric dentist and orthodontist, as well as regular checkups with clinical and radiographical examinations.

Review of paediatric cardiology services in district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Hannah; Singh, Yogen

2016-03-01

Following the Safe and Sustainable review of Paediatric Services in 2012/2013, National Health Service England recommended that local paediatric cardiology services should be provided by specially trained paediatricians with expertise in cardiology in all non-specialist hospitals. To understand the variation in local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom. An internet-based questionnaire was sent out via the Paediatrician with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group and the Neonatologists with Interest in Cardiology and Haemodynamics contact databases and the National Health Service directory. Non-responders were followed-up via telephone. The response rate was 80% (141 of 177 hospitals), and paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were available in 68% of those. Local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were provided in 96 hospitals (68%), whereas specialist outreach clinics were held in 123 centres (87%). A total of 11 hospitals provided neither specialist outreach clinics nor any local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology. Paediatric echocardiography services were provided in 83% of the hospitals, 12-lead electrocardiogram in 96%, Holter electrocardiogram in 91%, and exercise testing in only 47% of the responding hospitals. Telemedicine facilities were established in only 52% of the centres, where sharing echocardiogram images via picture archiving and communication system was used most commonly. There has been a substantial increase in the availability of paediatricians with expertise in cardiology since 2008. Most of the hospitals are well-supported by specialist cardiology centres via outreach clinics; however, there remains significant variation in the local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Development and implementation of a patient reported outcome intervention (QLIC-ON PROfile) in clinical paediatric oncology practice.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engelen, V.; Haverman, L.; Koopman, H.; Schouten-van Meeteren, N.; Meijer, E.M.M.; Vrijmoet-Wiersma, J.; Dijk, E.M. van; Last, B.; Detmar, S.; Grootenhuis, M.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The use of patient reported outcomes (PRO) in routine clinical practice is becoming increasingly common, but there is limited knowledge about the development and implementation of PRO. The objective of the current paper is to provide a thorough description of the development and

Development and implementation of a patient reported outcome intervention (QLIC-ON PROfile) in clinical paediatric oncology practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engelen, V.; Haverman, L.; Koopman, H.; Schouten-van Meeteren, A.Y.N.; Meijer-van den Bergh, E.; Vrijmoet-Wiersma, J.; van Dijk, E.M.; Last, B.F.; Detmar, S.; Grootenhuis, M.

2010-01-01

Objective: The use of patient reported outcomes (PRO) in routine clinical practice is becoming increasingly common, but there is limited knowledge about the development and implementation of PRO. The objective of the current paper is to provide a thorough description of the development and

Transitioning young adults from paediatric to adult care and the HIV care continuum in Atlanta, Georgia, USA: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussen, Sophia A; Chakraborty, Rana; Knezevic, Andrea; Camacho-Gonzalez, Andres; Huang, Eugene; Stephenson, Rob; Del Rio, Carlos

2017-09-01

The transition from paediatric to adult HIV care is a particularly high-risk time for disengagement among young adults; however, empirical data are lacking. We reviewed medical records of 72 youth seen in both the paediatric and the adult clinics of the Grady Infectious Disease Program in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 2004 to 2014. We abstracted clinical data on linkage, retention and virologic suppression from the last two years in the paediatric clinic through the first two years in the adult clinic. Of patients with at least one visit scheduled in adult clinic, 97% were eventually seen by an adult provider (median time between last paediatric and first adult clinic visit = 10 months, interquartile range 2-18 months). Half of the patients were enrolled in paediatric care immediately prior to transition, while the other half experienced a gap in paediatric care and re-enrolled in the clinic as adults. A total of 89% of patients were retained (at least two visits at least three months apart) in the first year and 56% in the second year after transition. Patients who were seen in adult clinic within three months of their last paediatric visit were more likely to be virologically suppressed after transition than those who took longer (Relative risk (RR): 1.76; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.9; p  = 0.03). Patients with virologic suppression (HIV-1 RNA below the level of detection of the assay) at the last paediatric visit were also more likely to be suppressed at the most recent adult visit (RR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.34-3.9; p  = 0.002). Retention rates once in adult care, though high initially, declined significantly by the second year after transition. Pre-transition viral suppression and shorter linkage time between paediatric and adult clinic were associated with better outcomes post-transition. Optimizing transition will require intensive transition support for patients who are not virologically controlled, as well as support for youth beyond the first year

Neonatology/Paediatrics – Guidelines on Parenteral Nutrition, Chapter 13

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fusch, C.

2009-11-01

Full Text Available There are special challenges in implementing parenteral nutrition (PN in paediatric patients, which arises from the wide range of patients, ranging from extremely premature infants up to teenagers weighing up to and over 100 kg, and their varying substrate requirements. Age and maturity-related changes of the metabolism and fluid and nutrient requirements must be taken into consideration along with the clinical situation during which PN is applied. The indication, the procedure as well as the intake of fluid and substrates are very different to that known in PN-practice in adult patients, e.g. the fluid, nutrient and energy needs of premature infants and newborns per kg body weight are markedly higher than of older paediatric and adult patients. Premature infants <35 weeks of pregnancy and most sick term infants usually require full or partial PN. In neonates the actual amount of PN administered must be calculated (not estimated. Enteral nutrition should be gradually introduced and should replace PN as quickly as possible in order to minimise any side-effects from exposure to PN. Inadequate substrate intake in early infancy can cause long-term detrimental effects in terms of metabolic programming of the risk of illness in later life. If energy and nutrient demands in children and adolescents cannot be met through enteral nutrition, partial or total PN should be considered within 7 days or less depending on the nutritional state and clinical conditions.

Radiographic appearances of uncommon paediatric implants and devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urquia, Arlen; Watson, Tom A.; Arthurs, Owen J. [Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Radiology, London (United Kingdom)

2015-06-15

As childhood survival of chronic illness improves, long-term implanted devices will be encountered more frequently in routine radiology. In our paediatric tertiary referral hospital, we have come across several types of implanted devices that were not confidently recognised or identified by front-line staff and were often only identified by discussion with the patient, family or clinical team. This pictorial review highlights the appearance of nonvascular devices on paediatric radiographs in order to help clinicians identify the most frequent complications and to improve awareness of these important devices. (orig.)

Time to revise our dialogue: how flat is the paediatric flatfoot?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stewart C. Morrison

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract A recent systematic review of measures of foot development used the medial longitudinal arch profile as its primary indicator of development. A comparative analysis of existing studies was undertaken. This work confirmed changes with arch profile were age-dependent, although the age at which foot development ceased remains unknown. This work also highlighted the abundance of clinical measures used in existing research and outlined the challenges with drawing consensus from available data. There is a clear need to move this debate forward and, to do so, it is essential that scientific and clinical communities unite. It is time to abandon ill-defined measures of foot position, look beyond the medial longitudinal arch as a sole parameter of foot development and re-focus our perspective(s on the paediatric foot in order to make advances with clinical practice and research.

Paediatric HIV/AIDS in Abakaliki | Ojukwu | Nigerian Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: The study was aimed at determining the mode of transmission, clinical presentation, and outcome of HIV infection in children admitted with clinical manifestations suspicious of HIV infection. It was also to examine whether the WHO clinical case definition for paediatric AIDS in Africa could help predict the infection ...

"Teaching by humiliation" and mistreatment of medical students in clinical rotations: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Karen M; Caldwell, Patrina Hy; Barnes, Elizabeth H; Barrett, Jenny

2015-08-17

To generate a contemporary understanding of "teaching by humiliation" as experienced by medical students in Australia. In this pilot study, we surveyed final-stage medical students from two Australian medical schools about their experiences of teaching by humiliation during their adult and paediatric clinical rotations. The students were invited to complete the anonymous survey at the end of their paediatric rotation in Semester 2 of 2013. We used descriptive statistics to analyse quantitative data, and a grounded theory approach to analyse qualitative data. Student reports of experiencing or witnessing teaching by humiliation during their adult and paediatric clinical rotations. Of 151 students invited to participate, 146 (96.7%) completed the survey. Most students reported experiencing (108; 74.0%) or witnessing (118; 83.1%) teaching by humiliation during adult clinical rotations. Smaller but still sizeable proportions had experienced (42; 28.8%) or witnessed (64; 45.1%) it during their paediatric clinical rotation. The humiliating and intimidating behaviours students experienced were mostly more subtle than overt and included aggressive and abusive questioning techniques. The students' responses to these practices ranged from disgust and regret about entering the medical profession to endorsement of teachers' public exposure of a student's poor knowledge. Practices associated with humiliating medical students persist in contemporary medical education. These practices need to be eradicated, given the evidence that they affect students' learning and mental health and are dissonant with formal professionalism curricula. Interventions are needed to interrupt the transgenerational legacy and culture in which teaching by humiliation is perpetuated.

Global shortage of neonatal and paediatric antibiotic trials: rapid review.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Georgina; Barker, Charlotte I; Folgori, Laura; Bielicki, Julia A; Bradley, John S; Lutsar, Irja; Sharland, Mike

2017-10-13

There have been few clinical trials (CTs) on antibiotics that inform neonatal and paediatric drug labelling. The rate of unlicensed and off-label prescribing in paediatrics remains high. It is unclear whether the current neonatal and paediatric antibiotic research pipeline is adequate to inform optimal drug dosing. Using the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, this review aims to establish the current global status of antibiotic CTs in children up to 18 years of age. Studies were identified using key word searches of the ClinicalTrials.gov registry and were manually filtered using prespecified inclusion/exclusion criteria. 76 registered open CTs of antibiotics in children were identified globally; 23 (30%) were recruiting newborns (only 8 (11%) included preterm neonates), 52 (68%) infants and toddlers, 58 (76%) children and 54 (71%) adolescents. The majority of registered trials were late phase (10 (15%) phase 3 and 23 (35%) phase 4/pharmacovigilance). Two-thirds were sponsored by non-profit organisations, compared with pharmaceutical companies (50 (66%) vs 26 (34%), respectively). A greater proportion of non-profit funded trials were efficacy-based strategic trials (n=34, 68%), in comparison with industry-led trials, which were most often focused on safety or pharmacokinetic data (n=17, 65%). Only 2 of the 37 antibiotics listed on the May 2016 Pew Charitable Trusts antibiotic development pipeline, currently being studied in adults, appear to be currently recruiting in open paediatric CTs. This review highlights that very few paediatric antibiotic CTs are being conducted globally, especially in neonates. There is a striking disparity noted between antibiotic drug development programmes in adults and children. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

[Admission, discharge and triage guidelines for paediatric intensive care units in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

de la Oliva, Pedro; Cambra-Lasaosa, Francisco José; Quintana-Díaz, Manuel; Rey-Galán, Corsino; Sánchez-Díaz, Juan Ignacio; Martín-Delgado, María Cruz; de Carlos-Vicente, Juan Carlos; Hernández-Rastrollo, Ramón; Holanda-Peña, María Soledad; Pilar-Orive, Francisco Javier; Ocete-Hita, Esther; Rodríguez-Núñez, Antonio; Serrano-González, Ana; Blanch, Luis

2018-05-01

A paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a separate physical facility or unit specifically designed for the treatment of paediatric patients who, because of the severity of illness or other life-threatening conditions, require comprehensive and continuous inten-sive care by a medical team with special skills in paediatric intensive care medicine. Timely and personal intervention in intensive care reduces mortality, reduces length of stay, and decreases cost of care. With the aim of defending the right of the child to receive the highest attainable standard of health and the facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation, as well as ensuring the quality of care and the safety of critically ill paediatric patients, the Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP), Spanish Society of Paediatric Intensive Care (SECIP) and Spanish Society of Critical Care (SEMICYUC) have approved the guidelines for the admission, discharge and triage for Spanish PICUs. By using these guidelines, the performance of Spanish paediatric intensive care units can be optimised and paediatric patients can receive the appropriate level of care for their clinical condition. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Paediatric airway management: basic aspects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm-Knudsen, R J; Rasmussen, L S

2009-01-01

Paediatric airway management is a great challenge, especially for anaesthesiologists working in departments with a low number of paediatric surgical procedures. The paediatric airway is substantially different from the adult airway and obstruction leads to rapid desaturation in infants and small...... children. This paper aims at providing the non-paediatric anaesthesiologist with a set of safe and simple principles for basic paediatric airway management. In contrast to adults, most children with difficult airways are recognised before induction of anaesthesia but problems may arise in all children...

NIHR Clinical Research Networks: what they do and how they help paediatric research.

Science.gov (United States)

Lythgoe, Hanna; Price, Victoria; Poustie, Vanessa; Attar, Sabah; Hawcutt, Daniel; Preston, Jennifer; Beresford, Michael W

2017-08-01

This review provides paediatricians with an update on the new structure of the National Institute for Health Research's (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN): Children and its role within the wider NIHR infrastructure. The network supports delivery of high-quality research within the NHS in England and supports researchers, through provision of staff and resources, with feasibility, site set-up, patient recruitment and study management. Since 2013, over 80% of commercial contract studies running within the UK sat within the UKCRN Portfolio. Of the diverse, increasing portfolio of studies supported by the network, many studies are interventional, with 33% being randomised controlled studies. Recruitment to studies supported by the network through the Children's Portfolio has consistently improved. Over 200 000 participants have been recruited to the Children's Portfolio studies to date, and there are currently approximately 500 studies open to recruitment. The CRN: Children has successfully involved patients and the public in all aspects of study design and delivery, including through the work of Generation R. Challenges remain in conducting paediatric research and the network is committed to supporting Children's research and further building on its achievements to date. Education and engagement of paediatricians within the network and research is important to further improving quality and delivery of paediatric research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Quality of outpatient paediatric chest radiography - a pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelmann, D.; Duetting, T.; Wunsch, R.; Troeger, J.

2001-01-01

A quality control of outpatient paediatric chest X-rays was conducted in a sample of patients of one paediatric practice. During a period of eight months the technical image quality was analysed considering both diagnostic aspects and radiation protection. The quality of the 139 examined chest X-rays was inadequate concerning the collimation and focussing of the X-rays and the positioning of the patients. Exposure was estimated as average, sharpness was rated as good. In total 14% of the X-rays were not suitable for medical diagnosis. Image quality of the X-rays of infants (children younger than 6 years) was significantly lower compared to the total sample. Radiation protection standards were not fulfilled. As a conclusion from our results, improvements in outpatient paediatric radiography are urgently necessary. Quality control committees should pay particular attention in radiographs of infants. (orig.) [de

Compliance with dental treatment recommendations by rural paediatric patients after a live-video teledentistry consultation: A preliminary report.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaren, Sean W; Kopycka-Kedzierawski, Dorota T

2016-04-01

The purpose of this research was to assess the compliance rate with recommended dental treatment by rural paediatric dental patients after a live-video teledentistry consultation. A retrospective dental chart review was completed for 251 rural paediatric patients from the Finger Lakes region of New York State who had an initial teledentistry appointment with a paediatric dentist located remotely at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health in Rochester, NY. The recommended treatment modalities were tabulated and comprehensive dental treatment completion rates were obtained. The recommended treatment modality options of: treatment in the paediatric dental clinic; treatment using nitrous oxide anxiolysis; treatment with oral sedation; treatment in the operating room with general anaesthesia; or teleconsultation were identified for the 251 patients. Compliance rates for completed dental treatment based on initial teleconsultation recommendations were: 100% for treatment in the paediatric dental clinic; 56% for nitrous oxide patients; 87% for oral sedation; 93% for operating room; and 90% for teleconsultations. The differences in the compliance rates for all treatment modalities were not statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, p > 0.05). Compliance rates for completed comprehensive dental treatment for this rural population of paediatric dental patients were quite high, ranging from 56% to 100%, and tended to be higher when treatment was completed in fewer visits. Live-video teledentistry consultations conducted among rural paediatric patients and a paediatric dentist in the specialty clinic were feasible options for increasing dental treatment compliance rates when treating complex paediatric dental cases. © The Author(s) 2015.

Best clinical practice guidance for management of early caries lesions in children and young adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kühnisch, J; Ekstrand, K R; Pretty, I

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) encourages prevention and arrest of active dental caries. Therefore, the present guidance provides evidence- and clinically-based recommendations for detecting and diagnosing early/non-cavitated caries lesions, risk assessment......-invasively in the majority of cases. The spectrum of measures includes a low cariogenicity tooth-friendly diet, daily and appropriate management of the biofilm, home and within the dental office/surgery usage of fluorides as well as sealing techniques. CONCLUSION: The detection and management of non-cavitated caries...... is an essential aspect of preventive dentistry. Therefore, the EAPD encourages oral health care providers and caregivers to implement preventive practices that can arrest early caries and improve individual and public dental health....

Review of the Methods to Obtain Paediatric Drug Safety Information: Spontaneous Reporting and Healthcare Databases, Active Surveillance Programmes, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Gentili, Marta; Pozzi, Marco; Peeters, Gabrielle; Radice, Sonia; Carnovale, Carla

2018-02-06

Knowledge of drugs safety collected during the pre-marketing phase is inevitably limited because the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are rarely designed to evaluate safety. The small and selective groups of enrolled individuals and the limited duration of trials may hamper the ability to characterize fully the safety profiles of drugs. Additionally, information about rare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in special groups is often incomplete or not available for most of the drugs commonly used in the daily clinical practice. In the paediatric setting several highimpact safety issues have emerged. Hence, in recent years, there has been a call for improved post-marketing pharmacoepidemiological studies, in which cohorts of patients are monitored for sufficient time in order to determine the precise risk-benefit ratio. In this review, we discuss the current available strategies enhancing the post-marketing monitoring activities of the drugs in the paediatric setting and define criteria whereby they can provide valuable information to improve the management of therapy in daily clinical practice including both safety and efficacy aspects. The strategies we cover include the signal detection using international pharmacovigilance and/or healthcare databases, the promotion of active surveillance initiatives which can generate complete, informative data sets for the signal detection and systematic review/meta-analysis. Together, these methods provide a comprehensive picture of causality and risk improving the management of therapy in a paediatric setting and they should be considered as a unique tool to be integrated with post-marketing activities. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

How can general paediatric training be optimised in highly specialised tertiary settings? Twelve tips from an interview-based study of trainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Yassin, Amina; Long, Andrew; Sharma, Sanjiv; May, Joanne

2017-01-01

Both general and subspecialty paediatric trainees undertake attachments in highly specialised tertiary hospitals. Trainee feedback suggests that mismatches in expectations between trainees and supervisors and a perceived lack of educational opportunities may lead to trainee dissatisfaction in such settings. With the 'Shape of Training' review (reshaping postgraduate training in the UK to focus on more general themes), this issue is likely to become more apparent. We wished to explore the factors that contribute to a positive educational environment and training experience and identify how this may be improved in highly specialised settings. General paediatric trainees working at all levels in subspecialty teams at a tertiary hospital were recruited (n=12). Semistructured interviews were undertaken to explore the strengths and weaknesses of training in such a setting and how this could be optimised. Appreciative inquiry methodology was used to identify areas of perceived best practice and consider how these could be promoted and disseminated. Twelve best practice themes were identified: (1) managing expectations by acknowledging the challenges; (2) educational contracting to identify learning needs and opportunities; (3) creative educational supervision; (4) centralised teaching events; (5) signposting learning opportunities; (6) curriculum-mapped pan-hospital teaching programmes; (7) local faculty groups with trainee representation; (8) interprofessional learning; (9) pastoral support systems; (10) crossover weeks to increase clinical exposure; (11) adequate clinical supervision; and (12) rota design to include teaching and clinic time. Tertiary settings have strengths, as well as challenges, for general paediatric training. Twelve trainee-generated tips have been identified to capitalise on the educational potential within these settings. Trainee feedback is essential to diagnose and improve educational environments and appreciative inquiry is a useful tool for

Paediatric trainee supervision: management changes and perceived education value.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Boom, Mirjam; Pinnock, Ralph; Weller, Jennifer; Reed, Peter; Shulruf, Boaz

2012-07-01

Supervision in postgraduate training is an under-researched area. We measured the amount, type and effect of supervision on patient care and perceived education value in a general paediatric service. We designed a structured observation form and questionnaire to document the type, duration and effect of supervision on patient management and perceived education value. Most supervision occurred without the paediatrician confirming the trainee's findings. Direct observation of the trainee was rare. Management was changed in 30% of patients seen on the inpatient ward round and in 42% of the patients discussed during the chart reviews but not seen by the paediatrician. Management was changed in 48% of the cases when the paediatrician saw the patient with the trainee in outpatients but in only 21% of patients when the patient was but not seen. Changes made to patient management, understanding and perceived education value, differed between inpatient and out patient settings. There was more impact when the paediatrician saw the patient with the trainee in outpatients; while for inpatients, the opposite was true. Trainees rated the value of the supervision more highly than their supervisors did. Trainees' comments on what they learnt from their supervisor related almost exclusively to clinical knowledge rather than professional behaviours. We observed little evidence of supervisors directly observing trainees and trainees learning professional behaviours. A review of supervisory practices to promote more effective learning is needed. Communicating to paediatricians the value their trainees place on their input could have a positive effect on their engagement in supervision. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2012 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Paediatric Anxiety Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beena Johnson

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among children and are associated with serious morbidity. Lifetime prevalence of paediatric anxiety disorders is about fifteen percent. Social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder and separation anxiety disorder are included in the triad of paediatric anxiety disorders. Specific phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are also commonly seen in children. Overprotection by parents, parental death or separation, female sex, low educational status, family history of anxiety disorder, financial stress in family and adverse childhood experiences are risk factors for the development of anxiety disorders. If not diagnosed and managed at the earliest, paediatric anxiety disorders can cause life threatening problems in the future. Hence early and scientific management of anxiety disorders is essential. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the effective evidence based treatment for paediatric anxiety disorders.

StaR Child Health: developing evidence-based guidance for the design, conduct and reporting of paediatric trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Van't Hoff, William; Offringa, Martin

2015-02-01

There has been a huge upsurge in clinical research in children in the last decade, stimulated in England by dedicated research infrastructure and support through the National Institute for Health Research. This infrastructure offering research design, expert review, trial management, research nurse, data support and dedicated facilities enables paediatricians to conduct more and better research. The challenge is how to design and conduct trials that will make a real difference to children's health. Standards for Research (StaR) in Child Health was founded in 2009 to address the paucity and shortcomings of paediatric clinical trials. This global initiative involves methodologists, clinicians, patient advocacy groups and policy makers dedicated to developing practical, evidence-based standards for enhancing the reliability and relevance of paediatric clinical research. In this overview, we highlight the contribution of StaR to this agenda, describe the international context, and suggest how StaR's future plans could be integrated with new and existing support for research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Prebiotics as a modulator of gut microbiota in paediatric obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolucci, A C; Reimer, R A

2017-08-01

This review highlights our current understanding of the role of gut microbiota in paediatric obesity and the potential role for dietary manipulation of the gut microbiota with prebiotics in managing paediatric obesity. The aetiology of obesity is multifactorial and is now known to include microbial dysbiosis in the gut. Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates which selectively modulate the number and/or composition of gut microbes. The goal of prebiotic consumption is to restore symbiosis and thereby confer health benefits to the host. There is convincing evidence that prebiotics can reduce adiposity and improve metabolic health in preclinical rodent models. Furthermore, there are several clinical trials in adult humans highlighting metabolic and appetite-regulating benefits of prebiotics. In paediatric obesity, however, there are very limited data regarding the potential role of prebiotics as a dietary intervention for obesity management. As the prevalence of paediatric obesity and obesity-associated comorbidities increases globally, interventions that target the progression of obesity from an early age are essential in slowing the obesity epidemic. This review emphasizes the need for further research assessing the role of prebiotics, particularly as an intervention in effectively managing paediatric obesity. © 2016 World Obesity Federation.

Paediatrics: messages from Munich

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Midulla

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to describe paediatric highlights from the 2014 European Respiratory Society (ERS International Congress in Munich, Germany. Abstracts from the seven groups of the ERS Paediatric Assembly (Respiratory Physiology and Sleep, Asthma and Allergy, Cystic Fibrosis, Respiratory Infection and Immunology, Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Respiratory Epidemiology, and Bronchology are presented in the context of the current literature.

Paediatric Neurological Conditions Seen at the Physiotherapy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Paediatric neurological conditions constitute a major cause of disability in childhood. However there seems to be an apparent dearth of published works on the patterns of neurological conditions seen in Nigerian physiotherapy clinics of rural locations. This study aimed at describing the spectrum of neurological conditions ...

Communication skills of healthcare professionals in paediatric diabetes services.

Science.gov (United States)

Hambly, H; Robling, M; Crowne, E; Hood, K; Gregory, J W

2009-05-01

To identify training needs in communication skills and to assess training preferences of staff working in paediatric diabetes services, which will inform the development of a learning programme in behaviour change counselling for healthcare professionals. Three hundred and eighty-five staff in 67 UK paediatric diabetes services were sent questionnaires to determine their previous communication skills training, to measure their self-reported view of the importance of and confidence in addressing common clinical problems and to assess the perceived feasibility of training methods to improve skillfulness. Two hundred and sixty-six questionnaires (69%) were returned from 65 services. Sixteen per cent of doctors, nurses and dietitians reported no previous training in communication skills and 47% had received no training since graduating. Respondents rated psychosocial issues as more important to address than medical issues within consultations (t = 8.93, P important component of consultations involving young people with diabetes, but healthcare professionals find it easier to address medical issues. This represents a key training need in communication skills for diabetes professionals. The survey will inform the development of a tailored learning programme for health professionals in UK paediatric diabetes clinics.

Parental experiences with a paediatric palliative care team: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Verberne, Lisa M; Schouten-van Meeteren, Antoinette Yn; Bosman, Diederik K; Colenbrander, Derk A; Jagt, Charissa T; Grootenhuis, Martha A; van Delden, Johannes Jm; Kars, Marijke C

2017-12-01

Parents of children with a life-limiting disease have to rely on themselves at home while adequate paediatric palliative care is lacking. In several countries, paediatric palliative care teams are introduced to ensure continuity and quality of care and to support the child and the family. Yet, little is known about how parents experience such multidisciplinary teams. To obtain insight into the support provided by a new paediatric palliative care team from the parents' perspective. An interpretative qualitative interview study using thematic analysis was performed. A total of 47 single or repeated interviews were undertaken with 42 parents of 24 children supported by a multidisciplinary paediatric palliative care team located at a university children's hospital. The children suffered from malignant or non-malignant diseases. In advance, parents had limited expectations of the paediatric palliative care team. Some had difficulty accepting the need for palliative care for their child. Once parents experienced what the team achieved for their child and family, they valued the team's involvement. Valuable elements were as follows: (1) process-related aspects such as continuity, coordination of care, and providing one reliable point of contact; (2) practical support; and (3) the team members' sensitive and reliable attitude. As a point of improvement, parents suggested more concrete clarification upfront of the content of the team's support. Parents feel supported by the paediatric palliative care team. The three elements valued by parents probably form the structure that underlies quality of paediatric palliative care. New teams should cover these three valuable elements.

Dose constraints in paediatric radiotherapy; Contraintes de dose en radiotherapie pediatrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernier, V. [Groupe de radiotherapie pediatrique SFCE, Centre Alexis-Vautrin, 54 - Nancy (France)

2010-10-15

The author discusses the issue of dose constraints for organs at risk when performing paediatric radiotherapy, and outlines that this issue is only partially resolved by the QUANTEC publication (quantitative estimates of normal tissue effects in the clinic). Then, he presents a guide elaborated by the French group of paediatric radiotherapists. This guide reviews organs at risk, imagery delineation requirements, dose constraints and short-, medium- and long-term consequences of organ irradiation. Short communication

African Journal of Paediatric Surgery

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The African Journal of Paediatric Surgery aims to promote research, post- graduate training and further education among Paediatric surgeons, Paediatric Surgical Trainees and paramedical personnel in the surgery of newborn infants and children particularly in Africa and other tropical regions of the world.AJPS welcomes ...

African Journal of Paediatric Nephrology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journal of Paediatric Nephrology is the official Journal of the African Paediatric Nephrology Association (AFPNA). The journal is dedicated to increasing awareness and knowledge of Paediatric nephrology in Africa and beyond. We publish research articles on renal diseases in children, on fluid and electrolyte ...

[Spanish Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Spanish Society of Paediatric Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Spanish Association of Paediatric Primary Care, and the Spanish Society of Extra-hospital Paediatrics and Primary Health Care consensus document on antibiotic treatment in penicillin or amoxicillin allergy].

Science.gov (United States)

Baquero-Artigao, Fernando; Michavila, Antonio; Suárez-Rodriguez, Ángeles; Hernandez, Anselmo; Martínez-Campos, Leticia; Calvo, Cristina

2017-02-01

The suspected allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics, especially penicillin and amoxicillin, is the most frequent reason for consultation in Child Allergy Units. In this consensus document, the clinical and diagnostic criteria of allergic reactions are described, as well as alternative antibiotic treatment for the most common infections diagnosed in paediatrics for patients with known or suspected allergy. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The imaging of paediatric thoracic trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moore, Michael A.; Westra, Sjirk J. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Wallace, E.C. [UMass Memorial Medical Center and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States)

2009-05-15

Major chest trauma in a child is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is most frequently encountered within the context of multisystem injury following high-energy trauma such as a motor vehicle accident. The anatomic-physiologic make-up of children is such that the pattern of ensuing injuries differs from that in their adult counterparts. Pulmonary contusion, pneumothorax, haemothorax and rib fractures are most commonly encountered. Although clinically more serious and potentially life threatening, tracheobronchial tear, aortic rupture and cardiac injuries are seldom observed. The most appropriate imaging algorithm is one tailored to the individual child and is guided by the nature of the traumatic event as well as clinical parameters. Chest radiography remains the first and most important imaging tool in paediatric chest trauma and should be supplemented with US and CT as indicated. Multidetector CT allows for the accurate diagnosis of most traumatic injuries, but should be only used in selected cases as its routine use in all paediatric patients would result in an unacceptably high radiation exposure to a large number of patients without proven clinical benefit. When CT is used, appropriate modifications should be incorporated so as to minimize the radiation dose to the patient whilst preserving diagnostic integrity. (orig.)

The imaging of paediatric thoracic trauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, Michael A.; Westra, Sjirk J.; Wallace, E.C.

2009-01-01

Major chest trauma in a child is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is most frequently encountered within the context of multisystem injury following high-energy trauma such as a motor vehicle accident. The anatomic-physiologic make-up of children is such that the pattern of ensuing injuries differs from that in their adult counterparts. Pulmonary contusion, pneumothorax, haemothorax and rib fractures are most commonly encountered. Although clinically more serious and potentially life threatening, tracheobronchial tear, aortic rupture and cardiac injuries are seldom observed. The most appropriate imaging algorithm is one tailored to the individual child and is guided by the nature of the traumatic event as well as clinical parameters. Chest radiography remains the first and most important imaging tool in paediatric chest trauma and should be supplemented with US and CT as indicated. Multidetector CT allows for the accurate diagnosis of most traumatic injuries, but should be only used in selected cases as its routine use in all paediatric patients would result in an unacceptably high radiation exposure to a large number of patients without proven clinical benefit. When CT is used, appropriate modifications should be incorporated so as to minimize the radiation dose to the patient whilst preserving diagnostic integrity. (orig.)

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of the ethical climate in paediatric cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholdson, Cecilia; Sandeberg, Margareta Af; Lützén, Kim; Blomgren, Klas; Pergert, Pernilla

2016-12-01

How well ethical concerns are handled in healthcare is influenced by the ethical climate of the workplace, which in this study is described as workplace factors that contribute to healthcare professionals' ability to identify and deal with ethical issues in order to provide the patient with ethically good care. The overall aim of the study was to describe perceptions of the paediatric hospital ethical climate among healthcare professionals who treat/care for children with cancer. Data were collected using the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey developed by Olsson as a separate section in a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse perceptions of the ethical climate. Participants and research context: Physicians, nurses and nurse-aides (n = 89) from three paediatric units participated in this study: haematology/oncology, chronic diseases and neurology. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the regional ethical review board. Different perceptions of the ethical climate were rated as positive or negative/neutral. Nurses' ratings were less positive than physicians on all items. One-third of the participants perceived that they were able to practice ethically good care as they believed it should be practised. Differences in professional roles, involving more or less power and influence, might explain why physicians and nurses rated items differently. A positive perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care seems to be related to inter-professional trust and listening to guardians/parents. A negative/neutral perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care appears to be influenced by experiences of ethical conflicts as well as a lack of ethical support, for example, time for reflection and discussion. The two-thirds of participants who had a negative/neutral perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care are at risk of developing moral stress. Clinical ethics support needs to be implemented in care

Frequency of paediatric medical imaging examinations performed at a European teaching hospital over a 7-year period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Portelli, Jonathan L.; Bezzina, Paul [University of Malta, Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, Msida (Malta); McNulty, Jonathan P.; Rainford, Louise [University College Dublin, Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine and Medical Science, Dublin (Ireland)

2016-12-15

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to gain an insight into frequencies by which a range of medical imaging (MI) examinations were performed on paediatric patients at the main acute general teaching hospital in Malta between 2008 and 2014. Frequency data of MI examinations performed on paediatric patients were retrospectively collected from relevant information systems. All data was coded accordingly to facilitate data analysis. A total of 95,805 MI examinations were performed on 39,707 unique paediatric patients (<18 years) between 2008 and 2014. Overall, the total number of paediatric MI examinations performed decreased over time, with use varying depending on modality type and paediatric age. Coincidentally the use of ultrasound and MRI increased year after year. Some paediatric patients underwent at least three MI examinations involving the same anatomical region being scanned, and which may collectively contribute to effective doses exceeding 10 mSv. Knowledge of how MI examinations are used within the paediatric population can help practices evaluate and address any trends highlighted for particular examinations or age category of paediatric patients. Furthermore, awareness of current trends of MI in children can be helpful for the planning of future paediatric radiology departments. (orig.)

Frequency of paediatric medical imaging examinations performed at a European teaching hospital over a 7-year period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portelli, Jonathan L.; Bezzina, Paul; McNulty, Jonathan P.; Rainford, Louise

2016-01-01

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to gain an insight into frequencies by which a range of medical imaging (MI) examinations were performed on paediatric patients at the main acute general teaching hospital in Malta between 2008 and 2014. Frequency data of MI examinations performed on paediatric patients were retrospectively collected from relevant information systems. All data was coded accordingly to facilitate data analysis. A total of 95,805 MI examinations were performed on 39,707 unique paediatric patients (<18 years) between 2008 and 2014. Overall, the total number of paediatric MI examinations performed decreased over time, with use varying depending on modality type and paediatric age. Coincidentally the use of ultrasound and MRI increased year after year. Some paediatric patients underwent at least three MI examinations involving the same anatomical region being scanned, and which may collectively contribute to effective doses exceeding 10 mSv. Knowledge of how MI examinations are used within the paediatric population can help practices evaluate and address any trends highlighted for particular examinations or age category of paediatric patients. Furthermore, awareness of current trends of MI in children can be helpful for the planning of future paediatric radiology departments. (orig.)

Paediatric radiopharmaceutical administration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassmann, Michael; Treves, S Ted; Borgwardt, Lise

2014-01-01

In 2008 the EANM published their paediatric dosage card. In 2011 the North American consensus guidelines recommended a set of administered activities for paediatric nuclear medicine. During the EANM congress in 2012 a working group of the EANM and the SNMMI met to study the possibility of harmoni...

Ethics consultation in paediatric and adult emergency departments: an assessment of clinical, ethical, learning and resource needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Colaco, Keith A; Courtright, Alanna; Andreychuk, Sandra; Frolic, Andrea; Cheng, Ji; Kam, April Jacqueline

2018-01-01

We sought to understand ethics and education needs of emergency nurses and physicians in paediatric and adult emergency departments (EDs) in order to build ethics capacity and provide a foundation for the development of an ethics education programme. This was a prospective cross-sectional survey of all staff nurses and physicians in three tertiary care EDs. The survey tool, called Clinical Ethics Needs Assessment Survey, was pilot tested on a similar target audience for question content and clarity. Of the 123 participants surveyed, 72% and 84% of nurses and physicians fully/somewhat agreed with an overall positive ethical climate, respectively. 69% of participants reported encountering daily or weekly ethical challenges. Participants expressed the greatest need for additional support to address moral distress (16%), conflict management with patients or families (16%) and resource issues (15%). Of the 23 reported occurrences of moral distress, 61% were associated with paediatric mental health cases. When asked how the ethics consultation service could be used in the ED, providing education to teams (42%) was the most desired method. Nurses report a greater need for ethics education and resources compared with their physician colleagues. Ethical challenges in paediatric EDs are more prevalent than adult EDs and nurses voice specific moral distress that are different than adult EDs. These results highlight the need for a suitable educational strategy, which can be developed in collaboration with the leadership of each ED and team of hospital ethicists. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Organisation of workplace learning: a case study of paediatric residents' and consultants' beliefs and practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Skipper, Mads; Nøhr, Susanne Backman; Jacobsen, Tine Klitgaard; Musaeus, Peter

2016-08-01

Several studies have examined how doctors learn in the workplace, but research is needed linking workplace learning with the organisation of doctors' daily work. This study examined residents' and consultants' attitudes and beliefs regarding workplace learning and contextual and organisational factors influencing the organisation and planning of medical specialist training. An explorative case study in three paediatric departments in Denmark including 9 days of field observations and focus group interviews with 9 consultants responsible for medical education and 16 residents. The study aimed to identify factors in work organisation facilitating and hindering residents' learning. Data were coded through an iterative process guided by thematic analysis. Findings illustrate three main themes: (1) Learning beliefs about patient care and apprenticeship learning as inseparable in medical practice. Beliefs about training and patient care expressed in terms of training versus production caused a potential conflict. (2) Learning context. Continuity over time in tasks and care for patients is important, but continuity is challenged by the organisation of daily work routines. (3) Organisational culture and regulations were found to be encouraging as well inhibiting to a successful organisation of the work in regards to learning. Our findings stress the importance of consultants' and residents' beliefs about workplace learning as these agents handle the potential conflict between patient care and training of health professionals. The structuring of daily work tasks is a key factor in workplace learning as is an understanding of underlying relations and organisational culture in the clinical departments.

A pioneer of Australian paediatrics: Dr Henry Edward Brown (1858-1931).

Science.gov (United States)

Isles, Alan F; Roper, Peter; Pearn, John H

2014-11-13

The emergence of paediatrics as a specialty in Australian medicine dates from the last two decades of the 19th century. Among the pioneers of pre-Federation paediatrics, we include Dr Henry Edward Brown (1858-1931), an Irish-born physician and surgeon who became the first paediatrician to practise in the northern half of the Australian continent. In 1885, he was appointed as the medical superintendent of the Rockhampton Children's Hospital, itself a pioneer institution in the care of sick and injured children. Dr H.E. Brown also served as medical officer of health concurrently in three Queensland shires. He was a leader in the literary and sporting life of the busy port town of Rockhampton and a scholar and significant philanthropist in the domain of French literature. His life was and remains an exemplar of a class of pre-Federation paediatricians who established the ethos of clinical and societal service, which remains as a core feature of the speciality discipline of paediatrics in the 21st century. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Clinical Presentation and Disease Location.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, Danish Abdul; Moin, Maryum; Majeed, Atif; Sadiq, Kamran; Biloo, Abdul Gaffar

2017-01-01

To determine different clinical presentationsand disease location demarcatedby upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopyand relevant histopathologyin children diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is 5 years (2010 to 2015) retrospective studyconducted at the Aga Khan University Hospitalenrolling65admitted children between 6 months to 15years from either gender, diagnosed with IBD on clinical presentation, endoscopy and biopsy. Different clinical presentations at the time of diagnosis were noted in different categories of the disease. All patients underwent upper and lower (up to the terminal ileum) endoscopy with multiple punch biopsies and histologic assessment of mucosal specimens. All endoscopies were done by paediatric gastroenterologists at endoscopy suite of the hospital and all specimens were reported by the pathology department. ESPGHAN revised criteria for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in children and an adolescent was used to standardize our diagnosis. Extent of disease on endoscopy and relevant histopathology of the biopsy samples were noted at the time of diagnosis. Data was summarized using mean, standard deviation, numbers and percentages for different variables. Total 56 children were enrolled according to inclusion criteria. There were 34children (61.53%) diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), 10 patients (16.92%) had Crohn'sDisease (CD) and 11 (21.53%) patients were labeled as Indeterminate colitis (IC). Mean age at onset of symptoms was10.03±2.44 and mean age at diagnosis was11.10±2.36. Abdominal pain (80%) and chronic diarrhea (70%) were common symptoms in CD whereas bloody diarrhea (79.41%) and rectal bleeding(64.70%)were common presentation in UC. Patients diagnosed with indeterminate colitis(IC) had similar clinical features as in UC patients. Only 7% patients had some extra-intestinal features in the form of joint pain and/or uveitis. Aspartate aminotransferase level (95.18 ±12.89) was relatively high in

Family functioning in paediatric obsessive compulsive and related disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Yolanda E; Flessner, Christopher A

2015-11-01

Research among youths with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has shown a significant relationship between illness severity, treatment outcome, and the family environment yet little work has been undertaken among the broader class of obsessive compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) - Trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), skin picking disorder (SPD), and hoarding. The aim of this study was to (1) review the family functioning literature among paediatric OCRDs, (2) address limitations to previous studies, and (3) highlight areas in need of further research. A review of the literature was conducted using several databases (i.e., Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect) and employing key search terms (e.g., 'family functioning', 'paediatric OCD'). The resultant articles examined several domains subsumed under the broader heading of family environment including parental mental health, parenting practices, family dynamics, family involvement with symptoms, and family emotional climate. The literature reviewed demonstrated a strong relationship between paediatric OCD and adverse family functioning (e.g., parental symptoms of anxiety and depression, family accommodation, family strain and stress, parental guilt and fear) in all identified domains. While family functioning research in paediatric HPD was relatively scant, research suggested similar familial dysfunction (e.g., limited independence, low family cohesion, family violence). Collectively, only 1 article, examining BDD, assessed family functioning within other OCRDs. This review supports the need for further research in the OCRDs. Limitations to the available literature and targeted suggestions for future research are discussed. The domains of family environment in this study indicate specific family functioning deficits that may serve as aetiological and/or maintenance factors in paediatric OCRDs, possibly contributing to the understanding of these complex disorders. The recognition of family deficits

Magnetic resonance imaging protocols for paediatric neuroradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, Dawn E.; Thompson, Clare; Gunny, Roxanne; Jones, Rod; Cox, Tim; Chong, Wui Khean

2007-01-01

Increasingly, radiologists are encouraged to have protocols for all imaging studies and to include imaging guidelines in care pathways set up by the referring clinicians. This is particularly advantageous in MRI where magnet time is limited and a radiologist's review of each patient's images often results in additional sequences and longer scanning times without the advantage of improvement in diagnostic ability. The difficulties of imaging small children and the challenges presented to the radiologist as the brain develops are discussed. We present our protocols for imaging the brain and spine of children based on 20 years experience of paediatric neurological MRI. The protocols are adapted to suit children under the age of 2 years, small body parts and paediatric clinical scenarios. (orig.)

Paediatric ultrasonography of the liver, hepatobiliary tract and pancreas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rijn, R.R. van, E-mail: r.r.vanrijn@amc.uva.nl [Department of Radiology, Emma Children' s Hospital – Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam (Netherlands); Nievelstein, R.A.J. [Department of Radiology, Wilhelmina Children' s Hospital – University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht (Netherlands)

2014-09-15

In the field of paediatric radiology ultrasonography (US) is the most versatile imaging tool available. Children in general, by virtue of their body composition, are excellent candidates for US exams in whom abdominal anatomy and pathology can be visualised in great detail. The fact that during the US study a clinical history can be obtained strongly adds to the value of the US exam. This does require investment in time and expertise and ideally a paediatric radiologist performing the exam. In this review the role of ultrasonography (US) of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas in children is discussed.

Conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riccabona, M.; Lindbichler, F.; Sinzig, M.

2002-01-01

Objective: To briefly describe basic conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology. Method: The state of the art performance of standard imaging techniques (intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystourethrography (VCU), and ultrasound (US)) is described, with emphasis on technical aspects, indications, and patient preparation such as adequate hydration. Only basic applications as used in routine clinical work are included. Result and conclusion: Conventional imaging methods are irreplaceable. They cover the majority of daily clinical routine queries, with consecutive indication of more sophisticated modalities in those patients who need additional imaging for establishing the final diagnosis or outlining therapeutic options

Conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riccabona, M. E-mail: michael.riccabona@kfunigraz.ac.at; Lindbichler, F.; Sinzig, M

2002-08-01

Objective: To briefly describe basic conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology. Method: The state of the art performance of standard imaging techniques (intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystourethrography (VCU), and ultrasound (US)) is described, with emphasis on technical aspects, indications, and patient preparation such as adequate hydration. Only basic applications as used in routine clinical work are included. Result and conclusion: Conventional imaging methods are irreplaceable. They cover the majority of daily clinical routine queries, with consecutive indication of more sophisticated modalities in those patients who need additional imaging for establishing the final diagnosis or outlining therapeutic options.

Evidence-based clinical practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gluud, Christian

2002-01-01

, and single clinics. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to improve this situation. Guidelines for Good Clinical (Research) Practice, conduct of more trials as multicentre trials, The Consort Statement, and The Cochrane Collaboration may all help in the application of the best research evidence in clinical......Evidence-based medicine combines the patient's preferences with clinical experience and the best research evidence. Randomized clinical trials are considered the most valid research design for evaluating health-care interventions. However, empirical research shows that intervention effects may...... practice. By investments in education, applied research, and The Cochrane Collaboration, evidence-based medicine may form a stronger basis for clinical practice....

Clinical aspects of paediatric visceral leishmaniasis in North-west Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Diro, Ermias; Lynen, Lutgarde; Gebregziabiher, Berhane; Assefa, Abraham; Lakew, Wubishet; Belew, Zewdu; Hailu, Asrat; Boelaert, Marleen; van Griensven, Johan

2015-01-01

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in north-west Ethiopia is causing an overwhelming case load among adult migrant workers that masked the disease burden in children. This study describes the clinical profile and explores comorbidities in paediatric VL patients. A prospective study at two hospitals in this region (Gondar and Humera) was conducted in a year period, 2011-2012. The clinical manifestations and comorbidities such as malnutrition, intestinal parasitosis and vitamin D deficiency and HIV infection were assessed, and treatment outcomes noted. A total of 122 children with VL were detected during the study period with median age of 8.5 years (IQR 5-12 years); 23% were under 5 years. Eighty-five (69.7%) cases were male. The clinical manifestations were similar to the adult patients. High rates of malnutrition, intestinal parasitosis (47.5%) and hypovitaminosis D (56.4%) were detected. The proportion of stunting and wasting was 63% and 22.2% in children aged under five years, and 50.5% and 75.9% in 5-year and older children, respectively, using WHO standard growth curves. Only one child had HIV infection. In 95% of the cases, sodium stibogluconate (20 mg/kg/day for 30 days) was used for treatment. The treatment success rate at end of therapy was 98.3%, but the definitive outcome at 6 months could not be determined because of a high loss to follow-up (80.2%). While HIV co-infection was rare, malnutrition, intestinal parasitosis and vitamin D deficiency were frequent indicating the need for further research on their role in the pathophysiology. Meanwhile, systematic assessment and management of malnutrition and intestinal parasitosis in VL programmes is recommended. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical Practice in Teacher Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidayet Tok

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Recently, it seems that there has been a concept change in the aspect of teaching practice course which is regarded as one of the most significant course in teacher education program. This new concept requires the increase period of teaching practice in teacher education program and parallel to this, it also requires the change in the function of practice schools and highlighted “clinical practice in teacher education” concept. In this study, “clinical practice in teacher education” concept and its implementation processes were explained. Furthermore, clinical practice and traditional school practices were presented and the parallels between teaching and clinical practices were explained as well

Paediatric conscious sedation: views and experience of specialists in paediatric dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Woolley, S M; Hingston, E J; Shah, J; Chadwick, B L

2009-09-26

The objectives were three-fold: to investigate the level of conscious sedation training received prior to and during specialist training in paediatric dentistry; to establish the use of conscious sedation during and following specialisation; and to determine the attitudes of specialists in paediatric dentistry to conscious sedation. A self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to all specialists in paediatric dentistry registered with the General Dental Council in January 2008. Non-responders were contacted again after a four-week period. A response rate of 60% was achieved. Of the 122 respondents, 67 (55%) had received sedation training as an undergraduate; 89 (75%) had been trained during specialisation. All respondents performed dental treatment under sedation as a trainee and the majority used nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (NOIS). Over 90% of respondents felt that NOIS should be available to all children, both in appropriate primary care settings and in hospitals. One hundred and twenty-one (99%) respondents thought that all trainees in paediatric dentistry should have sedation training. The most popular form of sedation amongst specialists in paediatric dentistry was NOIS. However, some of the respondents felt that children should have access to other forms of sedation in both the primary care and hospital settings. Additional research on other forms of sedation is required to evaluate their effectiveness and safety.

What impact did a Paediatric Early Warning system have on emergency admissions to the paediatric intensive care unit? An observational cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sefton, G; McGrath, C; Tume, L; Lane, S; Lisboa, P J G; Carrol, E D

2015-04-01

The ideology underpinning Paediatric Early Warning systems (PEWs) is that earlier recognition of deteriorating in-patients would improve clinical outcomes. To explore how the introduction of PEWs at a tertiary children's hospital affects emergency admissions to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the impact on service delivery. To compare 'in-house' emergency admissions to PICU with 'external' admissions transferred from District General Hospitals (without PEWs). A before-and-after observational study August 2005-July 2006 (pre), August 2006-July 2007 (post) implementation of PEWs at the tertiary children's hospital. The median Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM2) reduced; 0.44 vs 0.60 (pemergency admissions to PICU. A 39% reduction in emergency admission total beds days reduced cancellation of major elective surgical cases and refusal of external PICU referrals. Following introduction of PEWs at a tertiary children's hospital PIM2 was reduced, patients required less PICU interventions and had a shorter length of stay. PICU service delivery improved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can drawing be considered a projective measure for children's distress in paediatric dentistry?

Science.gov (United States)

Aminabadi, Naser Asl; Ghoreishizadeh, Arezoo; Ghoreishizadeh, Mohammadali; Oskouei, Sina Ghertasi

2011-01-01

Several tools have been developed for the measurement of emotional status of the child in paediatric dental clinics including nonverbal self-report techniques. Subjective methods like drawing and Child Drawing: Hospital (CD:H) score have recently been applied in hospitalized children. Studies, however, have not attempted to analyse children's drawings as an aid to investigate the subjective feelings of children in paediatric dental settings. To assess drawing as a measure for child's distress in paediatric dental settings. Fifty-four children, aged 4-11 years, participated in this study. After finishing the first therapeutic session, the child was instructed to draw a picture of a person in a dental clinic. The pictures were scored using CD:H score sheet and the findings were compared with SEM and Frankl scores. CD:H was correlated with both Frankl (correlation coefficient = -0.550) and SEM (correlation coefficient = +0.483) scales (P Drawing is a useful measure of children's emotional status in dental settings in a way that is easier, familiar and more enjoyable for the child patient. © 2010 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2010 BSPD, IAPD and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Hypothyroidism in clinical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faiza Qari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disease that was seen in the clinical practice especially for family physicians. Methods: This review article covered the important practical clinical issues for managing overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism during pregnancy. Conclusions: The clinical issues were addressed by clinical scenario followed by questions and stressed on the important clinical points.

Negotiating identity at the intersection of paediatric and genetic medicine: the parent as facilitator, narrator and patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimond, Rebecca

2014-01-01

This article identifies a significant transformation in the role and identity of parents accompanying their child to clinic. This shift is a product of the intersection between paediatric and genetic medicine, where parents play a critical role in providing information about their child, family and ultimately, about themselves. To provide a context for this matrix, two broad areas of sociological inquiry are highlighted. The first is explanations of the role a parent plays in paediatric medicine and the second is the diagnostic process in paediatric genetics and the implications for parent and child identities. Drawing from an ethnographic study of clinical consultations, attention is paid to the changing role of parenthood and the extended role of patienthood in paediatric genetic medicine. © 2013 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rider, Lisa G.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Pistorio, Angela; Bayat, Nastaran; Erman, Brian; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; de Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa A.; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Dressler, Frank; Magalhaes, Claudia Saad; Constantin, Tamás; Davidson, Joyce E.; Magnusson, Bo; Russo, Ricardo; Villa, Luca; Rinaldi, Mariangela; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Miller, Frederick W.; Vencovsky, Jiri; Ruperto, Nicolino; Hansen, Paul; Apaz, Maria; Bowyer, Suzanne; Curran, Megan; Davidson, Joyce; Griffin, Thomas; Huber, Adam H.; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Pachman, Lauren M.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Ponyi, Andrea; Quartier, Pierre; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V.; Reed, Ann; Rennebohm, Robert

2017-01-01

Objective. To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). Methods. We analyzed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis : An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rider, Lisa G.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Pistorio, Angela; Bayat, Nastaran; Erman, Brian; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; De Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa A.; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Dressler, Frank; Magalhaes, Claudia Saad; Constantin, Tamás; Davidson, Joyce E.; Magnusson, Bo; Russo, Ricardo; Villa, Luca; Rinaldi, Mariangela; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Miller, Frederick W.; Vencovsky, Jiri; Ruperto, Nicolino; Rider, Lisa G.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Miller, Frederick W.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Erman, Brian; Bayat, Nastaran; Pistorio, Angela; Huber, Adam M.; Feldman, Brian M.; Hansen, Paul; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Rider, Lisa G.; Apaz, Maria T; Bowyer, Suzanne; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Curran, Megan; Davidson, Joyce E.; Feldman, Brian M.; Griffin, Thomas; Huber, Adam H.; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel J.; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Pachman, Lauren M.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Ponyi, Andrea; Punaro, Marilynn; Quartier, Pierre; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rennebohm, Robert; Sherry, David D.; Silva, Clovis A.; Stringer, Elizabeth; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Wallace, Carol; Miller, Frederick W.; Oddis, Chester V.; Reed, Ann M.; Rider, Lisa G.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Apaz, Maria T; Avcin, Tadej; Becker, Mara; Beresford, Michael W.; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Curran, Megan; Cuttica, Ruben; Davidson, Joyce E.; Dressler, Frank; Dvergsten, Jeffrey; Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Feldman, Brian M.; Leme Ferriani, Virginia Paes; Flato, Berit; Gerloni, Valeria; Griffin, Thomas; Henrickson, Michael; Hinze, Claas; Hoeltzel, Mark; Huber, Adam M.; Ibarra, Maria; Ilowite, Norman T; Imundo, Lisa; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Kingsbury, Daniel; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel J.; Martini, Alberto; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Magnusson, Bo; Maguiness, Sheilagh; Maillard, Susan; Mathiesen, Pernille; McCann, Liza J.; Nielsen, Susan; Pachman, Lauren M.; Passo, Murray; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Quartier, Pierre; Rabinovich, Egla; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rennebohm, Robert; Rider, Lisa G.; Rivas-Chacon, Rafael; Byun Robinson, Angela; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Russo, Ricardo; Rutkowska-Sak, Lidia; Sallum, Adriana; Sanner, Helga; Schmeling, Heinrike; Selcen, Duygu; Shaham, Bracha; Sherry, David D.; Silva, Clovis A.; Spencer, Charles H.; Sundel, Robert; Tardieu, Marc; Thatayatikom, Akaluck; van der Net, Janjaap; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Wahezi, Dawn; Wallace, Carol; Zulian, Francesco; analysis, Conjoint; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Cuttica, Ruben; Davidson, Joyce E.; Dressler, Frank; Knupp Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila; Feldman, Brian M.; Griffin, Thomas; Henrickson, Michael; Huber, Adam M.; Imundo, Lisa; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Magnusson, Bo; Maillard, Susan; Pachman, Lauren M.; Passo, Murray; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rider, Lisa G.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Russo, Ricardo; Shaham, Bracha; Sundel, Robert; van der Net, Janjaap; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; Knupp Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Amato, Anthony A; Chinoy, Hector; Cooper, Robert G.; Dastmalchi, Maryam; de Visser, Marianne; Fiorentino, David; Isenberg, David; Katz, James; Mammen, Andrew; Oddis, Chester V.; Ytterberg, Steven R.

2017-01-01

Objective: To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). Methods: We analyzed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials

STUDY ON NONINFECTIOUS DERMATOSES IN PAEDIATRIC AGE

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Ananthi Mahalingam

2017-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Paediatric dermatology is a unique subspecialty in that child is not a miniature adult. Paediatric dermatoses differ from that of the adults in clinical presentation, treatment and prognosis. Various studies from India have shown infections and infestations to be the most common paediatric dermatoses. This study was planned to determine the epidemiological pattern of common noninfectious dermatoses in our paediatric patients as no such data are available from this part of the country. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to study the prevalence of the noninfectious dermatoses in all the new paediatric patients attending the Skin Outpatient Department (OPD at Villupuram Medical College over a period of three years. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total number of 550 children in the age group ranging from newborn to 12 years with noninfectious dermatoses attending the OPD for the first time were enrolled in the study. RESULTS Physiological changes of skin was the most common dermatoses in the newborn age group, while eczema was the most common dermatoses in infants, preschool and school going children. In the infants, eczema was followed by pigmentary disorders, mongolian spots, vascular nevi, ichthyosis, epidermolysis bullosa, alopecia areata and papular urticaria in the order of prevalence. Among preschool going children, eczema was followed by papular urticaria, papulosquamous disorders, pigmentary disorders, hair disorders, nevi, drug reactions, keratinisation disorders, urticaria, etc. In the school going age group, eczema was followed by papulosquamous disorders, pigmentary disorders, papular urticaria, nutritional disorders, ichthyosis, nevi, miliaria, drug reaction, hair disorders, photodermatoses, urticaria, collagen vascular disease and vascular nevi in the order of prevalence. CONCLUSION Eczema, papulosquamous disorders, papular urticaria, pigmentary disorders seem to be the most common noninfectious dermatoses in children. However

Paediatric Abdominal Surgical Emergencies in a General Surgical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... organized for general surgeons undertaking paediatric surgical emergencies. More paediatric surgeons should be trained and more paediatric surgical units should established in the country. Key Words: Paediatric Abdominal Surgical Emergencies; Paediatric Surgeons, General Surgeons. Journal of College of Medicine ...

Parental perceptions of clown care in paediatric intensive care units.

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Mortamet, Guillaume; Merckx, Audrey; Roumeliotis, Nadia; Simonds, Caroline; Renolleau, Sylvain; Hubert, Philippe

2017-05-01

The objective of this study was to report family satisfaction with regards to the presence of clowns in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This is a single-centre survey-based study, conducted over 4 months in a 12-bed third level PICU in a university hospital. All parents present at the bedside of their child during clowning were considered as potential participants. Eligible parents were approached by one of the two intensivists as investigators and asked to complete a survey within the 48 h following the clowns' intervention. Thirty-three parents consented to complete the survey. Median age of children was 14 months (15 days to 16 years) and median Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction (PELOD) score was 1 (0-22). Twenty-four (72.7%) were considered as clinically stable while the clowns intervened. Twenty-eight parents (84.8%) and 27 (81.8%) considered that clowns had a positive effect on themselves and on their child, respectively. Clown care was considered as necessary in 19 cases (57.6%), optional in 13 (39.4%) and unnecessary in 1 (3.0%). The degree of parental satisfaction was not significantly associated with the child's clinical stability. We suggested that medical clowning in the PICU is well accepted by parents, regardless of severity of their child's condition. This study supports the adoption of medical clowning in PICUs as a patient- and family-centred care practice. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A family systems nursing intervention model for paediatric health crisis.

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Tomlinson, Patricia Short; Peden-McAlpine, Cynthia; Sherman, Suzan

2012-03-01

This article discusses the development of a family systems nursing intervention for clinical use in health crisis. Although studies in paediatric critical care provide evidence that family stress is an important clinical phenomenon, studies have demonstrated that few nurses have the requisite family intervention skills to provide family members with adequate support during crisis. In addition, few intervention studies that focus on provider-family relationships with the goal of reducing stress have been reported. This article contributes to the literature by redressing this lack. Data sources.  The literature search supporting this project spanned from 1980 to 2009 and included searches from classic nursing theory, family theory and relevant nursing research specific to the design of the intervention reported. The goal of the intervention is to provide a theoretical and practical foundation for explicit action that enhances relationships with caregivers thereby supporting the integrity of the family and enhancing their coping abilities. The intervention, based on the Family Systems Model and the family's understandings of the situation, defines specific goals and desired outcomes to guide strategic actions. Discussion of the conceptual foundation, procedural development and an example of the protocol is provided. Implications for nursing.  The intervention is designed for nurses with limited knowledge in family theory to aid them to better help families dealing with stress. The proposed intervention can be used to increase nurses' skills in family centred nursing care. Although designed for use in paediatric critical care, it can, with modifications, be used in other nursing specialty areas. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dose reduction with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction for paediatric CT: phantom study and clinical experience on chest and abdomen CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gay, F.; Lasalle, S.; Neuenschwander, S.; Brisse, H.J. [Institut Curie, Imaging Department, Paris (France); Pavia, Y.; Pierrat, N. [Institut Curie, Medical Physics Department, Paris (France)

2014-01-15

To assess the benefit and limits of iterative reconstruction of paediatric chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT). The study compared adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) with filtered back projection (FBP) on 64-channel MDCT. A phantom study was first performed using variable tube potential, tube current and ASIR settings. The assessed image quality indices were the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the noise power spectrum, low contrast detectability (LCD) and spatial resolution. A clinical retrospective study of 26 children (M:F = 14/12, mean age: 4 years, range: 1-9 years) was secondarily performed allowing comparison of 18 chest and 14 abdominal CT pairs, one with a routine CT dose and FBP reconstruction, and the other with 30 % lower dose and 40 % ASIR reconstruction. Two radiologists independently compared the images for overall image quality, noise, sharpness and artefacts, and measured image noise. The phantom study demonstrated a significant increase in SNR without impairment of the LCD or spatial resolution, except for tube current values below 30-50 mA. On clinical images, no significant difference was observed between FBP and reduced dose ASIR images. Iterative reconstruction allows at least 30 % dose reduction in paediatric chest and abdominal CT, without impairment of image quality. (orig.)

Dose reduction with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction for paediatric CT: phantom study and clinical experience on chest and abdomen CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, F.; Lasalle, S.; Neuenschwander, S.; Brisse, H.J.; Pavia, Y.; Pierrat, N.

2014-01-01

To assess the benefit and limits of iterative reconstruction of paediatric chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT). The study compared adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) with filtered back projection (FBP) on 64-channel MDCT. A phantom study was first performed using variable tube potential, tube current and ASIR settings. The assessed image quality indices were the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the noise power spectrum, low contrast detectability (LCD) and spatial resolution. A clinical retrospective study of 26 children (M:F = 14/12, mean age: 4 years, range: 1-9 years) was secondarily performed allowing comparison of 18 chest and 14 abdominal CT pairs, one with a routine CT dose and FBP reconstruction, and the other with 30 % lower dose and 40 % ASIR reconstruction. Two radiologists independently compared the images for overall image quality, noise, sharpness and artefacts, and measured image noise. The phantom study demonstrated a significant increase in SNR without impairment of the LCD or spatial resolution, except for tube current values below 30-50 mA. On clinical images, no significant difference was observed between FBP and reduced dose ASIR images. Iterative reconstruction allows at least 30 % dose reduction in paediatric chest and abdominal CT, without impairment of image quality. (orig.)

[Alessandro Laurinsich, the key player in the progress of paediatrics in the 20(th) century].

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Farnetani, I; Farnetani, F

2007-02-01

Alessandro Laurinsich was one of the greatest Italian paediatricians of the 20(th) century. He was born in Monfalcone (it was the province of Trieste, but now it belongs to Gorizia) on 29(th) May 1899. After having completed secondary school in Trieste, he obtained a medical degree with honours in 1922 at the University of Naples and entered the paediatric clinic run by Rocco Jemma. Laurinsich was in charge of teaching at the clinic of infectious diseases from 1937 to 1940. During this period he focused on the study of tuberculosis in children, the first applications of pnemoencephalography in Italy, but also studied different malignant tumors of the kidney, neurological and psychological disorders in children, as well as educational problems. In 1940 he had a teaching post in the peadiatric clinic at the University of Siena and remained until 1945 when he moved to Parma. He worked with illegitimate children as well as evacuees. During the 1945-46 academic year, Alessandro Laurinsich was called to direct the paediatric clinic of Parma University where he created a series of paediatric centres and took many initiatives in the area. In 1961 he was offered the paediatric teaching post at the University of Milan, but inexplicably refused it. He was Dean of the faculty of Medicine from 1956 to 1968. He passed away on 2(nd) February 1969 in Parma.

Realities of paediatric pharmacotherapy in the developing world.

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Hoppu, Kalle; Sri Ranganathan, Shalini; Dodoo, Alex N O

2011-08-01

Diseases causing high mortality in children under 5 years of age in resource limited settings (RLS) could be treated if children in these countries had access to existing medicines. It took 30 years before the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) considered the issue of medicines for children, with the first EML for children being published in 2007. Recent data indicate that less than half of the key paediatric essential medicines are available in countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Problems include substandard medicines, irrational use of medicines, inefficiency and even possible corruption in pharmaceutical management systems. These are global issues which affect RLS most. Clinical trials in developing countries for the benefit of children are needed but challenging in several ways. In this review, the authors will consider the following areas where progress could improve paediatric pharmacotherapy in RLS: registration and regulation of medicines, rational use of medicines, clinical trials in children and restriction of corruption in pharmaceutical management systems.

Paediatric Palliative Care and Intellectual Disability--A Unique Context

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Duc, Jacqueline K.; Herbert, Anthony Robert; Heussler, Helen S.

2017-01-01

Background: Paediatric palliative care is a nuanced area of practice with additional complexities in the context of intellectual disability. There is currently minimal research to guide clinicians working in this challenging area of care. Method: This study describes the complex care of children with life-limiting conditions and intellectual…

Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. Austine I Omoigberale FWACP (Paed) Professor of Paediatrics, Neonatology & Infectious diseases. Dept of Child Health University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin City Nigeria isigboge@gmail.com +2348030750641. Dr. Felix Akinbami FWACP (Paed) Professor of Paediatrics & Gastroenterology Dept of Paediatrics

Transforming practice into clinical scholarship.

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Limoges, Jacqueline; Acorn, Sonia

2016-04-01

The aims of this paper were to explicate clinical scholarship as synonymous with the scholarship of application and to explore the evolution of scholarly practice to clinical scholarship. Boyer contributed an expanded view of scholarship that recognized various approaches to knowledge production beyond pure research (discovery) to include the scholarship of integration, application and teaching. There is growing interest in using Boyer's framework to advance knowledge production in nursing but the discussion of clinical scholarship in relation to Boyer's framework is sparse. Discussion paper. Literature from 1983-2015 and Boyer's framework. When clinical scholarship is viewed as a synonym for Boyer's scholarship of application, it can be aligned to this well established framework to support knowledge generated in clinical practice. For instance, applying the three criteria for scholarship (documentation, peer review and dissemination) can ensure that the knowledge produced is rigorous, available for critique and used by others to advance nursing practice and patient care. Understanding the differences between scholarly practice and clinical scholarship can promote the development of clinical scholarship. Supporting clinical leaders to identify issues confronting nursing practice can enable scholarly practice to be transformed into clinical scholarship. Expanding the understanding of clinical scholarship and linking it to Boyer's scholarship of application can assist nurses to generate knowledge that addresses clinical concerns. Further dialogue about how clinical scholarship can address the theory-practice gap and how publication of clinical scholarship could be expanded given the goals of clinical scholarship is warranted. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Internet and the paediatric surgeon.

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Srinivas, M; Inumpudi, A; Mitra, D K

1998-12-01

The Internet, which has truly united the world, is an extensive network of inter-linked computers storing immense bytes of information that can be accessed by anyone, transcending all barriers. The paediatric surgery Internet consists of exponentially growing material that deals with information specifically for paediatric surgeons and patients of the paediatric age group. We reviewed the methods available to take advantage of this network to enable busy paediatric surgeons to accrue the benefits easily and efficiently rather than be lost in the information ocean by surfing individually. By getting connected to the Internet, the paediatric surgeon gains enormous information that can be useful for patient care. The Internet has revolutionised scientific publications by virtue of its fast and accurate transmission of manuscripts. Paediatric surgeons can send manuscripts by this channel and also access journals, obviating the inherent lag period of communication by post.

Paediatric nuclear medicine imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Biassoni, Lorenzo; Easty, Marina

2017-09-01

Nuclear medicine imaging explores tissue viability and function by using radiotracers that are taken up at cellular level with different mechanism. This imaging technique can also be used to assess blood flow and transit through tubular organs. Nuclear medicine imaging has been used in paediatrics for decades and this field is continuously evolving. The data presented comes from clinical experience and some milestone papers on the subject. Nuclear medicine imaging is well-established in paediatric nephro-urology in the context of urinary tract infection, ante-natally diagnosed hydronephrosis and other congenital renal anomalies. Also, in paediatric oncology, I-123-meta-iodobenzyl-guanidine has a key role in the management of children with neuroblastic tumours. Bone scintigraphy is still highly valuable to localize the source of symptoms in children and adolescents with bone pain when other imaging techniques have failed. Thyroid scintigraphy in neonates with congenital hypothyroidism is the most accurate imaging technique to confirm the presence of ectopic functioning thyroid tissue. Radionuclide transit studies of the gastro-intestinal tract are potentially useful in suspected gastroparesis or small bowel or colonic dysmotility. However, until now a standardized protocol and a validated normal range have not been agreed, and more work is necessary. Research is ongoing on whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with its great advantage of great anatomical detail and no ionizing radiations, can replace nuclear medicine imaging in some clinical context. On the other hand, access to MRI is often difficult in many district general hospitals and general anaesthesia is frequently required, thus adding to the complexity of the examination. Patients with bone pain and no cause for it demonstrated on MRI can benefit from bone scintigraphy with single photon emission tomography and low-dose computed tomography. This technique can identify areas of mechanical stress at

Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS (PENTA) guidelines for treatment of paediatric HIV-1 infection 2015: optimizing health in preparation for adult life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bamford, A.; Turkova, A.; Lyall, H.; Foster, C.; Klein, N.; Bastiaans, D.; Burger, D.; Bernadi, S.; Butler, K.; Chiappini, E.; Clayden, P.; della Negra, M.; Giacomet, V.; Giaquinto, C.; Gibb, D.; Galli, L.; Hainaut, M.; Koros, M.; Marques, L.; Nastouli, E.; Niehues, T.; Noguera-Julian, A.; Rojo, P.; Rudin, C.; Scherpbier, H. J.; Tudor-Williams, G.; Welch, S. B.

2018-01-01

The 2015 Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS (PENTA) guidelines provide practical recommendations on the management of HIV-1 infection in children in Europe and are an update to those published in 2009. Aims of treatment have progressed significantly over the last decade, moving far

[Promotion of breast feeding in paediatric outpatient settings].

Science.gov (United States)

Böse-O'Reilly, S; Wermuth, I; Hellmann, J; Siebert, U; Lob-Corzilius, T

2008-03-01

With some data and examples it can be shown that the competence and the knowledge of paediatric doctor's assistants and paediatric nurses can and should be improved. The training courses to become a "prevention assistant" have been very positively accepted by doctor's assistants and paediatric nurses, and it seems an appropriate method to reach these aims. Prevention and especially promotion of breast feeding is possible in paediatric outpatient settings. The immediate contact between infants, parents, paediatric doctor's assistants, paediatric nurses, and doctors offers a unique opportunity to promote the health of children, mainly due to the high acceptance of regular check-ups. So why not introduce the promotion of breast feeding in paediatric outpatient settings with specially trained doctor's assistants and paediatric nurses?

Sudden death in paediatrics as a traumatic experience for critical care nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Lígia; Gonçalves, Sandra; Pinto, Cândida

2018-01-01

Research shows that nurses working in critical care units and in particular, paediatric units, are at risk of developing symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS). However, little attention has been given to this phenomenon when associated with situations of sudden death in paediatrics. This study aimed to examine the impact of sudden death in paediatrics on nurses working in paediatrics critical care units and to explore nurses' experiences of this event. This study used a mixed-methods design. The Impact of Event Scale - Revised was used for investigating the presence of STS symptoms. In addition, an interview was conducted with six nurses. Fifty-seven percent of nurses responded to the surveys and six nurses were interviewed. The results showed that the sudden death of children and adolescents is an event that elicits symptoms of STS in nurses. The quantitative assessment, revealed that 19·4% presented total scores indicating high impact. The participants interviewed described experiences of subjective distress, such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance and hyperarousal. Other factors were also reported as influencing the experience of the sudden death of a child/adolescent, namely, the child's age, the cause of death and the family's reaction to the loss. According to the participants, the emotional impact was also determined by parenthood, previous training and professional experience. Sudden death in paediatric critical care units is one of the most difficult situations in nursing practice and elicits STS symptoms, which may severely impact the physical and psychological health of nurses and ultimately affect the quality of the provided care. This study emphasizes the need for promoting better conditions for professional practice, namely, with regard to emotional support, as well as training programmes for skills development in the area of management of traumatic situations and of communication with clients. © 2017 British Association of Critical Care

Adolescent testicular microlithiasis: A case-based, multinational survey of clinical management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodie, Katie E; Saltzman, Amanda F; Cost, Nicholas G

2018-04-01

Testicular microlithiasis (TM) is a condition characterized by calcium deposits within the testis, usually detected incidentally during ultrasonography of the scrotum. TM has been associated with the presence of, and possibly the development of, testicular malignancy. Our aim was to document international clinical management practices for TM and to analyze what factors and perception of risk influence conservative versus active management and follow-up. European Society for Paediatric Urology (ESPU) and Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) members were invited to complete an online case-based survey of clinical management practices of TM. Eight cases had a single variable changed each time (classic versus limited TM, unilateral versus bilateral, prior cryptorchidism versus no cryptorchidism) to ascertain the provider's perception of risk. The respondents completed multiple choice questions on initial management, follow-up plan, length and interval of follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with decisions on management and follow-up. There were 265 respondents to the survey from 35 countries (Table). Median time in practice was 13 years. Factors that were significantly associated with more aggressive initial management (more than counseling on self-examination) included: not yet in independent practice, low volume TM cases per year, those practicing pediatric and adult urology, classic appearance of TM and cryptorchidism. Factors that were significantly associated with urologist follow-up and active investigation included: European practitioners, low TM case volume per year, those practicing both pediatric urology and pediatric surgery, classic TM appearance and a case history of cryptorchidism. Interval and length of follow-up was wide-ranging, with most respondents favoring annual follow-up. Management of TM varies and a mix of surgeon and case factors significantly influences management strategies. This baseline

Review of simulation in paediatrics: The evolution of a revolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahul eOjha

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Recent changes in medical education have highlighted the importance of experiential learning. Simulation is one model that has gained significant attention in the last decade and has been widely adopted as a training and assessment tool in medical education. Paediatric simulation has been utilized to teach various skills including resuscitation and trauma management, procedural skills and team training. It is also a valuable tool for health care educators, as it allows learners to achieve competence without putting patients at risk. Recent literature demonstrates increased retention of knowledge and skills after simulation based training. Further research is required to improve current simulation curriculums, develop validated assessment tools and to demonstrate improved clinical outcomes after simulation based training. We conducted an online search of original and review articles related to simulation and paediatric medical education and provide an overview of the role and utility of simulation in paediatrics.

Addressing the Clinical Burden of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect in a Large Metropolitan Region: Improving the Evidence-Base

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Shanti Raman

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Children at risk of abuse are more likely to be hospitalized and utilize health services according to international research. In a large metropolitan health region in New South Wales, Australia, there was little known of the clinical burden of child physical abuse and/or neglect (PAN, or of systems for clinical assessment of children presenting with abuse/neglect. We aimed to identify the number of children presenting with suspected PAN to emergency departments (EDs and paediatric services in this region, to determine enablers and barriers to assessment for children with PAN presenting to frontline services, and to identify best practices to address gaps. We collated available data on children presenting to EDs and paediatric services with suspected PAN in 2007. We interviewed 36 health professionals from nine hospitals and 12 statutory child protection professionals, across the region before undertaking relevant document analysis. Of 64,700 paediatric ED presentations, a quarter were due to injury; 2%–5% of these were due to maltreatment. Clinician estimates and assessments of PAN varied widely; health and welfare workers identified major practice gaps, as well as good local practice. We identified feasible minimum standards for improving clinical assessment and follow-up for children presenting with PAN, given the right organizational support.

Acute flexor tendon injury following midshaft radius and ulna fractures in a paediatric patient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Williams

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Delayed rupture of the extensor and flexor tendons are recognised complications of distal radius fractures. However, acute flexor tendon rupture in the context of forearm fractures is rare. A twelve-year-old female sustained midshaft fractures of the radius and ulna. Intra-operatively the flexor pollicis longus (FPL was found to be stripped from its musculotendinous junction at the level of the fracture fragment. The ruptured tendon was repaired using a modified Krackow technique at the time of fracture fixation. The repair was protected in plaster of Paris prior to referral to the paediatric hand clinic. The patient made a full recovery. Flexor tendon injury is a rare but potentially devastating consequence of acute forearm fractures. High energy trauma, significant volar angulation of the fracture fragment and clinical signs of flexor tendon injury should raise suspicion of this injury. A high index of suspicion in conjunction with repeat clinical examination of flexor tendon function should be performed before opting for closed management or intramedullary nailing in paediatric patients. Keywords: Acute, Flexor, Tendon, Fracture, Radius, Paediatric

The educational challenge of Paediatric Virology: An interview with Professor of Neonatology Anne Greenough.

Science.gov (United States)

Mammas, Ioannis N; Spandidos, Demetrios A

2017-10-01

According to Professor Anne Greenough, Professor of Neonatology and Clinical Respiratory Physiology at the King's College London (London, UK), Paediatric Virology is indeed a rapidly increasing educational challenge. Professor Greenough, who in 1992 wrote her book on congenital, perinatal and neonatal infections, believes that during the past 3 decades, paediatric health professionals are becoming increasingly involved in specialised care and follow-up of paediatric patients with viral diseases, who require advanced medical care and innovative technological services. Moreover, she highlights the expected role of new vaccines and antiviral agents that are currently under investigation, as well as the impact of emerging viral diseases that require novel prevention strategies and therapeutic protocols. However, she notes that the number of Paediatric Virologists in any one country is likely to be small; hence, a separate paediatric subspecialty needs to be considered carefully. In the context of the 3rd Workshop on Paediatric Virology, which will be held in Athens, Greece, on October 7th, 2017, Professor Greenough will give her plenary lecture on the impact of viral infections on the long term outcomes of prematurely born infants.

A paediatric and perinatal HIV/AIDS leadership initiative in Kingston, Jamaica.

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, C D C

2004-10-01

In Jamaica 1-2% of pregnant women are HIV-positive; 876 HIV-positive pregnant women will deliver and at least 283 newly infected HIV-infected infants will be born in 2003; HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in children aged one to four years. We describe a collaborative "Town and Gown" programme to address the paediatric and perinatal HIV epidemic in Kingston. A team of academic and government healthcare personnel, comprising paediatricians, obstetricians, public health practitioners, nurses, microbiologists, data management and information technology personnel collaborated to address this public health emergency. A five-point plan was implemented This comprised leadership and training of a core group of paediatric/perinatal HIVprofessionals to serve Greater Kingston and St Catherine and be a model for the rest of Jamaica. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS is prevented by counselling and HIV-testing women in the antenatal clinics, giving azidothymidine (AZT) to HIV pregnant women beginning at 28 weeks gestation, throughout labour and to the HIV-exposed infants for the first six weeks of life. A unified parallel programme for identifying the HIV-infected infant and delivering paediatric HIV care at the major paediatric centres was implemented In three years, over 30,000 pregnant women are being tested for HIV; 600 HIV-exposed babies are being identified and about 140 paediatric HIV infections will be prevented The team is building research capacity which emphasizes a strong outcomes-based research agenda and implementation of clinical trials. We are collaborating, locally, regionally and internationally. Collaboratively, the mission of reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and improving the quality of life for those already living and affected by HIV/AIDS can be achieved.

Radioimmunoassay in clinical practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ametov, A S

1982-01-01

A wide application of radioimmunoassay in clinical practice is shown. The main theoretical aspects of radioimmunoassay and the fields of application in clinical practice - endocrinology, oncology, allergology, cardiology, pharmacology, pediatrics, hematology, obstetrics and gynecology, are presented.

A survey of current practices in management of Hirschsprung′s disease in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulrasheed A. Nasir

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although there are several modalities of treatment for Hirschsprung′s disease (HD, there are presently no clear guidelines on treatment of the condition by paediatric surgeons in Nigeria. This survey determines the current approach to treatment among Nigerian paediatric surgeons and should help in establishing a consensus and guidelines for care in this and similar setting. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was designed using survey Monkey ® to determine current clinical and operative management of patients with HD by consultant paediatric surgeons practicing in the Nigeria. The paediatric surgeons were notified by E-mail, which included a link to the survey on survey Monkey ® . The survey was also administered at the 12 th annual meeting of Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria in September, 2013, to capture those who did not complete the online survey. Thirty-one paediatric surgeons from 21 different tertiary paediatric surgery centres completed the survey. Results: Sixteen (52% respondents see up to 20% of their patients with HD in the neonatal period. Twenty-six (84% respondents do routine barium enema. Twenty six (84% respondents do full thickness rectal biopsy under general anaesthesia (GA. There was no consistency in operative techniques, with transabominal Swenson′s operation being practiced by 17 (57% respondents and 11 (37% transanal endorectal pull through. 14 (45% do pull through at any age. 12 (39% respondents do more than half of their patient as primary pull through. Conclusion: Full thickness rectal biopsy under GA is still the vogue with variations in the surgical technique for management of Hirshsprung′s disease in Nigeria. Primary pull through procedures is becoming increasingly popular. There′s a need for Paediatric Surgeons in Nigeria to come up with a guideline on management of HD, to guide trainees and other surgeons in the care of these patients.

[The prevention of pressure sores in paediatric intensive care].

Science.gov (United States)

Thueux, Emilie

2014-01-01

In paediatric intensive care, children develop pressure sores as a result of various mechanical and clinical factors. The prevention and assessment of the risk of pressure sores constitute a key concern for the nursing teams which establish prevention strategies adapted to the young patients.

Paediatric musculoskeletal matters (pmm)--collaborative development of an online evidence based interactive learning tool and information resource for education in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Nicola; Rapley, Tim; Jandial, Sharmila; English, Christine; Davies, Barbara; Wyllie, Ruth; Foster, Helen E

2016-01-05

We describe the collaborative development of an evidence based, free online resource namely 'paediatric musculoskeletal matters' (pmm). This resource was developed with the aim of reaching a wide range of health professionals to increase awareness, knowledge and skills within paediatric musculoskeletal medicine, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and referral to specialist care. Engagement with stakeholder groups (primary care, paediatrics, musculoskeletal specialties and medical students) informed the essential 'core' learning outcomes to derive content of pmm. Representatives from stakeholder groups, social science and web development experts transformed the learning outcomes into a suitable framework. Target audience representatives reviewed the framework and their opinion was gathered using an online survey (n = 74) and focus groups (n = 2). Experts in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine peer reviewed the content and design. User preferences informed design with mobile, tablet and web compatible versions to facilitate access, various media and formats to engage users and the content presented in module format (i.e. Clinical assessment, Investigations and management, Limping child, Joint pain by site, Swollen joint(s) and Resources). We propose that our collaborative and evidence-based approach has ensured that pmm is user-friendly, with readily accessible, suitable content, and will help to improve access to paediatric musculoskeletal medicine education. The content is evidence-based with the design and functionality of pmm to facilitate optimal and 'real life' access to information. pmm is targeted at medical students and the primary care environment although messages are transferable to all health care professionals involved in the care of children and young people.

Physician behaviour for antimicrobial prescribing for paediatric upper respiratory tract infections: a survey in general practice in Trinidad, West Indies

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Ramdhanie Joseph

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs are among the most frequent reasons for physician office visits in paediatrics. Despite their predominant viral aetiology, URTIs continue to be treated with antimicrobials. We explored general practitioners' (GPs prescribing behaviour for antimicrobials in children (≤ 16 years with URTIs in Trinidad, using the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC as a reference. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 92 consenting GPs from the 109 contacted in Central and East Trinidad, between January to June 2003. Using a pilot-tested questionnaire, GPs identified the 5 most frequent URTIs they see in office and reported on their antimicrobial prescribing practices for these URTIs to trained research students. Results The 5 most frequent URTIs presenting in children in general practice, are the common cold, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis and acute otitis media (AOM in rank order. GPs prescribe at least 25 different antibiotics for these URTIs with significant associations for amoxicillin, co-amoxiclav, cefaclor, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin (p 30 years were more likely to prescribe antibiotics for the common cold (p = 0.014. Severity (95.7% and duration of illness (82.5% influenced doctors' prescribing and over prescribing in general practice was attributed to parent demands (75% and concern for secondary bacterial infections (70%. Physicians do not request laboratory investigations primarily because they are unnecessary (86% and the waiting time for results is too long (51%. Conclusions Antibiotics are over prescribed for paediatric URTIs in Trinidad and amoxicillin with co-amoxiclav were preferentially prescribed. Except for AOM, GPs' prescribing varied from the CDC guidelines for drug and duration. Physicians recognise antibiotics are overused and consider parents expecting antibiotics and a concern for secondary

Clinical Practice in Portuguese Sexology.

Science.gov (United States)

Alarcão, Violeta; Ribeiro, Sofia; Almeida, Joana; Giami, Alain

2017-11-17

Few studies explore the clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sexuality, despite their role in the sexual-health socialization process. This study focuses on Portuguese sexologists engaged in clinical practice. It aims to characterize sexologists' sex education and training and their clinical practices, including diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This research followed the methodology of an European survey on sexology as a profession (Euro-Sexo). From the 91 respondents who completed questionnaires, 51 (56%) were active in clinical practice. Results indicate that the Portuguese clinical sexologist is significantly older, predominantly male, has had training in sexology, performs more scientific research, and is more engaged in teaching activities when compared to nonclinical working sexologists. This article describes the main sexual problems presented by patients to Portuguese clinical sexologists and highlights differences in the professional groups and approaches toward treating these problems by medical doctors and nonmedical professionals. Results reinforce the idea that there are intra-European differences in the educational background of sexologists and reveal important variations in Portuguese sexologists' education, training, and clinical practice. The representations and practices of the sexologists in Portugal, as in other European countries, are embedded in cultural scenarios and sexual cultures, with implications for the clinical practice.

Malnutrition in paediatric oncology patients

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nutritional status of paediatric cancer patients at diagnosis ... Professor and Executive Head, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, .... can lead to decreased oral intake, weight loss.

Transfusion therapy in paediatric trauma patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nystrup, Kristin Brønnum; Stensballe, Jakob; Bøttger, Morten

2015-01-01

Haemorrhage is a leading cause of death in paediatric trauma patients. Predefined massive transfusion protocols (MTP) have the potential to significantly reduce mortality by treating haemorrhagic shock and coagulopathy, in adhering to the principles of haemostatic resuscitation with rapid...... in paediatric trauma patients is challenging, and the optimal blood product ratio that will increase survival in massively bleeding paediatric trauma patients has yet to be determined. To date, only a few small descriptive studies and case reports have investigated the use of predefined MTP in paediatric trauma...... patients.MTP with increased FFP or PLT to RBC ratios combined with viscoelastic haemostatic assay (VHA) guided haemostatic resuscitation have not yet been tested in paediatric populations but based on results from adult trauma patients, this therapeutic approach seems promising.Considering the high...

Finally in Italy the School of Specialisation in Paediatric Dentistry!

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Marzo, G

2017-06-01

After over two decades of discussions, promises and indecisions, the year 2016 marked the birth of the School of Specialisation in Paediatric Dentistry, which is now a reality. The importance of dental post-graduate specialisation schools has been debated since the Degree Course in Dentistry was established. Previously, in Italy only two dental branches - Oral Surgery and Orthodontics - had obtained the recognition that a School of Specialisation entails. Today, with specific training and the newly- established hyper-specialisation in Paediatric Dentistry, the future of the profession is brighter than ever. This will allow dental professionals to provide the best cure to our young patients but it especially marks and recognises the importance of prevention in general. Having established a Specialty School in Paediatric Dentistry is also important to keep the pace with the other European countries where this postgraduate course has been already offered for many years. In my opinion, training professionals with a solid specialisation based both on cultural insights and hands-on clinical activities translates into the possibility of making true prevention. The ultimate goal of paediatric dentists, as well as paediatricians, is certainly to treat young patients but also and above all to accompany them toward an adulthood possibly free of pathologies. With an eye to a future where Paediatric Dentistry will be at the core of dental and orthodontic prevention, I wish great success to all the many specialisation schools established within the Italian Universities.

Genodermatoses in paediatric age group

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Kumar Sunil

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Pattern of genodermatoses in paediatric age group was studied. The relative incidence of genodermatoses in paediatric dermatology out patient department was 0.62%. The commonest genodermatoses observed was ichthyosis.

Paediatric laparoscopic hernia repair: Ex vivo skills in the reduced training era

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Chris Parsons

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Changes to surgical working hours have resulted in shorter training times and fewer learning opportunities. Tools that develop surgical skills ex-vivo are of particular interest in this era. Laparoscopic skills are regarded as essential by many for modern paediatric surgery practice. Several generic skills models have been reported and validated. However, there is limited evidence regarding the role of procedure specific models. Here, a laparoscopic paediatric hernia repair model is trialled with surgical trainees and their competence compared with consultant colleagues. Patients and Methods: An ex-vivo paediatric inguinal hernia repair model was devised. Surgical trainees from 5 specialist centres were recruited and performed multiple standardised repairs. Results: 23 trainees performed 192 repairs. Experts performed 10 repairs for comparison. Trainees were timed performing the repair and their accuracy measured. With repeated attempts trainee′s timings and accuracy improved until by the 10 th repair they were no different from benchmark consultant scores. Conclusion: A simple, procedure specific ex-vivo training model has been evaluated for laparoscopic hernia training in paediatric surgery. The results suggest improvements in competence with repetition. Trainee and benchmark consultant scores are no different by the 10 th trainee attempt. We conclude that this model may have a valuable role in the training and assessment of future paediatric surgeons.

The prevalence of pressure ulcers in the paediatric population.

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Habiballah, Laila; Tubaishat, Ahmad

2016-05-01

A paucity of research related to the problem of pressure ulcers in paediatrics is found, with a variety of reported prevalence rates. To record the prevalence, location and categories of PU in the inpatient paediatric wards, and to identify the characteristics of pressure ulcer patients. A descriptive point prevalence study. All paediatric inpatient wards in two hospitals in Jordan. One of which is a university-affiliated hospital and the other a paediatric public hospital. Isolation, burn and emergency units, outpatients' clinics and psychiatric wards were excluded. One sixty six paediatric patients aged from one day up to 18 years from both hospitals. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were included and examined for the existence of pressure ulcers on one day in each hospital by the primary investigator. The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel classification system was used to categorise each identified ulcer. The characteristics of ulcers were collected as well. Sixteen ulcers were identified in 11 patients, giving a prevalence rate of 6.6%.When Category I ulcers were excluded, the prevalence rate dropped to 2.4%. All except one of the PU patients were being treated in critical care units (n = 10, 90.9%), and most of the ulcers were category one (n = 7, 63.6%) and caused by devices (n = 7, 63.6). The face was the most frequently reported location of PUs (n = 6, 54.5%), followed by the occiput (n = 2, 18.2%). Most PU patients were male (n = 6, 54.5%), and less than 12 months old (n = 8, 72.7%). PU patients had experienced longer hospital stays than patients free from PU (U = 499.0, p = 0.02). Jordanian paediatric patients do have pressure ulcers, with a prevalence rate congruent with previously reported international rates. Most of the ulcers found were caused by devices used in critical care units. This should encourage nurses to pay extra attention to their paediatric patients when they are connected to medical devices. Copyright �

Health professional perspectives on lifestyle behaviour change in the paediatric hospital setting: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Elwell, Laura; Powell, Jane; Wordsworth, Sharon; Cummins, Carole

2014-03-13

Research exists examining the challenges of delivering lifestyle behaviour change initiatives in practice. However, at present much of this research has been conducted with primary care health professionals, or in acute adult hospital settings. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators associated with implementing routine lifestyle behaviour change brief advice into practice in an acute children's hospital. Thirty-three health professionals (nurses, junior doctors, allied health professionals and clinical support staff) from inpatient and outpatient departments at a UK children's hospital were interviewed about their attitudes and beliefs towards supporting lifestyle behaviour change in hospital patients and their families. Responses were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Health professionals identified a range of barriers and facilitators to supporting lifestyle behaviour change in a children's hospital. These included (1) personal experience of effectiveness, (2) constraints associated with the hospital environment, (3) appropriateness of advice delivery given the patient's condition and care pathway and (4) job role priorities, and (5) perceived benefits of the advice given. Delivery of lifestyle behaviour change advice was often seen as an educational activity, rather than a behaviour change activity. Factors underpinning the successful delivery of routine lifestyle behaviour change support must be understood if this is to be implemented effectively in paediatric acute settings. This study reveals key areas where paediatric health professionals may need further support and training to achieve successful implementation.

Current status of paediatric post-mortem imaging: an ESPR questionnaire-based survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arthurs, Owen J. [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Radiology, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom); Rijn, Rick R. van [Academic Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Sebire, Neil J. [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Department of Pathology, London (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Child Health, London (United Kingdom)

2014-03-15

The use of post-mortem imaging, including skeletal radiography, CT and MRI, is increasing, providing a minimally invasive alternative to conventional autopsy techniques. The development of clinical guidelines and national standards is being encouraged, particularly for cross-sectional techniques. To outline the current practice of post-mortem imaging amongst members of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR). We e-mailed an online questionnaire of current post-mortem service provisions to members of the ESPR in January 2013. The survey included direct questions about what services were offered, the population imaged, current techniques used, imaging protocols, reporting experience and intended future involvement. Seventy-one percent (47/66) of centres from which surveys were returned reported performing some form of post-mortem imaging in children, of which 81 % perform radiographs, 51% CT and 38% MRI. Eighty-seven percent of the imaging is performed within the radiology or imaging departments, usually by radiographers (75%), and 89% is reported by radiologists, of which 64% is reported by paediatric radiologists. Overall, 72% of positive respondents have a standardised protocol for radiographs, but only 32% have such a protocol for CT and 27% for MRI. Sixty-one percent of respondents wrote that this is an important area that needs to be developed. Overall, the majority of centres provide some post-mortem imaging service, most of which is performed within an imaging department and reported by a paediatric radiologist. However, the populations imaged as well as the details of the services offered are highly variable among institutions and lack standardisation. We have identified people who would be interested in taking this work forwards. (orig.)

Mortality Pattern within Twenty-Four Hours of Emergency Paediatric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The highest mortality within the first 24 hours of admission was recorded among patients with malaria (89.0%) followed by protein energy malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Majority of deaths among emergency paediatric admission occur within the first 24 hours of admission and are associated with clinical conditions such as ...

Safeguarding children in dentistry: 2. Do paediatric dentists neglect child dental neglect?

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, J C; Elcock, C; Sidebotham, P D; Welbury, R R

2009-05-09

In this second part of a two-part report, further findings of a postal questionnaire sent in March 2005 to dentists with an interest in paediatric dentistry working in varied UK settings are presented and discussed in the context of current multi-agency good practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Using insights gained from a survey of self-reported management of children with neglected dentitions, this paper explores whether paediatric dentists neglect child dental neglect. The authors conclude that current practice already includes much that contributes to promoting children's oral health and wellbeing. However, in a society where children continue to suffer as a result of abuse and neglect, they warn that improvements are needed in communication between dentists and other health and social care professionals if children's welfare is to be safeguarded and promoted effectively and future tragedies avoided.

Paediatric autoimmune encephalopathies: clinical features, laboratory investigations and outcomes in patients with or without antibodies to known central nervous system autoantigens

Science.gov (United States)

Hacohen, Yael; Wright, Sukhvir; Waters, Patrick; Agrawal, Shakti; Carr, Lucinda; Cross, Helen; De Sousa, Carlos; DeVile, Catherine; Fallon, Penny; Gupta, Rajat; Hedderly, Tammy; Hughes, Elaine; Kerr, Tim; Lascelles, Karine; Lin, Jean-Pierre; Philip, Sunny; Pohl, Keith; Prabahkar, Prab; Smith, Martin; Williams, Ruth; Clarke, Antonia; Hemingway, Cheryl; Wassmer, Evangeline; Vincent, Angela; Lim, Ming J

2013-01-01

Objective To report the clinical and investigative features of children with a clinical diagnosis of probable autoimmune encephalopathy, both with and without antibodies to central nervous system antigens. Method Patients with encephalopathy plus one or more of neuropsychiatric symptoms, seizures, movement disorder or cognitive dysfunction, were identified from 111 paediatric serum samples referred from five tertiary paediatric neurology centres to Oxford for antibody testing in 2007–2010. A blinded clinical review panel identified 48 patients with a diagnosis of probable autoimmune encephalitis whose features are described. All samples were tested/retested for antibodies to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), VGKC-complex, LGI1, CASPR2 and contactin-2, GlyR, D1R, D2R, AMPAR, GABA(B)R and glutamic acid decarboxylase. Results Seizures (83%), behavioural change (63%), confusion (50%), movement disorder (38%) and hallucinations (25%) were common. 52% required intensive care support for seizure control or profound encephalopathy. An acute infective organism (15%) or abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (32%), EEG (70%) or MRI (37%) abnormalities were found. One 14-year-old girl had an ovarian teratoma. Serum antibodies were detected in 21/48 (44%) patients: NMDAR 13/48 (27%), VGKC-complex 7/48(15%) and GlyR 1/48(2%). Antibody negative patients shared similar clinical features to those who had specific antibodies detected. 18/34 patients (52%) who received immunotherapy made a complete recovery compared to 4/14 (28%) who were not treated; reductions in modified Rankin Scale for children scores were more common following immunotherapies. Antibody status did not appear to influence the treatment effect. Conclusions Our study outlines the common clinical and paraclinical features of children and adolescents with probable autoimmune encephalopathies. These patients, irrespective of positivity for the known antibody targets, appeared to benefit from immunotherapies and further

Interpretation of Chemical Pathology Test Results in Paediatrics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

At any time we interprete paediatric chemical pathology test results we must take into consideration a number of factors, which are related with and restricted to paediatric patients. Such factors include the paediatric patient's age that may change from prematurity to above 18 years, and the paediatric patient's body weight ...

Paediatric multidetector CT optimisation training: a survey of common scanning procedures and the resultant dose reduction associated with paediatric MDCT investigations in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, Anthony; Sibelle, Kimberly; Stanley, Martin; Budd, Ray; Goergen, Stacey; Heggie, John

2008-01-01

The growing recognition of the increased risk of stochastic injury to paediatric patients from multidetector CT (MDCT) investigations prompted a survey sponsored by Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology (RANZCR), Austin Health and Monash University to initiate a national paediatric dosimetry review for some of the most common investigations undertaken in MDCT paediatric practice. The survey forms included a data sheet requiring acquisition protocol parameters and a phantom graphic sheet requiring the marking of the inferior and superior acquisition margins. Survey forms were supplied for each of 13 common MDCT acquisitions to be tested. Response data was input into CT-Expo Version 1.5.1., a CT dosimetry calculation engine, to determine dose length product (DLP (mGy.cm)) and effective dose (ED (mSv)). Initial survey data was collected, calculated, blinded and collated into various presentations that were given at a MDCT optimisation seminar in November, 2006. All sites were re-surveyed in May 2007 and doses calculated. Initial survey data showed a range of dose efficiencies spread across the surveyed sites. A measure of the initial spread of DLP values per procedure ranged from a minimum of less than 2 for a head-trauma acquisition (372 - 520 mGy.cm) to 14 for a chest-trauma acquisition (28 - 388 mGy.cm). Results of the 2nd survey strongly indicate that the application of optimisation training to paediatric MDCT scanning can produce significant dose savings by the application of simple dose saving strategies. Many protocols demonstrated dose reductions of greater than 50% with significant reductions in both the maximum and minimum values of calculated DLP and ED. The development of a survey-training-resurvey model of MDCT optimisation has proven to be a successful strategy for paediatric MDCT dose reduction in Australia. (author)

Drugs for the paediatric heart

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Head, Paediatric Cardiology Service of the Western Cape, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, ... His interests also include the care of complex patients ... The pharmacy only has enalapril available – can you substitute this drug for the ...

Work stress, occupational burnout and depression levels: a clinical study of paediatric intensive care unit nurses in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tzu-Ching; Lin, Huey-Shyan; Cheng, Su-Fen; Wu, Li-Min; Ou-Yang, Mei-Chen

2016-04-01

This study aimed to examine the relationship between work stress and depression; and investigate the mediating effect of occupational burnout among nurses in paediatric intensive care units. The relationships among work stress, occupational burnout and depression level have been explored, neither regarding occupational burnout as the mediating role that causes work stress to induce depression nor considering the paediatric intensive care unit context. A cross-sectional correlational design was conducted. One hundred and forty-four female paediatric intensive care unit nurses from seven teaching hospitals in southern Taiwan were recruited as the participants. Data were collected by structured questionnaires including individual demographics, the Nurse Stress Checklist, the Occupational Burnout Inventory and the Taiwan Depression Questionnaire. The results indicated that after controlling for individual demographic variables, the correlations of work stress with occupational burnout, as well as work stress and occupational burnout with depression level were all positive. Furthermore, occupational burnout may exert a partial mediating effect on the relationship between work stress and depression level. This study provides information about work stress, occupational burnout and depression level, and their correlations, as well as the mediating role of occupational burnout among paediatric intensive care unit nurses. It suggests government departments and hospital administrators when formulating interventions to prevent work stress and occupational burnout. These interventions can subsequently prevent episodes of depression in paediatric intensive care unit nurses, thereby providing patients with a safe and high-quality nursing environment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Digital stethoscopes compared to standard auscultation for detecting abnormal paediatric breath sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kevat, Ajay C; Kalirajah, Anaath; Roseby, Robert

2017-07-01

Our study aimed to objectively describe the audiological characteristics of wheeze and crackles in children by using digital stethoscope (DS) auscultation, as well as assess concordance between standard auscultation and two different DS devices in their ability to detect pathological breath sounds. Twenty children were auscultated by a paediatric consultant doctor and digitally recorded using the Littman™ 3200 Digital Electronic Stethoscope and a Clinicloud™ DS with smart device. Using spectrographic analysis, we found those with clinically described wheeze had prominent periodic waveform segments spanning expiration for a period of 0.03-1.2 s at frequencies of 100-1050 Hz, and occasionally spanning shorter inspiratory segments; paediatric crackles were brief discontinuous sounds with a distinguishing waveform. There was moderate concordance with respect to wheeze detection between digital and standard binaural stethoscopes, and 100% concordance for crackle detection. Importantly, DS devices were more sensitive than clinician auscultation in detecting wheeze in our study. Objective definition of audio characteristics of abnormal paediatric breath sounds was achieved using DS technology. We demonstrated superiority of our DS method compared to traditional auscultation for detection of wheeze. What is Known: • The audiological characteristics of abnormal breath sounds have been well-described in adult populations but not in children. • Inter-observer agreement for detection of pathological breath sounds using standard auscultation has been shown to be poor, but the clinical value of now easily available digital stethoscopes has not been sufficiently examined. What is New: • Digital stethoscopes can objectively define the nature of pathological breath sounds such as wheeze and crackles in children. • Paediatric wheeze was better detected by digital stethoscopes than by standard auscultation performed by an expert paediatric clinician.

Developing implementation strategies for firearm safety promotion in paediatric primary care for suicide prevention in two large US health systems: a study protocol for a mixed-methods implementation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolk, Courtney Benjamin; Jager-Hyman, Shari; Marcus, Steven C; Ahmedani, Brian K; Zeber, John E; Fein, Joel A; Brown, Gregory K; Lieberman, Adina; Beidas, Rinad S

2017-06-24

The promotion of safe firearm practices, or firearms means restriction, is a promising but infrequently used suicide prevention strategy in the USA. Safety Check is an evidence-based practice for improving parental firearm safety behaviour in paediatric primary care. However, providers rarely discuss firearm safety during visits, suggesting the need to better understand barriers and facilitators to promoting this approach. This study, Adolescent Suicide Prevention In Routine clinical Encounters, aims to engender a better understanding of how to implement the three firearm components of Safety Check as a suicide prevention strategy in paediatric primary care. The National Institute of Mental Health-funded Mental Health Research Network (MHRN), a consortium of 13 healthcare systems across the USA, affords a unique opportunity to better understand how to implement a firearm safety intervention in paediatric primary care from a system-level perspective. We will collaboratively develop implementation strategies in partnership with MHRN stakeholders. First, we will survey leadership of 82 primary care practices (ie, practices serving children, adolescents and young adults) within two MHRN systems to understand acceptability and use of the three firearm components of Safety Check (ie, screening, brief counselling around firearm safety and provision of firearm locks). Then, in collaboration with MHRN stakeholders, we will use intervention mapping and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to systematically develop and evaluate a multilevel menu of implementation strategies for promoting firearm safety as a suicide prevention strategy in paediatric primary care. Study procedures have been approved by the University of Pennsylvania. Henry Ford Health System and Baylor Scott & White institutional review boards (IRBs) have ceded IRB review to the University of Pennsylvania IRB. Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. © Article

ICRP PUBLICATION 121: Radiological Protection in Paediatric Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khong, P-L.; Ringertz, H.; Donoghue, V.; Frush, D.; Rehani, M.; Appelgate, K.; Sanchez, R.

2013-01-01

Paediatric patients have a higher average risk of developing cancer compared with adults receiving the same dose. The longer life expectancy in children allows more time for any harmful effects of radiation to manifest, and developing organs and tissues are more sensitive to the effects of radiation. This publication aims to provide guiding principles of radiological protection for referring clinicians and clinical staff performing diagnostic imaging and interventional procedures for paediatric patients. It begins with a brief description of the basic concepts of radiological protection, followed by the general aspects of radiological protection, including principles of justification and optimisation. Guidelines and suggestions for radiological protection in specific modalities – radiography and fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, and computed tomography – are subsequently covered in depth. The report concludes with a summary and recommendations. The importance of rigorous justification of radiological procedures is emphasised for every procedure involving ionising radiation, and the use of imaging modalities that are non-ionising should always be considered. The basic aim of optimisation of radiological protection is to adjust imaging parameters and institute protective measures such that the required image is obtained with the lowest possible dose of radiation, and that net benefit is maximised to maintain sufficient quality for diagnostic interpretation. Special consideration should be given to the availability of dose reduction measures when purchasing new imaging equipment for paediatric use. One of the unique aspects of paediatric imaging is with regards to the wide range in patient size (and weight), therefore requiring special attention to optimisation and modification of equipment, technique, and imaging parameters. Examples of good radiographic and fluoroscopic technique include attention to patient positioning, field size and adequate collimation

The development of paediatric neuroradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harwood-Nash, D.C.

1978-01-01

The development of paediatric neuroradiology is a specific persuasion within neuroradiology and has increased in scope and significance throughout the last ten years. The emergence of computed tomography has altered the indications for types of neuroradiological procedures in infants and children. The sophistication, accuracy, and safety of standard neuroradiological procedures have been increased by the accuracy and safety of computed tomography, particularly in the premature infant. There is a growing need for education and instruction in paediatric neuroradiological techniques and paediatric neuroradiological diseases within the neuroradiological fraternity as a whole. (orig.) [de

PREVENTIVE PAEDIATRICS — NEW CHALLENGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Baranov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The article takes up priority directions of preventive paediatrics concerning health formation of rising generation, organization of health care for children, decrease of morbidity, disability and mortality rate. The authors mention the importance of vaccination in control of the most common infections, base the necessity of complex rehabilitation health care system organization for disable children and need of wide spreading of developed and used in practical Russian health care types and methods of prophylaxis of rare (orphan diseases. The ways of prophylaxis, maintenance, strengthening and recovery of children’s health are suggested in this article.

How GPs implement clinical guidelines in everyday clinical practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Videbæk Le, Jette; Hansen, Helle P; Riisgaard, Helle

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines are considered to be essential for improving quality and safety of health care. However, interventions to promote implementation of guidelines have demonstrated only partial effectiveness and the reasons for this apparent failure are not yet fully understood....... OBJECTIVE: To investigate how GPs implement clinical guidelines in everyday clinical practice and how implementation approaches differ between practices. METHODS: Individual semi-structured open-ended interviews with seven GPs who were purposefully sampled with regard to gender, age and practice form....... Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and then analysed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS: Analysis of the interviews revealed three different approaches to the implementation of guidelines in clinical practice. In some practices the GPs prioritized time and resources on collective...

Chiropractic care for paediatric and adolescent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonello Rod

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Psychostimulants are first line of therapy for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD. The evidence suggests that up to 30% of those prescribed stimulant medications do not show clinically significant outcomes. In addition, many children and adolescents experience side-effects from these medications. As a result, parents are seeking alternate interventions for their children. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies for behavioural disorders such as AD/HD are increasing with as many as 68% of parents having sought help from alternative practitioners, including chiropractors. Objective The review seeks to answer the question of whether chiropractic care can reduce symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD. Methods Electronic databases (Cochrane CENTRAL register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Index to Chiropractic Literature were searched from inception until July 2009 for English language studies for chiropractic care and AD/HD. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select studies. All randomised controlled trials were evaluated using the Jadad score and a checklist developed from the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines. Results The search yielded 58 citations of which 22 were intervention studies. Of these, only three studies were identified for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD cohorts. The methodological quality was poor and none of the studies qualified using inclusion criteria. Conclusions To date there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic care for paediatric and adolescent AD/HD. The claim that chiropractic care improves paediatric and adolescent AD/HD, is only supported by low levels of scientific evidence. In the interest of paediatric and adolescent health, if chiropractic care for AD/HD is to continue, more rigorous

A qualitative study of decision-making on Phase III randomized clinical trial participation in paediatric oncology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingersgaard, Marianne Vie; Tulstrup, Morten; Schmiegelow, Kjeld

2018-01-01

AIM: To explore parents' and adolescents' motives for accepting/declining participation in the ALL2008 trials and adolescents' involvement in the decision-making process. BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated on the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology...... the adolescents' decision. There were no differences between motivations of preferences held by parents of children or adolescents, respectively. Decisions were based on subjective values attributed to cure contra toxicity and individual preferences for either standard or experimental treatment. The possibility....... FINDINGS: Adolescents and parents emphasized the importance of adolescents' active participation in decisions regarding enrolment into clinical trials. A majority of adolescents were either final or collaborative decision-makers. Parents stated that in case of disagreement, they would overrule...

The ESSKA paediatric anterior cruciate ligament monitoring initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Moksnes, Håvard; Engebretsen, Lars; Seil, Romain

2016-03-01

To survey and describe the treatment of paediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries performed by orthopaedic surgeons affiliated with the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA). A closed e-survey was submitted to all registered members and affiliates of ESSKA in July 2013. All recipients were invited to participate in the survey by answering 34 questions online. The list of potential respondents was extracted from the ESSKA office database. Invitation was sent to 2236 ESSKA members and affiliates, and received 491 (22%) unique responses. Among the respondents, 445 (91%) were orthopaedic surgeons, with 354 (72%) stating that they were involved in treatment of paediatric ACL injuries. The main findings were that there are substantial differences with regard to preferred treatment algorithms, surgical techniques and long-term follow-up procedures. The summed estimate of skeletally immature children with ACL injury seen by the responders in 2012 was minimum 1923 individuals, and a minimum of 102 clinically relevant post-operative growth disturbances were registered. The present survey documents that the incidences of paediatric ACL injuries and idiopathic growth disturbances may be higher than previously estimated. Treatment algorithms and surgical techniques are highly diverse, and consensus could not be identified. It is worrying that only half the surgeons reported to follow-up children until skeletal maturity after surgical treatment. The results of this survey highlight the importance of international multicentre studies on paediatric ACL treatment and the development of an outcome registry to enable prospective data collections. IV.

'Best interests' in paediatric intensive care: an empirical ethics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Birchley, Giles; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael; Deans, Zuzana; Fraser, James; Huxtable, Richard

2017-10-01

In English paediatric practice, English law requires that parents and clinicians agree the 'best interests' of children and, if this is not possible, that the courts decide. Court intervention is rare and the concept of best interests is ambiguous. We report qualitative research exploring how the best interests standard operates in practice, particularly with decisions related to planned non-treatment. We discuss results in the light of accounts of best interests in the medical ethics literature. We conducted 39 qualitative interviews, exploring decision making in the paediatric intensive care unit, with doctors, nurses, clinical ethics committee members and parents whose children had a range of health outcomes. Interviews were audio-recorded and analysed thematically. Parents and clinicians indicated differences in their approaches to deciding the child's best interests. These were reconciled when parents responded positively to clinicians' efforts to help parents agree with the clinicians' view of the child's best interests. Notably, protracted disagreements about a child's best interests in non-treatment decisions were resolved when parents' views were affected by witnessing their child's physical deterioration. Negotiation was the norm and clinicians believed avoiding the courts was desirable. Sensitivity to the long-term interests of parents of children with life-limiting conditions is defensible but must be exercised proportionately. Current approaches emphasise negotiation but offer few alternatives when decisions are at an impasse. In such situations, the instrumental role played by a child's deterioration and avoidance of the courts risks giving insufficient weight to the child's interests. New approaches to decision making are needed. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Managing HIV-infected children in a low-resource, public clinic: a comparison of nurse vs. clinical officer practices in ART refill, calculation of adherence and subsequent appointments.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigel, Ralf; Feldacker, Caryl; Tweya, Hannock; Gondwe, Chimwemwe; Chiwoko, Jane; Gumulira, Joe; Kalulu, Mike; Phiri, Sam

2012-01-01

%CI:-0.6 to 2.5)], but agreement in the ART formulation prescribed was very good (kappa 0.93). Nurses' ART prescribing practices and calculations of adherence and next appointments are similar to clinical officers, although clinical officers used an electronic system. Our findings support the decision of Malawi's health officials to utilize nurses to manage paediatric ART patients.

Paediatric patient navigation models of care in Canada: An environmental scan.

Science.gov (United States)

Luke, Alison; Doucet, Shelley; Azar, Rima

2018-05-01

(1) To provide other organizations with useful information when implementing paediatric navigation programs and (2) to inform the implementation of a navigation care centre in New Brunswick for children with complex health conditions. This environmental scan consisted of a literature review of published and grey literature for paediatric patient navigation programs across Canada. Additional programs were found following discussions with program coordinators and navigators. Interviews were conducted with key staff from each program and included questions related to patient condition; target population and location; method delivery; navigator background; and navigator roles. Data analysis included analysis of interviews and identification of common themes across the different programs. We interviewed staff from 19 paediatric navigation programs across Canada. Programs varied across a number of different themes, including: condition and disease type, program location (e.g., hospital or clinic), navigator background (e.g., registered nurse or peer/lay navigator) and method of delivery (e.g., phone or face-to-face). Overall, navigator roles are similar across all programs, including advocacy, education, support and assistance in accessing resources from both within and outside the health care system. This scan offers a road map of Canadian paediatric navigation programs. Knowledge learned from this scan will inform stakeholders who are either involved in the delivery of paediatric patient navigation programs or planning to implement such a program. Specifically, our scan informed the development of a navigation centre for children with complex health conditions in New Brunswick.

The BRACELET Study: surveys of mortality in UK neonatal and paediatric intensive care trials

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Platt Martin

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The subject of death and bereavement in the context of randomised controlled trials in neonatal or paediatric intensive care is under-researched. The objectives of this phase of the Bereavement and RAndomised ControlLEd Trials (BRACELET Study were to determine trial activity in UK neonatal and paediatric intensive care (2002-06; numbers of deaths before hospital discharge; and variation in mortality across intensive care units and trials and to determine whether bereavement support policies were available within trials. These are essential prerequisites to considering the implications of future policies and practice subsequent to bereavement following a child's enrolment in a trial. Methods The units survey involved neonatal units providing level 2 or 3 care, and paediatric units providing level II care or above; the trials survey involved trials where allocation was randomized and interventions were delivered to intensive care patients, or to parents but designed to affect patient outcomes. Results Information was available from 191/220 (87% neonatal units (149 level 2 or 3 care; and 28/32 (88% paediatric units. 90/177 (51% eligible responding units participated in one or more trial (76 neonatal, 14 paediatric and 54 neonatal units and 6 paediatric units witnessed at least one death. 50 trials were identified (36 neonatal, 14 paediatric. 3,137 babies were enrolled in neonatal trials, 210 children in paediatric trials. Deaths ranged 0-278 (median [IQR interquartile range] 2 [1, 14.5] per neonatal trial, 0-4 (median [IQR] 1 [0, 2.5] per paediatric trial. 534 (16% participants died post-enrolment: 522 (17% in neonatal trials, 12 (6% in paediatric trials. Trial participants ranged 1-236 (median [IQR] 21.5 [8, 39.8] per neonatal unit, 1-53 (median [IQR] 11.5 [2.3, 33.8] per paediatric unit. Deaths ranged 0-37 (median [IQR] 3.5 [0.3, 8.8] per neonatal unit, 0-7 (median [IQR] 0.5 [0, 1.8] per paediatric unit. Three trials had a

Paediatric cervical spine injury but NEXUS negative

OpenAIRE

Maxwell, Melanie J; Jardine, Andrew D

2007-01-01

Cervical spine injuries in paediatric patients following trauma are extremely rare. The National Emergency X‐Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) guidelines are a set of clinical criteria used to guide physicians in identifying trauma patients requiring cervical spine imaging. It is validated for use in children. A case of a child who did not fulfil the NEXUS criteria for imaging but was found to have a cervical spine fracture is reported.

Anaesthesia for paediatric patients: Minimising the risk

African Journals Online (AJOL)

to paediatric patients need to be offset against the need for optimal utilisation of national ... Risk stratification of paediatric patients for specific procedures in ... support colleagues in smaller district hospitals by means of telephonic advice, the ... techniques that can minimise risk in the paediatric surgical population. S Afr Med ...

Current practice in paediatric basic life support

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Heczková Jana

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Although the incidence of cardiac arrest in children is much lower than in adults, the condition is still considered a major health problem with a very low chance for survival. As in adults, the timely provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR in children is crucial. Current guidelines for CPR in children were published along with the guidelines for CPR in adults in 2015. As in previous years, they are based on consensus provided by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR. Guidelines of particular ILCOR member councils may vary and reflect regional characteristic such as different access to health care, education methods or willingness of population to provide emergency assistance. Moreover, the conditions requiring CPR in children are characterized not only by different incidence, but also by aetiology or techniques used for different age groups. Therefore, emphasis is put on simplicity and feasibility as well as on consistency with adult guidelines to improve retention of the paediatric sequences. Nurses may be first rescuers not only in health care facilities. Better understanding of CPR guidelines might help them to improve their ability to detect conditions requiring CRP and also initiate and provide effective emergency care.

Limited availability of childhood overweight and obesity treatment programmes in Danish paediatric departments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eg, Marianne; Cortes, Dina; Johansen, Anders

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. One in five children in Denmark is overweight, a condition which is accompanied by serious medical and psychosocial complications. So far, an overview of the Danish treatment...... of departments offered less comprehensive programmes. The final third offered no multidisciplinary treatment programme for the target group. The criteria for referral to the paediatric departments that offered obesity programmes were heterogeneous. FUNDING: Funding for this study was received from Region...... of childhood overweight and obesity has been lacking. METHODS: Telephone interviews with all Danish paediatric departments were conducted in 2014. The results, constituting a baseline, were analysed using the clinical guidelines for overweight and obesity published by the Danish Paediatric Society's Overweight...

Limited availability of childhood overweight and obesity treatment programmes in Danish paediatric departments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eg, Marianne; Cortes, Dina; Johansen, Anders

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. One in five children in Denmark is overweight, a condition which is accompanied by serious medical and psychosocial complications. So far, an overview of the Danish treatment...... of departments offered less comprehensive programmes. The final third offered no multidisciplinary treatment programme for the target group. The criteria for referral to the paediatric departments that offered obesity programmes were heterogeneous. FUNDING: Funding for this study was received from Region...... of childhood overweight and obesity has been lacking. METHODS: Telephone interviews with all Danish paediatric departments were conducted in 2014. The results, constituting a baseline, were analysed using the clinical guidelines for overweight and obesity published by the Danish Paediatric Society’s Overweight...

Provision of general paediatric surgical services in a regional hospital.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Zgraj, O

2012-01-31

BACKGROUND: In Ireland, specialist paediatric surgery is carried out in paediatric hospitals in Dublin. General surgeons\\/consultants in other surgical specialities provide paediatric surgical care in regional centres. There has been a failure to train general surgeons with paediatric skills to replace these surgeons upon retirement. AIM: To assess paediatric surgical workload in one regional centre to focus the debate regarding the future provision of general paediatric surgery in Ireland. METHODS: Hospital in-patient enquiry (HIPE) system was used to identify total number of paediatric surgical admissions and procedures. Cases assessed requiring hospital transfer. RESULTS: Of 17,478 surgical patients treated, 2,584 (14.8%) were under 14 years. A total of 2,154 procedures were performed. CONCLUSION: Regional centres without dedicated paediatric surgeons deliver care to large numbers of paediatric patients. The demand for care highlights the need for formal paediatric services\\/appropriate surgical training for general surgical trainees.

Paediatric approaches to child maltreatment are subject to wide organisational variations across Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Otterman, Gabriel; Jalsenius, Marie; Maguire, Sabine; Sarkadi, Anna; Janson, Staffan

2017-07-01

Little is known about the organisation of child maltreatment practice in Europe. We therefore explored medical child protection systems and training across Europe. An online survey was completed by physicians working in child maltreatment, identified through professional organisations in 28 member countries of the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland in 2012-2013. Respondents were questioned regarding management of suspected child maltreatment, mandatory reporting, professional training, patient referral and physician roles in multidisciplinary investigations. Responses underwent a narrative synthesis and descriptive enumerations. The survey was completed by 88 individuals, unevenly distributed in 22 of 31 countries. Physicians were mandated to report child maltreatment in 16 of 22 countries. All of 88 responding physicians described multidisciplinary involvement in the clinical and forensic management of suspected child maltreatment. Practitioners involved in physical examinations included general physicians, paediatricians, forensic medical examiners, gynaecologists and paediatric surgeons. Paediatricians were required to undergo child protection training according to 30 of 86 respondents in 14 of 22 countries. This survey demonstrates that there were wide variations in the organisation of child maltreatment paediatrics in Europe. The differing legislative frameworks and models of care are pertinent to consider when comparing epidemiology of maltreatment reported from across European countries. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Paediatric International Nursing Study: using person-centred key performance indicators to benchmark children's services.

Science.gov (United States)

McCance, Tanya; Wilson, Val; Kornman, Kelly

2016-07-01

The aim of the Paediatric International Nursing Study was to explore the utility of key performance indicators in developing person-centred practice across a range of services provided to sick children. The objective addressed in this paper was evaluating the use of these indicators to benchmark services internationally. This study builds on primary research, which produced indicators that were considered novel both in terms of their positive orientation and use in generating data that privileges the patient voice. This study extends this research through wider testing on an international platform within paediatrics. The overall methodological approach was a realistic evaluation used to evaluate the implementation of the key performance indicators, which combined an integrated development and evaluation methodology. The study involved children's wards/hospitals in Australia (six sites across three states) and Europe (seven sites across four countries). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used during the implementation process, however, this paper reports the quantitative data only, which used survey, observations and documentary review. The findings demonstrate the quality of care being delivered to children and their families across different international sites. The benchmarking does, however, highlight some differences between paediatric and general hospitals, and between the different key performance indicators across all the sites. The findings support the use of the key performance indicators as a novel method to benchmark services internationally. Whilst the data collected across 20 paediatric sites suggest services are more similar than different, benchmarking illuminates variations that encourage a critical dialogue about what works and why. The transferability of the key performance indicators and measurement framework across different settings has significant implications for practice. The findings offer an approach to benchmarking and celebrating

Paediatric Malignancies | Joseph | African Journal of Paediatric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

malignancies. Other common malignancies included sarcomas 10(14.71%), neurofibromatosis 9(13.24%), nephroblastoma 8(11.77%), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia 5(7.35%) and retinoblastoma 4(5.88%). The less common paediatric malignancies were melanoma, invasive lobular breast carcinoma and squamous cell ...

A paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training project in Honduras.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbano, Javier; Matamoros, Martha M; López-Herce, Jesús; Carrillo, Angel P; Ordóñez, Flora; Moral, Ramón; Mencía, Santiago

2010-04-01

It is possible that the exportation of North American and European models has hindered the creation of a structured cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme in developing countries. The objective of this paper is to describe the design and present the results of a European paediatric and neonatal CPR training programme adapted to Honduras. A paediatric CPR training project was set up in Honduras with the instructional and scientific support of the Spanish Group for Paediatric and Neonatal CPR. The programme was divided into four phases: CPR training and preparation of instructors; training for instructors; supervised teaching; and independent teaching. During the first phase, 24 Honduran doctors from paediatric intensive care, paediatric emergency and anaesthesiology departments attended the paediatric CPR course and 16 of them the course for preparation as instructors. The Honduran Paediatric and Neonatal CPR Group was formed. In the second phase, workshops were given by Honduran instructors and four of them attended a CPR course in Spain as trainee instructors. In the third phase, a CPR course was given in Honduras by the Honduran instructors, supervised by the Spanish team. In the final phase of independent teaching, eight courses were given, providing 177 students with training in CPR. The training of independent paediatric CPR groups with the collaboration and scientific assessment of an expert group could be a suitable model on which to base paediatric CPR training in Latin American developing countries. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical practice guidelines in patient management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Kumar

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Efforts have always been made to evolve certain prin-ciples to reduce the variability in the management of patients and make medical care more appropriate. These efforts have become almost a movement since 1980s as evidenced in the development of clinical practice guide-lines in all medical disciplines. This article describes the need for clinical practice guidelines and their de-velopment methods and qualities. Advantages and limi-tations of clinical practice guidelines are enumerated. The salient features of various available clinical prac-tice guidelines in urology are also described.

Antibiotic Prescribing for Oro-Facial Infections in the Paediatric Outpatient: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najla Dar-Odeh

2018-04-01

Full Text Available There are many reports on the complications associated with antibiotics abuse during the treatment of paediatric patients, particularly those related to antimicrobial resistance. The dental profession is no exception; there is growing evidence that dental practitioners are misusing antibiotics in the treatment of their paediatric patients. This review is directed to dental practitioners who provide oral healthcare to children. It is also directed to medical practitioners, particularly those working in emergency departments and encountering children with acute orofacial infections. A systematic search of literature was conducted to explore the clinical indications and recommended antibiotic regimens for orofacial infections in paediatric outpatients. The main indications included cellulitis, aggressive periodontitis, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, and pericoronitis. Amoxicillin was found to be the most commonly recommended antibiotic for short durations of 3–5 days, with metronidazole or azithromycin being the alternative antibiotics in penicillin-sensitive patients.

Engagement and practical wisdom in clinical practice: a phenomenological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraga, Michael; Boudreau, Donald; Fuks, Abraham

2018-05-08

In order to understand the lived experiences of physicians in clinical practice, we interviewed eleven expert, respected clinicians using a phenomenological interpretative methodology. We identified the essence of clinical practice as engagement. Engagement accounts for the daily routine of clinical work, as well as the necessity for the clinician to sometimes trespass common boundaries or limits. Personally engaged in the clinical situation, the clinician is able to create a space/time bubble within which the clinical encounter can unfold. Engagement provides an account of clinical practice as a unitary lived experience. This stands in stark contrast to the prevailing notion, referred to as a dual discourse, that describes medicine as the addition of humanism to science. Drawing on Aristotle's notion of phronesis and Sartre's definition of the situation, we illustrate how this novel perspective entwines clinical practice, the person of the clinician, and the clinician's situation.

Balancing research interests and patient interests: a qualitative study into the intertwinement of care and research in paediatric oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekking, Sara A S; van der Graaf, Rieke; Kars, Marijke C; Beishuizen, Auke; de Vries, Martine C; van Delden, Johannes J M

2015-05-01

Traditionally, in ethical guidelines and in research ethics literature, care and research are clearly separated based on their different objectives. In contrast, in paediatric oncology, research and care are closely combined. Currently, it is unknown how relevant actors in paediatric oncology perceive this combination of research and care. We conducted a qualitative study into the experiences of those involved in Dutch paediatric oncology with the intertwinement of research and care and the dual role of paediatric oncologists as researchers and treating physicians. A qualitative study approach, using two focus groups and 19 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with paediatric oncologists, research coordinators, parents of children with cancer, and adolescents with cancer. Four themes characterize how actors experience the intertwinement of research and care in paediatric oncology. First, research is considered of major importance, and paediatric oncology professionals convey this message to patients and their parents. Second, there is ambiguity about categorization of studies into cancer therapy as either research or treatment. Third, role conflicts appear within the work of the paediatric oncologists. Finally, the various benefits of combining treatment with research are emphasized. Research is regarded as a fundamental and indispensable characteristic of paediatric oncology practice. Paediatric oncology professionals, parents, and patients have a very positive outlook on combining research and care, but they may not be sufficiently critical with respect to potential conflicts. Increased reflection on how to optimally combine research and care could serve as an important protection of the interests of children with cancer and their parents. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Paediatric horse-related trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Theodore, Jane E; Theodore, Sigrid G; Stockton, Kellie A; Kimble, Roy M

2017-06-01

This retrospective cohort study reported on the epidemiology of horse-related injuries for patients presenting to the only tertiary paediatric trauma hospital in Queensland. The secondary outcome was to examine the use of helmets and adult supervision. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was examined in relation to helmet use. Morbidity and mortality were also recorded. Included were all patients presenting with any horse-related trauma to the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane from January 2008 to August 2014. Data were retrospectively collected on patient demographics, hospital length of stay (LOS), mechanism of injury (MOI), safety precautions taken, diagnoses and surgical procedures performed. Included in the analysis were 187 incidents involving 171 patients. Most patients were aged 12-14 years (36.9%) and female (84.5%). The most common MOI were falls while riding horses (97.1%). Mild TBI (24.6%) and upper limb fractures (20.9%) were common injuries sustained. Patients who wore helmets had significantly reduced hospital LOS and severity of TBI when compared with those who did not wear helmets (P horses, in addition to being a compulsory requirement whilst horse riding. Prompts in documentation may assist doctors to record the use of safety attire and adult supervision. This will allow future studies to further investigate these factors in relation to clinical outcomes. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Optimization of paediatric radiation doses with CR systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zatelli, Giovanna; Mazzocchi, S.; Ciccarone, A.; Fonda, C.; De Otto, G.

2008-01-01

Full text: Radiation protection of paediatric patients is a primary objective in paediatric radiology due the higher life expectance of the little patients undergoing radiology examinations and due to the higher radiosensitivity of tissues. Aim of this work is the study of the optimization process in paediatric doses needed after the recent installation of a new Computed Radiography System in the Radiology of the Meyer paediatric Hospital, in Florence, Italy. This process involves both the use of new dedicated digitizer (Agfa DX-S) and elaboration software (Agfa NX2.0). The choice of the DX-S systems has been performed in consideration of high resolution (Scanhead technology - DirectriX detector), image sharpness and portability of the cassettes that make DX-S ideal in paediatric applications as neonatal intensive care. The NX software for image processing has been installed with the 'Paediatric' licence that optimizes paediatric images especially for exposures of premature newborns. Paediatric NX automatically selects the paediatric age group, depending on the patient's birth date. Each age group contains enhanced algorithms and settings adapted to age group, for optimized visibility of fine details. All the CR system has been accepted by mean of quality control acceptance tool AGFA AutoQC2, and all the automatic exposure control devices installed on radiographic devices were previously calibrated in accordance to literature with signal to noise vs dose considerations [S. Mazzocchi et al. 'AEC set-up optimization with computed radiography imaging' Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 117, 169-173 2005]. Paediatric patients were then divided into age-weight categories and the Entrance Surface Doses (ESD) were calculated by output x-rays measurements. ESD for thorax examinations were correlated to the image evaluations performed by experienced radiologists following European Guidelines on quality criteria for diagnostic radiographic images in paediatrics (EUR 16261, European

[Design and validation of a training model on paediatric and neonatal surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Duarte, F J; Díaz-Güemes, I; Sánchez-Hurtado, M A; Cano Novillo, I; Berchi García, F J; García Vázquez, A; Sánchez-Margallo, F M

2012-07-01

We present our experience in the design and development of a training program in paediatric and neonatal laparoscopic surgery, and the determination of face validity by the attendants. Data included in the present study was obtained from five consecutive editions of our Neonatal and Paediatric Laparoscopic Surgery Course. Our training model, with a total duration of 21 hours, begins with acquisition of knowledge in ergonomics and instrument concepts, after which the attendants develop basic laparoscopic dexterity through the performance of hands-on physical simulator tasks. During the second and third days of the course, surgeons undertook various surgical techniques hands-on animal model. At the end of the training program, a subjective evaluation questionnaire was handed out to the attendants, in which different didactic and organizational aspects were considered. We obtained a highly positive score on all questions concerning the different topics and techniques included in the training program (> or = 9 points over 10). 78,5% of the 54 attendants was in accordance with the course total duration, whilst 21,5% considered that it should be of longer duration. Regarding abilities' self assessment, 79,1% considered themselves capacitated to perform trained procedures on live patients. The presented training model has obtained a very positive valuation score, leading to an increase in the attendants' self confidence in the application of learned techniques to their clinical practice.

[Rural medical practice at the beginning of the 20th century. Martínez Saldise (1855-1937), honorary member of Paediatric Society of Madrid in 1927].

Science.gov (United States)

Zafra Anta, Miguel Ángel; Flores Martín, Carlos; Ponte Hernando, Fernando Julio; Gil García, Andrés; Gómez López, Ana; Fernández Durán, Carla

2016-01-01

On the centenary of the foundation of the Paediatrics Society of Madrid, a tribute is presented to rural medical practice of that time, although there are few documents on the history of rural medicine. The main objective is to describe the context of the rural medical practice in the late 19th and beginning 20th century, while presenting a historical biographical review of Manuel Martínez Saldise, who was medical specialist from Cazalegas (Toledo). He was appointed an Honorary Member by the Paediatrics Society of Madrid in 1927. A search was carried out in repositories of digitized media, web portals of history of medicine, PubMed, IME files of local councils and medical colleges. The family archives were reviewed with the collaboration of his descendants. The hiring of rural doctors was carried out by the municipalities, and the salary largely depended on private practice as well as "retainers". Specialist physicians took part in epidemics, legal medicine, and in hygiene measures. They also had disputes with mayors, chiefs, with colleagues and with protectionism. A summary of the biography and occupational activity of Manuel Martínez Saldise is presented. Rural doctors were subjected to the society of their time, with the issues that arose, denouncing the shortcomings of the local administrations, dedicated efforts to their family and the most disadvantaged. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effective doses in paediatric radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iacob, Olga; Diaconescu, Cornelia; Roca, Antoaneta

2001-01-01

Because of their longer life expectancy, the risk of late manifestations of detrimental radiation effects is greater in children than in adults and, consequently, paediatric radiology gives ground for more concern regarding radiation protection than radiology of adults. The purpose of our study is to assess in terms of effective doses the magnitude of paediatric patient exposure during conventional X-ray examinations, selected for their high frequency or their relatively high doses to the patient. Effective doses have been derived from measurements of dose-area product (DAP) carried out on over 900 patients undergoing X-ray examinations, in five paediatric units. The conversion coefficients for estimating effective doses are those calculated by the NRPB using Monte-Carlo technique on a series of 5 mathematical phantoms representing 0, 1, 5, 10 and 15 year old children. The annual frequency of X-ray examinations necessary for collective dose calculation are those reported in our last national study on medical exposure, conducted in 1995. The annual effective doses from all medical examinations for the average paediatric patient are as follows: 1.05 mSv for 0 year old, 0.98 mSv for 1 year old, 0.53 mSv for 5 year old, 0.65 mSv for 10 year old and 0.70 mSv for 15 year old. The resulting annual collective effective dose was evaluated at 625 man Sv with the largest contribution of pelvis and hip examinations (34%). The annual collective effective associated with paediatric radiology in Romania represent 5% of the annual value resulting from all diagnostic radiology. Examination of the chest is by far the most frequent procedure for children, accounting for about 60 per cent of all annually performed X-ray conventional examinations. Knowledge of real level of patient dose is an essential component of quality assurance programs in paediatric radiology. (authors)

Distribution of branchial anomalies in a paediatric Asian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Teo, Neville Wei Yang; Ibrahim, Shahrul Izham; Tan, Kun Kiaang Henry

2015-04-01

The objective of the present study was to review the distribution and incidence of branchial anomalies in an Asian paediatric population and highlight the challenges involved in the diagnosis of branchial anomalies. This was a retrospective chart review of all paediatric patients who underwent surgery for branchial anomalies in a tertiary paediatric hospital from August 2007 to November 2012. The clinical notes were correlated with preoperative radiological investigations, intraoperative findings and histology results. Branchial anomalies were classified based on the results of the review. A total of 28 children underwent surgery for 30 branchial anomalies during the review period. Two children had bilateral branchial anomalies requiring excision. Of the 30 branchial anomalies, 7 (23.3%) were first branchial anomalies, 5 (16.7%) were second branchial anomalies, 3 (10.0%) were third branchial anomalies, and 4 (13.3%) were fourth branchial anomalies (one of the four patients with fourth branchial anomalies had bilateral branchial anomalies). In addition, seven children had 8 (26.7%) branchial anomalies that were thought to originate from the pyriform sinus; however, we were unable to determine if these anomalies were from the third or fourth branchial arches. There was inadequate information on the remaining 3 (10.0%) branchial anomalies for classification. The incidence of second branchial anomalies appears to be lower in our Asian paediatric population, while that of third and fourth branchial anomalies was higher. Knowledge of embryology and the related anatomy of the branchial apparatus is crucial in the identification of the type of branchial anomaly.

Ocular involvement in paediatric haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturm, Veit; Menke, Marcel N; Landau, Klara; Laube, Guido F; Neuhaus, Thomas J

2010-11-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency and severity of ocular involvement in paediatric patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The study was designed as an institutional, retrospective, observational case series. Charts for all 87 paediatric patients with HUS treated at the University Children's Hospital Zurich between 1995 and 2007 were reviewed. Patients with ocular involvement were identified and clinical findings presented. Three of 69 examined patients with HUS showed ocular involvement. Ophthalmic findings in two children were consistent with bilateral Purtscher retinopathy, showing multiple haemorrhages, exudations and superficial retinal whitening. The third child presented with bilateral isolated central intraretinal haemorrhages as a milder form of ocular involvement. In one of the children with Purtscher retinopathy, laser photocoagulation was required for bilateral rubeosis irides and development of disc neovascularization. Longterm outcomes in the two severely affected children showed decreased visual acuity caused by partial atrophy of the optic nerves. In the milder case visual acuity was not impaired at any time. A minority of paediatric patients with HUS developed ocular involvement. Acute ocular findings varied in severity from isolated intraretinal haemorrhages to Purtscher-like retinopathy with retinal ischaemia. Longterm complications included the development of neovascularizations and consecutive optic nerve atrophy. Although ocular involvement in HUS seems to be rare, physicians should be aware of this complication because of its possible vision-endangering consequences. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Acta Ophthalmol.

Expense comparison of a telemedicine practice versus a traditional clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Gail P; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Schellenberg, Bonnie; Weinstein, Ronald S

2004-01-01

This paper compares the expenses of a telemedicine program to those of a traditional clinical practice using data from two fiscal years (FY) 1998/1999 and 2000/2001. As part of that evaluation, we compared expenses of the University of Arizona's clinical practice group, the University Physicians Incorporated (UPI), to those of the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) practice. For this study, we used the reporting categories published in the year-end UPI financial statement. These categories included clinical services, administration, equipment depreciation, and overhead. Results showed that clinical service expenses and administrative expenses for FY 2000/2001 were higher in the traditional UPI practice, whereas equipment depreciation and overhead expenses are higher in the telemedicine practice. This differs somewhat from FY 1998/1999, where clinical expenses and overhead were higher in the UPI practice and administration and equipment depreciation were higher in the telemedicine practice. We will discuss the relevance of these results and the critical factors that contribute to these differences.

An analysis of radiation dose reduction in paediatric interventional cardiology by altering frame rate and use of the anti-scatter grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, Robert J; Mooney, R B

2013-01-01

The purpose of this work is to investigate removal of the anti-scatter grid and alteration of the frame rate in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) and assess the impact on radiation dose and image quality. Phantom based experimental studies were performed in a dedicated cardiac catheterisation suite to investigate variations in radiation dose and image quality, with various changes in imaging parameters. Phantom based experimental studies employing these variations in technique identified that radiation dose reductions of 28%–49% can be made to the patient with minimal loss of image quality in smaller sized patients. At present, there is no standard technique for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland, resulting in the potential for a wide variation in radiation dose. Dose reductions to patients can be achieved with slight alterations to the imaging equipment with minimal compromise to the image quality. These simple modifications can be easily implemented in clinical practice in IC centres. (paper)

Vedolizumab in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ledder, Oren; Assa, Amit; Levine, Arie

2017-01-01

Background: Vedolizumab, an anti-integrin antibody, has proven to be effective in adults with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], but the data in paediatrics are limited. We describe the short-term effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab in a European multi-centre paediatric IBD cohort. Method......: Retrospective review of children [aged 2-18 years] treated with vedolizumab from 19 centres affiliated with the Paediatric IBD Porto group of ESPGHAN. Primary outcome was Week 14 corticosteroid-free remission [CFR]. Results: In all, 64 children were included (32 [50%] male, mean age 14.5 ± 2.8 years...... minor drug-related adverse events. Only 3 of 16 children who underwent endoscopic evaluation had mucosal healing after treatment (19%). Conclusions: Vedolizumab was safe and effective in this cohort of paediatric refractory IBD. These data support previous findings of slow induction rate of vedolizumab...

Dose reduction with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction for paediatric CT: phantom study and clinical experience on chest and abdomen CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Gay, F; Pavia, Y; Pierrat, N; Lasalle, S; Neuenschwander, S; Brisse, H J

2014-01-01

To assess the benefit and limits of iterative reconstruction of paediatric chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT). The study compared adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) with filtered back projection (FBP) on 64-channel MDCT. A phantom study was first performed using variable tube potential, tube current and ASIR settings. The assessed image quality indices were the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the noise power spectrum, low contrast detectability (LCD) and spatial resolution. A clinical retrospective study of 26 children (M:F = 14/12, mean age: 4 years, range: 1-9 years) was secondarily performed allowing comparison of 18 chest and 14 abdominal CT pairs, one with a routine CT dose and FBP reconstruction, and the other with 30 % lower dose and 40 % ASIR reconstruction. Two radiologists independently compared the images for overall image quality, noise, sharpness and artefacts, and measured image noise. The phantom study demonstrated a significant increase in SNR without impairment of the LCD or spatial resolution, except for tube current values below 30-50 mA. On clinical images, no significant difference was observed between FBP and reduced dose ASIR images. Iterative reconstruction allows at least 30 % dose reduction in paediatric chest and abdominal CT, without impairment of image quality. • Iterative reconstruction helps lower radiation exposure levels in children undergoing CT. • Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) significantly increases SNR without impairing spatial resolution. • For abdomen and chest CT, ASIR allows at least a 30 % dose reduction.

Child-Parent Wellbeing in a Paediatric Ward: The Role of Music Therapy in Supporting Children and Their Parents Facing the Challenge of Hospitalisation

OpenAIRE

Carolyn Ayson

2008-01-01

This report, based on clinical practice on a children’s ward in New Zealand, examines the role of short-term music therapy in supporting children and their parents[1] facing the difficulties of hospitalisation. It endeavours to explore three questions. How might music therapy support hospitalised children? How can it support parents of hospitalised children? Is it important/valuable for music therapists working in a paediatric ward to involve parent(s) in music therapy sessions? Three ho...

Evaluation and optimisation of current milrinone prescribing for the treatment and prevention of low cardiac output syndrome in paediatric patients after open heart surgery using a physiology-based pharmacokinetic drug-disease model.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Winnie

2014-01-01

Milrinone is the drug of choice for the treatment and prevention of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in paediatric patients after open heart surgery across Europe. Discrepancies, however, among prescribing guidance, clinical studies and practice pattern require clarification to ensure safe and effective prescribing. However, the clearance prediction equations derived from classical pharmacokinetic modelling provide limited support as they have recently failed a clinical practice evaluation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate current milrinone dosing using physiology-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling and simulation to complement the existing pharmacokinetic knowledge and propose optimised dosing regimens as a basis for improving the standard of care for paediatric patients. A PBPK drug-disease model using a population approach was developed in three steps from healthy young adults to adult patients and paediatric patients with and without LCOS after open heart surgery. Pre- and postoperative organ function values from adult and paediatric patients were collected from literature and integrated into a disease model as factorial changes from the reference values in healthy adults aged 20-40 years. The disease model was combined with the PBPK drug model and evaluated against existing pharmacokinetic data. Model robustness was assessed by parametric sensitivity analysis. In the next step, virtual patient populations were created, each with 1,000 subjects reflecting the average adult and paediatric patient characteristics with regard to age, sex, bodyweight and height. They were integrated into the PBPK drug-disease model to evaluate the effectiveness of current milrinone dosing in achieving the therapeutic target range of 100-300 ng/mL milrinone in plasma. Optimised dosing regimens were subsequently developed. The pharmacokinetics of milrinone in healthy young adults as well as adult and paediatric patients were accurately described with an

Proceedings of the seventh Northern region paediatric colloquium.

Science.gov (United States)

Barkla, Xanthe; Kaplan, Carole

2014-01-01

Ethical and legal dilemmas frequently arise in paediatric practice. Given the nature of the speciality, these issues are relevant to both the medical and legal professions. To this end, senior figures from the medical and legal professions in the Northern region have met on a regular basis in order to discuss anonymised case material. We report on the proceedings of the seventh such meeting. Six cases are described and key points arising from the subsequent discussion are presented.

Anaesthetic considerations for paediatric laparoscopy | Lasersohn ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Children, infants and neonates represent an anaesthetic challenge because of age-specific anatomical and physiological issues. Apart from paediatric-specific anaesthetic considerations, the paediatric anaesthetist must understand the implications of laparoscopic surgery, and prevent and react appropriately to changes ...

Oncologists’ view of informed consent and shared decision making in paediatric radiation oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, Robert A.; Bobinski, Mary Ann; Ho, Anita; Goddard, Karen J.

2012-01-01

Background and purpose: Cure rates of paediatric malignancies have dramatically improved with therapy intensification, at the cost of late treatment side effects. A survey was developed, centred around medulloblastoma scenarios, in order to explore paediatric oncology physicians’ views on discussing late effects and involving parents in treatment decisions. Materials and methods: Participants were 59 paediatric radiation and medical oncologists or fellows from USA (22), Canada (18), Europe (16), Australia (2), and Asia (1). Results: Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated late effects discussion prior to multimodality treatment was important. Of those who supported it, 100%, 83%, 64%, and 48% thought discussing cognitive impairment, infertility, stroke, and seizures as potential late effects was important, respectively. Only 71% of respondents believed parents should be involved in treatment decisions, which did not significantly vary by respondent age, country, specialty, gender, or years in practice. Conclusions: The majority of oncologists who treat children believe discussing late effects with parents is important. However, there is mixed opinion on which late effects should be discussed and whether parents should be involved in deciding which treatments should be pursued. Research into perceived barriers to shared decision making and effective methods of improving the informed consent process in paediatric malignancies is needed.

[DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CYCLOSPORA CAYETANENSISINFECTION IN PAEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Science.gov (United States)

Vásquez T , Oscar; Alvarez Ch , Rubén; Gonzales S , Napoleón; Neme D , Gonzalo A.; Romero C , Raúl; Valencia R , Silvia; Gomez A, Valente; Martinez B, Ignacio

1998-01-01

The study was made to determine the clinical profile and laboratory of 10 paediatric patients whose diagnosis of cyclosporiosis was established by identifying the parasite in fecal matter, through a smear with modified Zehl-Nielsen and incubation in dichromate of potassium. We obtained clinical data form these patients correlating them with absorption tests (digestive activity, sugar reducers and fats in feces.)After treatment with trimethroprim-sulfamethoxazole and nitazoxanide patients were controlled by laboratory exams to determine the existence of the parasite and its viability.

Managing HIV-infected children in a low-resource, public clinic: a comparison of nurse vs. clinical officer practices in ART refill, calculation of adherence and subsequent appointments

OpenAIRE

Ralf Weigel; Caryl Feldacker; Hannock Tweya; Chimwemwe Gondwe; Jane Chiwoko; Joe Gumulira; Mike Kalulu; Sam Phiri

2012-01-01

Background: In Malawi, as in other sub-Saharan African countries, nurses manage patients of all ages on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Nurse management of children is rarely studied. We compare ART prescribing between nurses and clinical officers during routine clinic visits at an urban, public clinic to inform policy in paediatric ART management. Methods: Caregivers of children on first-line ART provided information about visit dates, pill counts, ART dosage and formulation to a nurse and, ...

Twenty-nine-month follow-up of a paediatric zirconia dental crown.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez Cazaux, Serena; Hyon, Isabelle; Prud'homme, Tony; Dajean Trutaud, Sylvie

2017-06-14

The aim of this paper is to present the long-term follow-up of one paediatric zirconia crown on a deciduous molar. Preformed crowns are part of the armamentarium in paediatric dentistry. In recent years, aesthetic alternatives to preformed metal crowns have been developed, first preveneered crowns and then zirconia crowns. This paper describes the restoration of a primary molar with a zirconia crown (EZ-Pedo, Loomis, California, USA) in an 8-year-old boy. In this clinical case, the protocol for the implementation and maintenance of zirconia crowns is detailed. The patient was followed up for 29 months until the natural exfoliation of his primary molar. The adaptation of the zirconia crown, the gingival health and the wear on the opposing tooth were considered. In this case, the paediatric zirconia crown allowed sustainable functional restoration while restoring a natural appearance of the tooth. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Onset symptoms in paediatric multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boesen, Magnus Spangsberg; Sellebjerg, Finn; Blinkenberg, Morten

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) carries a relatively higher mortality and morbidity than adult MS. Paediatric MS symptoms and paraclinical findings at the first demyelinating event have never before been characterised in a Danish setting. The aim of this study was to compare...

Challenges in paediatric neurosurgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pragati Ganjoo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Improvements in technique, knowledge and expertise have brought about rapid advances in the fields of paediatric neurosurgery and anaesthesia, and many procedures limited earlier to adults are now being increasingly attempted in neonates and small children, with good outcomes. This article highlights the challenges faced by the operating team while handling some of the technically complex procedures like awake craniotomy, interventional neuroradiology, minimally invasive neurosurgery, procedures in intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging suites, and neonatal emergencies in the paediatric population.

The neurophysiology of paediatric movement disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

McClelland, Verity M

2017-12-01

To demonstrate how neurophysiological tools have advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of paediatric movement disorders, and of neuroplasticity in the developing brain. Delineation of corticospinal tract connectivity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is being investigated as a potential biomarker for response to therapy. TMS measures of cortical excitability and neuroplasticity are also being used to investigate the effects of therapy, demonstrating neuroplastic changes that relate to functional improvements. Analyses of evoked potentials and event-related changes in the electroencephalogaphy spectral activity provide growing evidence for the important role of aberrant sensory processing in the pathophysiology of many different movement disorders. Neurophysiological findings demonstrate that children with clinically similar phenotypes may have differing underlying pathophysiology, which in turn may explain differential response to therapy. Neurophysiological parameters can act as biomarkers, providing a means to stratify individuals, and are well suited to provide biofeedback. They therefore have enormous potential to facilitate improvements to therapy. Although currently a small field, the role of neurophysiology in paediatric movement disorders is poised to expand, both fuelled by and contributing to the rapidly growing fields of neuro-rehabilitation and neuromodulation and the move towards a more individualized therapeutic approach.

Type 1 IGF Receptor Localization in Paediatric Gliomas: Significant Association with WHO Grading and Clinical Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Clément, Florencia; Martin, Ayelen; Venara, Marcela; de Luján Calcagno, Maria; Mathó, Cecilia; Maglio, Silvana; Lombardi, Mercedes García; Bergadá, Ignacio; Pennisi, Patricia A

2018-06-01

Nuclear localization of insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) has been described as adverse prognostic factor in some cancers. We studied the expression and localization of IGF-1R in paediatric patients with gliomas, as well as its association with World Health Organization (WHO) grading and survival. We conducted a single cohort, prospective study of paediatric patients with gliomas. Samples were taken at the time of the initial surgery; IGF-1R expression and localization were characterized by immunohistochemistry (IHC), subcellular fractionation and western blotting. Tumours (47/53) showed positive staining for IGF-1R by IHC. IGF-1R nuclear labelling was observed in 10/47 cases. IGF-1R staining was mostly non-nuclear in low-grade tumours, while IGF-1R nuclear labelling was predominant in high-grade gliomas (p = 0.0001). Survival was significantly longer in patients with gliomas having non-nuclear IGF-1R localization than in patients with nuclear IGF-1R tumours (p = 0.016). In gliomas, IGF-1R nuclear localization was significantly associated with both high-grade tumours and increased risk of death. Based on a prospective design, we provide evidence of a potential usefulness of intracellular localization of IGF-1R as prognostic factor in paediatric patients with gliomas.

The national incidence and clinical picture of SLE in children in Australia - a report from the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackie, F E; Kainer, G; Adib, N; Boros, C; Elliott, E J; Fahy, R; Munro, J; Murray, K; Rosenberg, A; Wainstein, B; Ziegler, J B; Singh-Grewal, D

2015-01-01

The objectives of this paper are to prospectively determine the incidence of paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) in Australia as well as describe the demographics, clinical presentation and one-year outcome. Newly diagnosed cases of pSLE were ascertained prospectively from October 2009 to October 2011 through the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (a national monthly surveillance scheme for notification of childhood rare diseases) as well as national subspecialty groups. Questionnaires were sent to notifying physicians at presentation and at one year. The annual incidence rate was 0.32 per 10(5) children aged less than 16 years. The incidence was significantly higher in children of Asian or Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents. Approximately one-third of children underwent a renal biopsy at presentation and 7% required dialysis initially although only one child had end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) at one-year follow-up. The incidence of pSLE in Australia is comparable to that worldwide with a significantly higher incidence seen in children of Asian and Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. Renal involvement is common but progression to ESKD, at least in the short term, is rare. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Magnetic tomography within paediatric radiological diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smevik, Bjarne; Borthne, Arne

2000-01-01

Background: MRI is a promising imaging technique for diseases in most organ systems in children. Material and methods: this review discusses MRI on the basis of the literature and our own experience. Results: the value of MRI in paediatric neuroradiology is firmly established. In congenital heart defects and other reasons for cardiovascular imaging in children, the non-invasiveness of the method is appealing. MRI is already included in most international paediatric oncology protocols. Paediatric applications for MRI differ from those in adults as they focus on developmental and congenital abnormalities. Furthermore, some pathological conditions are unique to children. MRI is also a promising alternative to established methods for evaluation of the urinary tract. There are some specific problems with MRI in children. Immobilisation and sedation techniques include tight wrapping of the new-born with soft elastic bands, feeding immediately prior to the study and allowing one parent into the magnet with the child. Midazolam and oral chloral hydrate are usually used for sedation. Interpretation: MRI is of particular value in the paediatric age group as the method is capable of highly accurate imaging in a variety of congenital and paediatric diseases without the use of ionising radiation. Faster sequences and better resolution will further increase the use of MRI in children

Computerized tomography and prognosis in paediatric head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomberg, T.; Rink, U.; Pikkoja, E.; Tikk, A.

1996-01-01

The authors have analysed the computerized tomography (CT) findings and their correlation with the clinical state, early and late outcome in children and adolescents with head injuries (HI). This study represents clinical and CT data of 82 consecutive HI patients under 18 years of age. Among them 51 (62%) were boys and 31 (38 %) girls. The application of CT to the evaluation of the morphologic manifestations of HI in children has shown some differences in forms and mechanisms of injury and in outcome compared to adults. In the paediatric HI the most frequent finding was diffuse brain swelling with CT evidence of ventricular and cisternal compression or obliteration. Prognostically the most unfavourable findings were shearing injury, intracerebral and subdural haematomas combined with brain swelling and parenchymal damage. According to the Lidcombe impairment scale, outcome from severe paediatric HI was determined in the 3rd and 6th months, one year and 2 years after the injury. The outcome two years after severe HI varied to a great extent and was better in children than in adults. Although there was long-term disruption of the patient's quality of life, our data show that as there are no predictors of individual outcomes in child HI, no child should be excluded from early and long-term rehabilitation. (author)

Knowledge of carbohydrate counting and insulin dose calculations in paediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Finner, Natalie; Quinn, Anne; Donovan, Anna; O'Leary, Orla; O'Gorman, Clodagh S

2015-12-01

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who are able to adjust their insulin doses according to the carbohydrate content of a meal, as well as their blood glucose, are likely to have improved glycaemic control (Silverstein et al., 2005). With improved glycaemic control, patients have a lower risk of developing long-term microvascular complications associated with T1DM (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group, 1993). To assess the carbohydrate and insulin knowledge of patients attending our paediatric diabetes clinic at the University Hospital Limerick (UHL), the validated PedCarbQuiz (PCQ) was applied to our clinic population. This study was completed by applying a questionnaire called the PedCarbQuiz (PCQ) to children exclusively attending our paediatric diabetes clinic at UHL. Of the clinic's 220 patients, 81 participated in the study. The average total PCQ score (%) was higher in the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) group compared with the multiple daily insulin (MDI) injection user group (79.1 ± 12.1 versus 65.9 ± 6.6 p = 0.005). The CSII group also had a higher average carbohydrate score (%) compared with the MDI group (79.4 ± 12.4 versus 66.3 ± 16.2, p = 0.004). This study demonstrates that in a representative Irish regional paediatric T1DM clinic, knowledge of carbohydrates and insulin is better among patients treated with CSII compared with MDI. However, knowledge in both groups is poorer than in the original US sample. This study demonstrates that in a representative Irish regional paediatric T1DM clinic, knowledge of carbohydrates and insulin is poorer than in a US based sample, although this knowledge is better among patients treated with CSII compared with MDI. This highlights the need for improved resources for diabetes and carbohydrate counting education for patients with T1DM.

Paediatric surgery outreach: analysis of referrals to a tertiary paediatric surgery service to plan an outreach programme Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Manickchund, Yashoda; Hadley, G P

2017-10-01

Paediatric surgical disease is a neglected health problem. Patients travel great distances to tertiary level care for management. This study aimed at analysing referral patterns to design an outreach programme for paediatric surgery in KwaZulu Natal. Data forms of patients referred to the service between January and July 2016 were correlated with the clinical record. Delays in management were compared to morbidity and mortality. Out of 781, 158 referrals were accepted as emergencies. The majority (62%) were children aged < 1 year. Gastro-intestinal problems (38.4%) and congenital anomalies (26.9%) formed the majority. Patients who died had a significantly longer delay in transfer. Longer total delay was associated with statistically significant greater morbidity. In a setting where a large rural population is served by single-centre tertiary care, delays exist and contribute to morbidity. The authors advocate the establishment of an outreach programme to address these issues.

Radiation protection of personnel during paediatric radiodiagnostic examination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pritchard, C [Saint Mary' s Hospital, Manchester (UK)

1980-07-01

Practical experience in paediatric radiography is reported. Keeping young children immobile during irradiation is found to be the major problem and various solutions to this are discussed in detail especially with respect to the radiation dose received by both the patient and also the radiographer. The problem of X-raying newborn babies in incubators is also discussed. It is concluded that by using suitable lead rubber shielding, the child can be physically restrained by the radiographer without significant radiation dosage being incurred.

Clinical validation of a dose reduction study in paediatric abdomen MSCT scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciccarone, A.; Fonda, C.; Zatelli, Giovanna; Mazzocchi, S.

2008-01-01

Full text: In our previous work an individual dose adaptation in abdomen of paediatric patients has been showed at the Meyer children hospital of Florence. For each kV really feasible in our MSCT scanner, a table of mAs versus abdomen thickness and width ratio has been developed only on the basis of water cylinder phantoms. The choice of the water arise by the fact that in pediatric patient the quantity of water inside the body is major than that of adult. In this way a reduction dose has showed with respect to the ordinary paediatric scanning protocol in use before and the same image quality has been preserved in the case of an optimized CT scanning technique of a standard adult patient of height 175 cm and weight 70 kg. However these results were only theoretical because relied on water phantoms. Now this work concerns the clinical validation of our dose reduction study on phantoms. So 50 examinations were acquired with the dose reduction scanning technique and scored randomly, without knowing weight and height of patient by three radiologists. These scores were compared with that of other 50 abdomen examination before dose reduction study. The scores refers to the noise perceived by radiologist and to the diagnostic quality of radiograph. As last, a score on the low contrast tissue separation between muscle and fat and a score on visibility of structure therein have been asked to the radiologists. The same work has concerned the abdomen examinations with iodine contrast medium. In this study the score of each radiographs has been catalogued in four range of age, 0 - 1; 1 - 3; 3 - 8; 8 - 13 years. Aligned rank and Wilcoxon's signed rank tests were used for statistical analyses. The table of modulating mAs with respect to the size of patient obtained with only water phantom study has been revised so that none reduced detection in low-visibility structures like fat or muscle or liver was evident. Nevertheless a reduction in CTDI of 30 % has been reached in our new

Paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program in Latin-America: the RIBEPCI experience.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Herce, Jesús; Matamoros, Martha M; Moya, Luis; Almonte, Enma; Coronel, Diana; Urbano, Javier; Carrillo, Ángel; Del Castillo, Jimena; Mencía, Santiago; Moral, Ramón; Ordoñez, Flora; Sánchez, Carlos; Lagos, Lina; Johnson, María; Mendoza, Ovidio; Rodriguez, Sandra

2017-09-12

To describe the design and to present the results of a paediatric and neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program adapted to Latin-America. A paediatric CPR coordinated training project was set up in several Latin-American countries with the instructional and scientific support of the Spanish Group for Paediatric and Neonatal CPR. The program was divided into four phases: CPR training and preparation of instructors; training for instructors; supervised teaching; and independent teaching. Instructors from each country participated in the development of the next group in the following country. Paediatric Basic Life Support (BLS), Paediatric Intermediate (ILS) and Paediatric Advanced (ALS) courses were organized in each country adapted to local characteristics. Five Paediatric Resuscitation groups were created sequentially in Honduras (2), Guatemala, Dominican Republican and Mexico. During 5 years, 6 instructors courses (94 students), 64 Paediatric BLS Courses (1409 students), 29 Paediatrics ILS courses (626 students) and 89 Paediatric ALS courses (1804 students) were given. At the end of the program all five groups are autonomous and organize their own instructor courses. Training of autonomous Paediatric CPR groups with the collaboration and scientific assessment of an expert group is a good model program to develop Paediatric CPR training in low- and middle income countries. Participation of groups of different countries in the educational activities is an important method to establish a cooperation network.

Confidence and authority through new knowledge: An evaluation of the national educational programme in paediatric oncology nursing in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Pergert, Pernilla; Af Sandeberg, Margareta; Andersson, Nina; Márky, Ildikó; Enskär, Karin

2016-03-01

There is a lack of nurse specialists in many paediatric hospitals in Sweden. This lack of competence is devastating for childhood cancer care because it is a highly specialised area that demands specialist knowledge. Continuing education of nurses is important to develop nursing practice and also to retain them. The aim of this study was to evaluate a Swedish national educational programme in paediatric oncology nursing. The nurses who participated came from all of the six paediatric oncology centres as well as from general paediatric wards. At the time of the evaluation, three groups of registered nurses (n=66) had completed this 2year, part-time educational programme. A study specific questionnaire, including closed and open-ended questions was sent to the 66 nurses and 54 questionnaires were returned. Answers were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The results show that almost all the nurses (93%) stayed in paediatric care after the programme. Furthermore, 31% had a position in management or as a consultant nurse after the programme. The vast majority of the nurses (98%) stated that the programme had made them more secure in their work. The nurses were equipped, through education, for paediatric oncology care which included: knowledge generating new knowledge; confidence and authority; national networks and resources. They felt increased confidence in their roles as paediatric oncology nurses as well as authority in their encounters with families and in discussions with co-workers. New networks and resources were appreciated and used in their daily work in paediatric oncology. The programme was of importance to the career of the individual nurse and also to the quality of care given to families in paediatric oncology. The national educational programme for nurses in Paediatric Oncology Care meets the needs of the highly specialised care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved results in paediatric diabetes care using a quality registry in an improvement collaborative: a case study in Sweden.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anette Peterson

Full Text Available Several studies show that good metabolic control is important for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. In Sweden, there are large differences in mean haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c in different hospitals and difficulties implementing national guidelines in everyday practice. This study shows how the participation in an improvement collaborative could facilitate improvements in the quality of care by paediatric diabetes teams. The Swedish paediatric diabetes quality registry, SWEDIABKIDS was used as a tool and resource for feedback and outcome measures.Twelve teams at paediatric diabetes centres, caring for 30% (2302/7660 of patients in Sweden, participated in an 18-month quality improvement program. Each team defined treatment targets, areas needing improvement, and action plans. The main outcome was the centre patients' mean HbA1c levels, but other clinical variables and change concepts were also studied. Data from the previous six months were compared with the first six months after starting the program, and the long-term follow up after another eleven months.All centres reduced mean HbA1c during the second and third periods compared with the first. The mean reduction for all was 3·7 mmol/mol (p<0.001, compared with non-participating centres who improved their mean HbA1c with 1·7 mmol/mol during the same period. Many of the participating centres reduced the frequency of severe hypoglycaemia and/or ketoacidosis, and five centres reached their goal of ensuring that all patients had some sort of physical activity at least once weekly. Change concepts were, for example, improved guidelines, appointment planning, informing the patients, improving teamwork and active use of the registry, and health promotion activities.By involving paediatric diabetes teams in a quality improvement collaborative together with access to a quality register, the quality of paediatric diabetes care can improve, thereby contributing to a reduced risk of late

Review article – Optimisation of exposure parameters for spinal curvature measurements in paediatric radiography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haan, Seraphine; Reis, Cláudia; Ndlovu, Junior; Serrenho, Catarina; Akhtar, Ifrah; Garcia, José Antonio; Linde, Daniël; Thorskog, Martine; Franco, Loris; Hogg, Peter

2015-01-01

This review aims to identify strategies to optimise radiography practice using digital technologies, for full spine studies on paediatrics focusing particularly on methods used to diagnose and measure severity of spinal curvatures. The literature search was performed on different databases (PubMed,

Training fellows in paediatric cardiology: the Harvard experience.

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Brown, David W; Allan, Catherine K; Newburger, Jane W

2016-12-01

The Fellowship Program of the Department of Cardiology at Boston Children's Hospital seeks to train academically oriented leaders in clinical care and laboratory and clinical investigation of cardiovascular disease in the young. The core clinical fellowship involves 3 years in training, comprising 24 months of clinical rotations and 12 months of elective and research experience. Trainees have access to a vast array of research opportunities - clinical, basic, and translational. Clinical fellows interested in basic science may reverse the usual sequence and start their training in the laboratory, deferring clinical training for 1 or more years. An increasing number of clinical trainees apply to spend a fourth year as a senior fellow in one of the subspecialty areas of paediatric cardiology. From the founding of the Department to the present, we have maintained a fundamental and unwavering commitment to training and education in clinical care and research in basic science and clinical investigation, as well as to the training of outstanding young clinicians and investigators.

Consequences of the Chicago consensus on disorders of sex development (DSD): current practices in Europe.

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Pasterski, V; Prentice, P; Hughes, I A

2010-08-01

To assess clinical management of disorders of sex development (DSD) subsequent to recommendations issued in the 2006 Consensus Statement. Online questionnaire and audit of DSD literature. Invitation to complete a 28-item online questionnaire and a 12-item follow-up questionnaire, both assessing current clinic statistics and clinical management of DSD. Paediatric endocrinologists from 60 medical centres representing 23 European countries. Clinic activity, multidisciplinary team composition, provision of psychological support services, incidence of feminising clitoroplasty and use of diagnostic algorithms and newly proposed nomenclature. Data are reported in terms of percentages with respect to implementation of recommendations outlined in the Consensus Statement. chi(2) was used to analyse changes in nomenclature reported in the literature. 60 centres reported on management of an average of 97.3 (range 8-374) patients per year, totalling approximately 6000. The mean number of new referrals in the previous year was 23.27 (range 8-100). 57% of centres regularly included the services of recommended paediatric subspecialists: paediatric endocrinologist, paediatric surgeon/urologist, plastic surgeon, paediatric psychiatrist/psychologist, gynaecologist, clinical geneticist, histopathologist and neonatologist; 35% reported providing these and additional services of endocrine and surgical nurses, a social worker and a medical ethicist. Additionally, 95% of centres reported offering primary psychological support services (either child psychiatrist or psychologist). 65% of centres reported using a diagnostic algorithm, and 83.3% supported the development of a standardised algorithm. 52% and 44.8% of centres reported having performed fewer or similar numbers, respectively, of clitoroplasties than in previous years and only 3.4% reported an increase. Finally, 100% of respondents reported using the newly proposed terminology. Likewise, an audit of the literature reflected a

Innovation in clinical pharmacy practice and opportunities for academic--practice partnership.

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Gubbins, Paul O; Micek, Scott T; Badowski, Melissa; Cheng, Judy; Gallagher, Jason; Johnson, Samuel G; Karnes, Jason H; Lyons, Kayley; Moore, Katherine G; Strnad, Kyle

2014-05-01

Clinical pharmacy has a rich history of advancing practice through innovation. These innovations helped to mold clinical pharmacy into a patient-centered discipline recognized for its contributions to improving medication therapy outcomes. However, innovations in clinical pharmacy practice have now waned. In our view, the growth of academic–practice partnerships could reverse this trend and stimulate innovation among the next generation of pioneering clinical pharmacists. Although collaboration facilitates innovation,academic institutions and health care systems/organizations are not taking full advantage of this opportunity. The academic–practice partnership can be optimized by making both partners accountable for the desired outcomes of their collaboration, fostering symbiotic relationships that promote value-added clinical pharmacy services and emphasizing continuous quality improvement in the delivery of these services. Optimizing academic–practice collaboration on a broader scale requires both partners to adopt a culture that provides for dedicated time to pursue innovation, establishes mechanisms to incubate ideas, recognizes where motivation and vision align, and supports the purpose of the partnership. With appropriate leadership and support, a shift in current professional education and training practices, and a commitment to cultivate future innovators, the academic–practice partnership can develop new and innovative practice advancements that will improve patient outcomes.

Paediatric cardiac intensive care unit: current setting and organization in 2010.

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Fraisse, Alain; Le Bel, Stéphane; Mas, Bertrand; Macrae, Duncan

2010-10-01

Over recent decades, specialized paediatric cardiac intensive care has emerged as a central component in the management of critically ill, neonatal, paediatric and adult patients with congenital and acquired heart disease. The majority of high-volume centres (dealing with over 300 surgical cases per year) have dedicated paediatric cardiac intensive care units, with the smallest programmes more likely to care for paediatric cardiac patients in mixed paediatric or adult intensive care units. Specialized nursing staff are also a crucial presence at the patient's bedside for quality of care. A paediatric cardiac intensive care programme should have patients (preoperative and postoperative) grouped together geographically, and should provide proximity to the operating theatre, catheterization laboratory and radiology department, as well as to the regular ward. Age-appropriate medical equipment must be provided. An optimal strategy for running a paediatric cardiac intensive care programme should include: multidisciplinary collaboration and involvement with paediatric cardiology, anaesthesia, cardiac surgery and many other subspecialties; a risk-stratification strategy for quantifying perioperative risk; a personalized patient approach; and anticipatory care. Finally, progressive withdrawal from heavy paediatric cardiac intensive care management should be institutionalized. Although the countries of the European Union do not share any common legislation on the structure and organization of paediatric intensive care or paediatric cardiac intensive care, any paediatric cardiac surgery programme in France that is agreed by the French Health Ministry must perform at least '150 major procedures per year in children' and must provide a 'specialized paediatric intensive care unit'. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Understanding case mix across three paediatric services: could integration of primary and secondary general paediatrics alter walk-in emergency attendances?

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Lloyd; Coote, Nicky; Klaber, Robert; Watson, Mando; Coren, Michael

2018-05-04

To understand the case mix of three different paediatric services, reasons for using an acute paediatric service in a region of developing integrated care and where acute attendances could alternatively have been managed. Mixed methods service evaluation, including retrospective review of referrals to general paediatric outpatients (n=534) and a virtual integrated service (email advice line) (n=474), as well as a prospective survey of paediatric ambulatory unit (PAU) attendees (n=95) and review by a paediatric consultant/registrar to decide where these cases could alternatively have been managed. The case mix of outpatient referrals and the email advice line was similar, but the case mix for PAU was more acute.The most common parental reasons for attending PAU were referral by a community health professional (27.2%), not being able to get a general practitioner (GP) appointment when desired (21.7%), wanting to avoid accident and emergency (17.4%) and wanting specialist paediatric input (14.1%). More than half of PAU presentations were deemed most appropriate for community management by a GP or midwife. The proportion of cases suitable for community management varied by the reason for attendance, with it highestl for parents reporting not being able to get a GP appointment (85%), and lowest for those referred by community health professionals (29%). One in two attendances to acute paediatric services could have been managed in the community. Integration of paediatric services could help address parental reasons for attending acute services, as well as facilitating the community management of chronic conditions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Nutrition in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Position Paper on Behalf of The Porto IBD Group of ESPGHAN.

Science.gov (United States)

Miele, Erasmo; Shamir, Raanan; Aloi, Marina; Assa, Amit; Braegger, Christian; Bronsky, Jiri; de Ridder, Lissy; Escher, Johanna C; Hojsak, Iva; Kolaček, Sanja; Koletzko, Sibylle; Levine, Arie; Lionetti, Paolo; Martinelli, Massimo; Ruemmele, Frank; Russell, Richard K; Boneh, Rotem Sigall; van Limbergen, Johan; Veereman, Gigi; Staiano, Annamaria

2018-01-29

A growing body of evidence supports the need for detailed attention to nutrition and diet in children with IBD. We aimed to define the steps in instituting dietary or nutritional management in light of the current evidence and to offer a useful and practical guide to physicians and dieticians involved in the care of paediatric IBD patients. A group of 20 experts in paediatric IBD participated in an iterative consensus process including 2 face-to-face meetings, following an open call to ESPGHAN Porto, IBD Interest and Nutrition Committee. A list of 41 predefined questions was addressed by working subgroups based on a SR of the literature. A total of 53 formal recommendations and 47 practice points were endorsed with a consensus rate of at least 80% on the following topics: nutritional assessment; nutrition as a primary therapy of paediatric IBD; macronutrients needs; trace Elements, minerals and vitamins; probiotics and prebiotics; specific dietary restrictions; dietary compounds and the risk of IBD. This position paper represents a useful guide to help the clinicians in the management of nutrition issues in children with IBD.

Development of clinical practice guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollon, Steven D; Areán, Patricia A; Craske, Michelle G; Crawford, Kermit A; Kivlahan, Daniel R; Magnavita, Jeffrey J; Ollendick, Thomas H; Sexton, Thomas L; Spring, Bonnie; Bufka, Lynn F; Galper, Daniel I; Kurtzman, Howard

2014-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are intended to improve mental, behavioral, and physical health by promoting clinical practices that are based on the best available evidence. The American Psychological Association (APA) is committed to generating patient-focused CPGs that are scientifically sound, clinically useful, and informative for psychologists, other health professionals, training programs, policy makers, and the public. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2011 standards for generating CPGs represent current best practices in the field. These standards involve multidisciplinary guideline development panels charged with generating recommendations based on comprehensive systematic reviews of the evidence. The IOM standards will guide the APA as it generates CPGs that can be used to inform the general public and the practice community regarding the benefits and harms of various treatment options. CPG recommendations are advisory rather than compulsory. When used appropriately, high-quality guidelines can facilitate shared decision making and identify gaps in knowledge.

The global burden of paediatric heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Musa, Ndidiamaka L; Hjortdal, Vibeke; Zheleva, Bistra

2017-01-01

An estimated 15 million children die or are crippled annually by treatable or preventable heart disease in low- and middle-income countries. Global efforts to reduce under-5 mortality have focused on reducing death from communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries with little...... to no attention focusing on paediatric CHD and acquired heart disease. Lack of awareness of CHD and acquired heart disease, access to care, poor healthcare infrastructure, competing health priorities, and a critical shortage of specialists are important reasons why paediatric heart disease has not been addressed...... in low resourced settings. Non-governmental organisations have taken the lead to address these challenges. This review describes the global burden of paediatric heart disease and strategies to improve the quality of care for paediatric heart disease. These strategies would improve outcomes for children...

Successful private-public funding of paediatric medicines research: lessons from the EU programme to fund research into off-patent medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruggieri, L; Giannuzzi, V; Baiardi, P; Bonifazi, F; Davies, E H; Giaquinto, C; Bonifazi, D; Felisi, M; Chiron, C; Pressler, R; Rabe, H; Whitaker, M J; Neubert, A; Jacqz-Aigrain, E; Eichler, I; Turner, M A; Ceci, A

2015-04-01

The European Paediatric Regulation mandated the European Commission to fund research on off-patent medicines with demonstrated therapeutic interest for children. Responding to this mandate, five FP7 project calls were launched and 20 projects were granted. This paper aims to detail the funded projects and their preliminary results. Publicly available sources have been consulted and a descriptive analysis has been performed. Twenty Research Consortia including 246 partners in 29 European and non-European countries were created (involving 129 universities or public-funded research organisations, 51 private companies with 40 SMEs, 7 patient associations). The funded projects investigate 24 medicines, covering 10 therapeutic areas in all paediatric age groups. In response to the Paediatric Regulation and to apply for a Paediatric Use Marketing Authorisation, 15 Paediatric Investigation Plans have been granted by the EMA-Paediatric Committee, including 71 studies of whom 29 paediatric clinical trials, leading to a total of 7,300 children to be recruited in more than 380 investigational centres. Notwithstanding the EU contribution for each study is lower than similar publicly funded projects, and also considering the complexity of paediatric research, these projects are performing high-quality research and are progressing towards the increase of new paediatric medicines on the market. Private-public partnerships have been effectively implemented, providing a good example for future collaborative actions. Since these projects cover a limited number of off-patent drugs and many unmet therapeutic needs in paediatrics remain, it is crucial foreseeing new similar initiatives in forthcoming European funding programmes.

Individual radiation exposure from computed tomography. A survey of paediatric practice in French university hospitals, 2010-2013

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Journy, Neige M.Y. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Lab. d' Epidemiologie des Rayonnements Ionisants; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States). Div. of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics; Dreuil, Serge [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Unite d' Expertise en Radioprotection Medicale; Boddaert, Nathalie [Hopital Universitaire Necker Enfants Malades, Paris (France). Service de Radiologie Pediatrique, INSERM U1000, UMR 1163; Cite Univ. Rene Descartes, Paris (France). PRES Sorbonne Paris; Chateil, Jean-Francois [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux (France). Service de Radiologie et d' Imagerie Antenatale, de l' Enfant et de la Femme; Defez, Didier [Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre-Benite (France). Service de Physique Medicale; Ducou-le-Pointe, Hubert [Hopital d' Enfants Armand-Trousseau, Paris (France). Service de Radiologie; Garcier, Jean-Marc [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Estaing, Clermont-Ferrand (France). Service de Radiologie; Guersen, Joel [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Gabriel Montpied, Clermont-Ferrand (France). Pole Imagerie et Radiologie Interventionnelle; Habib Geryes, Bouchra [Hopital Universitaire Necker Enfants Malades, Paris (France). Direction des Affaires Medicales, de la Qualite et la Relation avec les Usagers; Jahnen, Andreas [Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Esch/Alzette (Luxembourg); Lee, Choonsik [National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States). Div. of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics; Payen-de-la-Garanderie, Jacqueline; Pracros, Jean-Pierre [Hopital Femme Mere Enfants, Bron (France). Service d' Imagerie Pediatrique; Sirinelli, Dominique [Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire de Tours (France). Service de Radiologie Pediatrique, Hopital Clocheville; Thierry-Chef, Isabelle [International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon (France). Section of Environment and Cancer; Bernier, Marie-Odile [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Lab. d' Epidemiologie des Rayonnements Ionisants

2018-02-15

To describe computed tomography (CT) scanning parameters, volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) in paediatric practice and compare them to current diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). The survey was conducted in radiology departments of six major university hospitals in France in 2010-2013. Data collection was automatised to extract and standardise information on scanning parameters from DICOM-header files. CTDIvol and DLP were estimated based on Monte Carlo transport simulation and computational reference phantoms. CTDIvol and DLP were derived for 4,300 studies, four age groups and 18 protocols. CTDIvol was lower in younger patients for non-head scans, but did not vary with age for routine head scans. Ratios of 95th to 5th percentile CTDIvol values were 2-4 for most body parts, but 5-7 for abdominal examinations and 4-14 for mediastinum CT with contrast, depending on age. The 75th percentile CTDIvol values were below the national DRLs for chest (all ages) and head and abdominal scans (≥10 years). The results suggest the need for a better optimisation of scanning parameters for routine head scans and infrequent protocols with patient age, enhanced standardisation of practices across departments and revision of current DRLs for children. (orig.)

Individual radiation exposure from computed tomography. A survey of paediatric practice in French university hospitals, 2010-2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Journy, Neige M.Y.; Lee, Choonsik; Payen-de-la-Garanderie, Jacqueline; Pracros, Jean-Pierre; Sirinelli, Dominique; Thierry-Chef, Isabelle; Bernier, Marie-Odile

2018-01-01

To describe computed tomography (CT) scanning parameters, volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) in paediatric practice and compare them to current diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). The survey was conducted in radiology departments of six major university hospitals in France in 2010-2013. Data collection was automatised to extract and standardise information on scanning parameters from DICOM-header files. CTDIvol and DLP were estimated based on Monte Carlo transport simulation and computational reference phantoms. CTDIvol and DLP were derived for 4,300 studies, four age groups and 18 protocols. CTDIvol was lower in younger patients for non-head scans, but did not vary with age for routine head scans. Ratios of 95th to 5th percentile CTDIvol values were 2-4 for most body parts, but 5-7 for abdominal examinations and 4-14 for mediastinum CT with contrast, depending on age. The 75th percentile CTDIvol values were below the national DRLs for chest (all ages) and head and abdominal scans (≥10 years). The results suggest the need for a better optimisation of scanning parameters for routine head scans and infrequent protocols with patient age, enhanced standardisation of practices across departments and revision of current DRLs for children. (orig.)

Nursing students’ valuation on their clinical clerkship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana R. Rodríguez Gonzalo

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To know how the nursing students evaluate the clinical-practical knowledge appraised at their clinical clerkship, measured through the satisfaction with the nursing staff Teaching Skills, the Perceived Support and their Global Satisfaction. Methodology: Cross-section, descriptive study carried out at the Ramon y Cajal Hospital. The target population were the 2008/09 nursing students at their clinical clerkship in the hospital, with a total number of 459 shifts. Questionnaire was self-designed and self-administered. Analyzed variables were the student academic year, the hospital ward and their relation with: 1. Teaching Skills, 2. Perceived Support, 3. General Satisfaction.Results: 314 questionnaires were filled out and returned, which is 69,41% of the total number of questionnaires. Students at the Operating Rooms and at the Paediatric Wards gave statistically significant lower qualifications (p=0,005 and p=0,003 than the Emergencies students to the nursing staff Teaching Skills. Regarding the Perceived Support, statistically significant higher scores were given to the Paediatrics (p=0,002 and the Surgical Wards (0,001 compared to the Operating Rooms staff. Finally, in General Satisfaction the lowest, but non statistically significant, scores were given also to the Operating Rooms (p>0,05.Conclusions: Nursing staff from the Operating Rooms and the Paediatric Wards should ameliorate their teaching skills, and those at the Operating Rooms, also the support given during the students clinical clerkship. The proposed improvement actions suggest that meetings between supervisors, nursing staff and professors in order to discuss the teaching objectives are necessary, as well as informational sessions between students and nursing staff at the wards.

Use of clinical practice guidelines to promote best practice when managing clinical interventions for liver transplant candidates.

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Jarrett, Maree

2009-06-01

Limited organ availability and an increasing demand for organ transplantation has extended transplant waiting times and thus increased morbidity and mortality for potential recipients on waiting lists. The Queensland Liver Transplant Service identified use of clinical practice guidelines developed from evidence-based practice as a strategic clinical management/workflow tool that could improve clinical outcomes for patients awaiting liver transplant. An extensive review of publications related to the management of advanced liver disease in potential transplant recipients was undertaken and the supporting evidence was identified. In all stages of development of the guidelines, the multidisciplinary collaborative team of clinicians used recommended principles from The Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation collaboration. The liver transplant recipient coordinator acted as facilitator for the project, identifying positive factors and resolving obstacles. Key focus areas in optimizing medical management before liver transplant were identified with the aim of preventing disease progression and complications that would jeopardize patients' outcome. Clinical practice guidelines were developed for each key area to optimize care by promoting appropriate timing of clinical interventions. Practices that required change to comply with identified best practice were investigated, and clinical practice for the outpatient medical management of potential liver transplant recipients with chronic liver disease were developed collaboratively. These guidelines have been accepted and are being implemented within the gastroenterology and hepatology department at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Radiation protection of personnel during paediatric radiodiagnostic examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pritchard, C.

1980-01-01

Practical experience in paediatric radiography is reported. Keeping young children immobile during irradiation is found to be the major problem and various solutions to this are discussed in detail especially with respect to the radiation dose received by both the patient and also the radiographer. The problem of X-raying newborn babies in incubators are also discussed. It is concluded that by using suitable lead rubber shielding, the child can be physically restrained by the radiographer without significant radiation dosage being incurred. (U.K.)

Clinical reasoning in nursing, a think-aloud study using virtual patients - a base for an innovative assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsberg, Elenita; Ziegert, Kristina; Hult, Håkan; Fors, Uno

2014-04-01

In health-care education, it is important to assess the competencies that are essential for the professional role. To develop clinical reasoning skills is crucial for nursing practice and therefore an important learning outcome in nursing education programmes. Virtual patients (VPs) are interactive computer simulations of real-life clinical scenarios and have been suggested for use not only for learning, but also for assessment of clinical reasoning. The aim of this study was to investigate how experienced paediatric nurses reason regarding complex VP cases and how they make clinical decisions. The study was also aimed to give information about possible issues that should be assessed in clinical reasoning exams for post-graduate students in diploma specialist paediatric nursing education. The information from this study is believed to be of high value when developing scoring and grading models for a VP-based examination for the specialist diploma in paediatric nursing education. Using the think-aloud method, data were collected from 30 RNs working in Swedish paediatric departments, and child or school health-care centres. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicate that experienced nurses try to consolidate their hypotheses by seeing a pattern and judging the value of signs, symptoms, physical examinations, laboratory tests and radiology. They show high specific competence but earlier experience of similar cases was also of importance for the decision making. The nurses thought it was an innovative assessment focusing on clinical reasoning and clinical decision making. They thought it was an enjoyable way to be assessed and that all three main issues could be assessed using VPs. In conclusion, VPs seem to be a possible model for assessing the clinical reasoning process and clinical decision making, but how to score and grade such exams needs further research. © 2013.

Clinical practice of radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobias, J.S.

1992-01-01

After describing the recent advances in radiotherapy, this brief article presents in tabular form the changing indications for radiotherapy for tumours of the skin, head and neck, adult CNS, lung, thyroid, thymus, breast, female genital tract, soft tissue sarcoma, genitourinary tract, bone sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia and paediatric malignancy. For each tumour type, information is provided for the radiosensitivity, the radiocurability, complications and five-year survival. Combined modality treatment is also briefly discussed. (UK)

Distraction rate and latency: factors in the outcome of paediatric maxillary distraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Higuera, Stephen; Cole, Patrick; Stephenson, J B; Hollier, Larry

2009-12-01

Over 50 years ago, current tenets of distraction osteogenesis were developed through work on the lower extremity; however, the application of these tenets in the paediatric craniofacial skeleton remains questionable. Prompted by recent concern that traditional aspects of distraction may be either outdated or wholly inapplicable to the paediatric maxilla, we retrospectively evaluated maxillary distraction protocol using a 24-h latency period in conjunction with a distraction rate of 2mm/day. Following maxillary advancement via a distraction protocol consisting of a 24-h latency period and a distraction rate of 2mm/day, seven consecutive paediatric cases were evaluated. Standard profile photos and cephalometric films taken preoperatively, at device removal and at 1-year follow-up were compared. With the sella as the point of registration, pre- and post-distraction films were superimposed on the sella-nasion plane. Sella-nasion-subspinale, the angle of convexity, the distance from incisal edges to the y-axis, and angulation of the upper incisor to the sella-nasion plane were analysed to evaluate hard-tissue changes. Patient age ranged from 3 to 14 years (mean=7.43 years). Maxillary distraction length averaged 11 mm (range=10-12 mm). Interval from device application to removal averaged 98 days (range=75-180 days). The interval of the active distraction ranged from 11 to 65 days (mean=24 days). From distraction completion to device removal averaged 85 days (range=60-150). Follow-up intervals ranged from 52 to 24 months (mean=34 months). All patients demonstrated substantial clinical advancement of the maxilla with correction of midfacial deficiencies. A single patient developed mild cellulitis at one skin-device interface; no other complications were noted. Cephalometric and clinical evaluations at 1 year post-distraction demonstrated stable results, and parental satisfaction was qualitatively high. The surgical dogma of lower-extremity distraction osteogenesis is not

Inadequate vitamin D levels are associated with culture positive sepsis and poor outcomes in paediatric intensive care.

Science.gov (United States)

Onwuneme, Chike; Carroll, Aoife; Doherty, Dermot; Bruell, Heike; Segurado, Ricardo; Kilbane, Mark; Murphy, Nuala; McKenna, Malachi J; Molloy, Eleanor J

2015-10-01

This study aimed to assess vitamin D status, and its determinants, in paediatric patients with suspected sepsis who were admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We also investigated the association between vitamin D status and clinical outcomes. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) and clinical determinants were prospectively assessed in children with suspected sepsis (<12 years old) admitted to the PICU. The relationship between 25OHD and clinical outcomes was evaluated. Vitamin D status was also assessed in control children of a similar age. We enrolled 120 children with suspected sepsis admitted to the PICU and 30 paediatric controls. 25OHD was <50 nmol/L in 59% of the children admitted to the PICU and 25OHD was lower than in the controls (47 ± 29 vs 66 ± 26 nmol/L, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, 25OHD was strongly associated with culture positive sepsis (p < 0.001), the paediatric index of mortality (p = 0.026) and the duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.008). There was a negative correlation between 25OHD and C-reactive protein (CRP): each 0.1% decrease in 25OHD increased CRP (p = 0.04). Children admitted to the PICU with suspected sepsis had lower 25OHD than controls and inadequate 25OHD status was associated with confirmed sepsis and poor outcomes. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patient exposure in paediatric radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iacob, O.; Diaconescu, C.; Isac, R.

2002-01-01

Because of their longer life expectancy, the risk of late manifestations of detrimental radiation effects is greater in children than in adults and, consequently, paediatric radiology gives ground for more concern regarding radiation protection than radiology of adults. The purpose of our study was to assess, in terms of effective dose, the magnitude of paediatric patient exposure during conventional X-ray examinations, selected for their high frequency or their relatively high doses delivered to patient

Detection of intestinal protozoa in paediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms by multiplex real-time PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, L; Dorigo-Zetsma, J W; de Groot, C J; Bouter, S; Plötz, F B; van Ewijk, B E

2014-06-01

The performance of a multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of Blastocystis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium species and Entamoeba species in faecal samples was evaluated in an observational prospective study. Paediatric patients (0-18 years) presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms and suspected of having enteroparasitic disease were included. A questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms and the chosen treatment was completed at the start of the study and after 6 weeks. Of 163 paediatric patients (mean age, 7.8 years), 114 (70%) had a PCR-positive faecal sample. D. fragilis was detected most frequently, in 101 patients, followed by Blastocystis in 49. In faecal samples of 47 patients, more than one protozoan was detected, mainly the combination of D. fragilis and Blastocystis. Reported gastrointestinal symptoms were abdominal pain (78%), nausea (30%), and altered bowel habits (28%). Eighty-nine of the PCR-positive patients were treated with antibiotics. A significant reduction in abdominal pain was observed both in treated and in untreated patients. This study demonstrated that multiplex real-time PCR detects a high percentage of intestinal protozoa in paediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. However, interpretation and determination of the clinical relevance of a positive PCR result in this population are still difficult. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Pattern of Paediatric Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases in Port Harcourt ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

TNHJOURNALPH

maJority of the patients' population seen in a typical ORL clinic in most hospitals. In the absence of a well-documented pattern of disease in these children, planning for their special health needs would be difficult. This study therefore is aimed at finding the prevalence and pattern of these diseases in the paediatric.

2018 International Olympic Committee consensus statement on prevention, diagnosis and management of paediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries

Science.gov (United States)

Ekås, Guri Ranum; Grindem, Hege; Moksnes, Håvard; Anderson, Allen F; Chotel, Franck; Cohen, Moises; Forssblad, Magnus; Ganley, Theodore J; Feller, Julian A; Karlsson, Jón; Kocher, Minider S; LaPrade, Robert F; McNamee, Michael; Mandelbaum, Bert; Micheli, Lyle; Mohtadi, Nicholas; Reider, Bruce; Roe, Justin; Seil, Romain; Siebold, Rainer; Witvrouw, Erik; Engebretsen, Lars

2018-01-01

In October 2017, the International Olympic Committee hosted an international expert group of physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons who specialise in treating and researching paediatric ACL injuries. Representatives from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society, European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy, International Society of Arthroscopy Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia, Rodilla y Deporte attended. Physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons with clinical and research experience in the field, and an ethics expert with substantial experience in the area of sports injuries also participated. Injury management is challenging in the current landscape of clinical uncertainty and limited scientific knowledge. Injury management decisions also occur against the backdrop of the complexity of shared decision-making with children and the potential long-term ramifications of the injury. This consensus statement addresses six fundamental clinical questions regarding the prevention, diagnosis and management of paediatric ACL injuries. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-informed summary to support the clinician, and help children with ACL injury and their parents/guardians make the best possible decisions. PMID:29478021

Preventive psychiatry in clinical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mamta Sood

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the last two and a half decades, there have been series of global burden of disease studies which have highlighted significant disability attributable to mental and behavioral disorders with a huge treatment gap. Integration of the preventive strategies in the clinical practice has the potential to reduce the disability due to mental illnesses. The patients come to the clinic with an intention to get treated and investigated for the symptoms they have. At this point, they may also be amenable to the advice related to prevention. Therefore, the clinical encounter can be seen as an opportunity to implement preventive strategies. Preventive efforts in clinical practice must be guided by knowledge about the epidemiological data related to specific mental illnesses and about the evidence-based preventive strategies available for specific mental illnesses. These should be directed toward all those persons (patients, caregivers accompanying and at home, teachers, employers, etc. who are present and also toward those who are not present during the clinical encounter and must be age, gender, and culture sensitive. Sociodemographic characteristics of a person seeking relief from a problem in the clinical encounter help in directing the preventive efforts. The preventive efforts are also driven by the fact that the patient has the first episode or established or treatment refractory mental illness and the short or long duration of illness. For prevention-minded clinical practice, it helps to have a template so that the assessments and interventions relevant for prevention can be carried out as per that scheme; it also helps in orienting the practicing mental health professionals. While making various assessments, making a list of the likely issues to be addressed by preventive efforts during clinical encounter ( first and subsequent is also helpful.

Indications for admission, treatment and improved outcome of paediatric haematology/oncology patients admitted to a tertiary paediatric ICU.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Owens, C

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Overall survival in paediatric cancer has improved significantly over the past 20 years. Treatment strategies have been intensified, and supportive care has made substantial advances. Historically, paediatric oncology patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) have had extremely poor outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study over a 3-year period in a single centre to evaluate the outcomes for this particularly vulnerable group of patients admitted to a paediatric ICU. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were admitted a total of 66 times to the ICU during the study period. The mortality rate of this group was 23% compared with an overall ICU mortality rate of 5%. 11\\/15 patients who died had an underlying haematological malignancy. Twenty-eight percent of children with organism-identified sepsis died. CONCLUSIONS: While mortality rates for paediatric oncology patients admitted to a ICU have improved, they are still substantial. Those with a haematological malignancy or admitted with sepsis are most at risk.

Practicing medicine without borders: tele-consultations and tele-mentoring for improving paediatric care in a conflict setting in Somalia?

Science.gov (United States)

Zachariah, R; Bienvenue, B; Ayada, L; Manzi, M; Maalim, A; Engy, E; Jemmy, J P; Ibrahim Said, A; Hassan, A; Abdulrahaman, F; Abdulrahman, O; Bseiso, J; Amin, H; Michalski, D; Oberreit, J; Draguez, B; Stokes, C; Reid, T; Harries, A D

2012-09-01

In a district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia, we assessed (i) the impact of introducing telemedicine on the quality of paediatric care, and (ii) the added value as perceived by local clinicians. A 'real-time' audio-visual exchange of information on paediatric cases (Audiosoft Technologies, Quebec, Canada) took place between clinicians in Somalia and a paediatrician in Nairobi. The study involved a retrospective analysis of programme data, and a perception study among the local clinicians. Of 3920 paediatric admissions, 346 (9%) were referred for telemedicine. In 222 (64%) children, a significant change was made to initial case management, while in 88 (25%), a life-threatening condition was detected that had been initially missed. There was a progressive improvement in the capacity of clinicians to manage complicated cases as demonstrated by a significant linear decrease in changes to initial case management for meningitis and convulsions (92-29%, P = 0.001), lower respiratory tract infection (75-45%, P = 0.02) and complicated malnutrition (86-40%, P = 0.002). Adverse outcomes (deaths and lost to follow-up) fell from 7.6% in 2010 (without telemedicine) to 5.4% in 2011 with telemedicine (30% reduction, odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57-0.88, P = -0.001). The number needed to be treated through telemedicine to prevent one adverse outcome was 45. All seven clinicians involved with telemedicine rated it to be of high added value. The introduction of telemedicine significantly improved quality of paediatric care in a remote conflict setting and was of high added value to distant clinicians. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A review of patient dose and optimisation methods in adult and paediatric CT scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougeni, E.; Faulkner, K.; Panayiotakis, G.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► CT scanning frequency has grown with the development of new clinical applications. ► Up to 32-fold dose variation was observed for similar type of procedures. ► Scanning parameters should be optimised for patient size and clinical indication. ► Cancer risks knowledge amongst physicians of certain specialties was poor. ► A significant number of non-indicated CT scans could be eliminated. - Abstract: An increasing number of publications and international reports on computed tomography (CT) have addressed important issues on optimised imaging practice and patient dose. This is partially due to recent technological developments as well as to the striking rise in the number of CT scans being requested. CT imaging has extended its role to newer applications, such as cardiac CT, CT colonography, angiography and urology. The proportion of paediatric patients undergoing CT scans has also increased. The published scientific literature was reviewed to collect information regarding effective dose levels during the most common CT examinations in adults and paediatrics. Large dose variations were observed (up to 32-fold) with some individual sites exceeding the recommended dose reference levels, indicating a large potential to reduce dose. Current estimates on radiation-related cancer risks are alarming. CT doses account for about 70% of collective dose in the UK and are amongst the highest in diagnostic radiology, however the majority of physicians underestimate the risk, demonstrating a decreased level of awareness. Exposure parameters are not always adjusted appropriately to the clinical question or to patient size, especially for children. Dose reduction techniques, such as tube-current modulation, low-tube voltage protocols, prospective echocardiography-triggered coronary angiography and iterative reconstruction algorithms can substantially decrease doses. An overview of optimisation studies is provided. The justification principle is discussed along

Safeguarding children in dentistry: 1. Child protection training, experience and practice of dental professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, J C; Elcock, C; Sidebotham, P D; Welbury, R R

2009-04-25

Following several highly publicised inquiries into the deaths of children from abuse and neglect, there has been much recent interest in the role and responsibility of all health professionals to protect children at risk of maltreatment. The findings of a postal questionnaire, sent in March 2005 to 789 dentists and dental care professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry working in varied settings in the UK, are presented in a two-part report and discussed in the context of current multi-agency good practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This first part explores reported child protection training, experience and practice. There was a significant gap between recognising signs of abuse and responding effectively: 67% of respondents had suspected abuse or neglect of a child patient at some time in their career but only 29% had ever made a child protection referral. The dental profession is alerted to the need to ensure necessary appropriate action to safeguard children is always taken when child abuse or neglect are suspected.

Paediatric CT scan usage and referrals of children to computed tomography in Germany-a cross-sectional survey of medical practice and awareness of radiation related health risks among physicians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Merzenich Hiltrud

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Computed tomography (CT is a major source of ionizing radiation exposure in medical diagnostic. Compared to adults, children are supposed to be more susceptible to health risks related to radiation. The purpose of a cross-sectional survey among office-based physicians in Germany was the assessment of medical practice in paediatric CT referrals and to investigate physicians' knowledge of radiation doses and potential health risks of radiation exposure from CT in children. Methods A standardized questionnaire was distributed to all paediatricians and surgeons in two defined study areas. Furthermore, the study population included a random sample of general practitioners in the two areas. The questionnaire covered the frequency of referrals for paediatric CT examinations, the medical diagnoses leading to paediatric CT referrals, physicians' knowledge of radiation doses and potential health risks of radiation exposure from CT in children. Results A total of 295 (36.4% physicians responded. 59% of the doctors had not referred a child to CT in the past year, and approximately 30% referred only 1-5 children annually. The most frequent indications for a CT examination in children were trauma or a suspected cancer. 42% of the referrals were related to minor diagnoses or unspecific symptoms. The participants underestimated the radiation exposure due to CT and they overestimated the radiation exposure due to conventional X-ray examinations. Conclusions In Germany, the frequency of referrals of children to computed tomography is moderate. The knowledge on the risks from radiation exposure among office-based physicians in our sample varied, but there was a tendency to underestimate potential CT risks. Advanced radiological training might lead to considerable amendments in terms of knowledge and practice of CT referral.

Intense imagery movements: a common and distinct paediatric subgroup of motor stereotypies.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Sally; Woods, Martin; Cardona, Francesco; Baglioni, Valentina; Hedderly, Tammy

2014-12-01

The aim of this article is to describe a subgroup of children who presented with stereotyped movements in the context of episodes of intense imagery. This is of relevance to current discussions regarding the clinical usefulness of diagnosing motor stereotypies during development. The sample consisted of 10 children (nine males, one female; mean age 8y 6mo [SD 2y 5mo], range 6-15y). Referrals were from acute paediatricians, neurologists, and tertiary epilepsy services. Children were assessed by multidisciplinary teams with expertise in paediatric movement disorders. Stereotypies presented as paroxysmal complex movements involving upper and lower limbs. Imagery themes typically included computer games (60%), cartoons/films (40%), and fantasy scenes (30%). Comorbid developmental difficulties were reported for 80% of children. Brain imaging and electrophysiological investigations had been conducted for 50% of the children before referral to the clinic. The descriptive term 'intense imagery movements' (IIM) was applied if (after interview) the children reported engaging in acts of imagery while performing stereotyped movements. We believe these children may form a common and discrete stereotypy subgroup, with the concept of IIM being clinically useful to ensure the accurate diagnosis and clinical management of this paediatric movement disorder. © 2014 Mac Keith Press.

The effect of social media (#SoMe) on journal impact factor and parental awareness in paediatric urology.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Kelly, F; Nason, G J; Manecksha, R P; Cascio, S; Quinn, F J; Leonard, M; Koyle, M A; Farhat, W; Leveridge, M J

2017-10-01

Social media (SoMe) comprises a number of internet-based applications that have the capability to disseminate multimodal media and allow for unprecedented inter-user connectivity. The role of Twitter has been studied in conferences and education; moreover, there is increasing evidence that patients are more likely to use social media for their own health education. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of social media platforms on the impact factor of both urological and paediatric journals that publish on paediatric urology, and to assess parental awareness of social media in paediatric urology. A filtered Journal of Citation Reports (JCR) search was performed for the period 2012-16 for journals that published articles on paediatric urology. Journals were ranked according to impact factor, and each individual journal website was accessed to assess for the presence of social media. Parents in paediatric urology clinics and non-paediatric urology patients also filled out a questionnaire to assess for awareness and attitudes to social media. All statistical analysis was performed using Prism 6 software (Prism 6, GraphPad Software, California, USA). Overall, there were 50 urological journals and 39 paediatric journals with a mean impact factor of 2.303 and 1.766, respectively. There was an overall average increase in impact factor across all urological journals between 2012 and 16. The presence of a Twitter feed was statistically significant for a rise in impact factor over the 4 years (P = 0.017). The cohort of parents was statistically more likely to have completed post-secondary education, to have and access to a social media profile, use it for health education, and use it to access journal/physician/hospital social media accounts. This study examined, for the first time, the role of social media in paediatric urology, and demonstrated that SoMe use is associated with a positive influence in impact factor, but also a parental appetite for it

Ethical dimensions of paediatric nursing: A rapid evidence assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagnasco, Annamaria; Cadorin, Lucia; Barisone, Michela; Bressan, Valentina; Iemmi, Marina; Prandi, Marzia; Timmins, Fiona; Watson, Roger; Sasso, Loredana

2018-02-01

Paediatric nurses often face complex situations requiring decisions that sometimes clash with their own values and beliefs, or with the needs of the children they care for and their families. Paediatric nurses often use new technology that changes the way they provide care, but also reduces their direct interaction with the child. This may generate ethical issues, which nurses should be able to address in the full respect of the child. Research question and objectives: The purpose of this review is to describe the main ethical dimensions of paediatric nursing. Our research question was, 'What are the most common ethical dimensions and competences related to paediatric nursing?' A rapid evidence assessment. According to the principles of the rapid evidence assessment, we searched the PubMed, SCOPUS and CINAHL databases for papers published between January 2001 and March 2015. These papers were then independently read by two researchers and analysed according to the inclusion criteria. Ethical considerations: Since this was a rapid evidence assessment, no approval from the ethics committee was required. Ten papers met our inclusion criteria. Ethical issues in paediatric nursing were grouped into three areas: (a) ethical issues in paediatric care, (b) social responsibility and (c) decision-making process. Few studies investigate the ethical dimensions and aspects of paediatric nursing, and they are mainly qualitative studies conducted in critical care settings based on nurses' perceptions and experiences. Paediatric nurses require specific educational interventions to help them resolve ethical issues, contribute to the decision-making process and fulfil their role as advocates of a vulnerable population (i.e. sick children and their families). Further research is needed to investigate how paediatric nurses can improve the involvement of children and their families in decision-making processes related to their care plan.

Recent developments in neonatal and paediatric emergencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Nigel M

2011-07-01

The present article is intended as an update for anaesthesiologists on recent developments in life-threatening paediatric emergencies and paediatric resuscitation. It is assumed that the reader has at least a basic knowledge of the general principles of emergency medicine, such as the ABCDE-approach and the principle of 'treat first what kills first'; and also that the reader is familiar with the anatomical, physiological and psychological differences between adults and children. The article begins with a description of the background to paediatric emergencies followed by a description of a widely used systematic approach to the assessment of the seriously ill child. In the second half of the article, the principles of the initial treatment for acute, life-threatening problems in children and paediatric resuscitation are discussed with reference to the recent literature. The article ends with a discussion of the changes in latest guidelines for resuscitation of babies at birth.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolite profiles predict survival in paediatric brain tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Martin; Cummins, Carole L; Macpherson, Lesley; Sun, Yu; Natarajan, Kal; Grundy, Richard G; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Kauppinen, Risto A; Peet, Andrew C

2013-01-01

Brain tumours cause the highest mortality and morbidity rate of all childhood tumour groups and new methods are required to improve clinical management. (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows non-invasive concentration measurements of small molecules present in tumour tissue, providing clinically useful imaging biomarkers. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether MRS detectable molecules can predict the survival of paediatric brain tumour patients. Short echo time (30ms) single voxel (1)H MRS was performed on children attending Birmingham Children's Hospital with a suspected brain tumour and 115 patients were included in the survival analysis. Patients were followed-up for a median period of 35 months and Cox-Regression was used to establish the prognostic value of individual MRS detectable molecules. A multivariate model of survival was also investigated to improve prognostic power. Lipids and scyllo-inositol predicted poor survival whilst glutamine and N-acetyl aspartate predicted improved survival (pmodel of survival based on three MRS biomarkers predicted survival with a similar accuracy to histologic grading (p5e-5). A negative correlation between lipids and glutamine was found, suggesting a functional link between these molecules. MRS detectable biomolecules have been identified that predict survival of paediatric brain tumour patients across a range of tumour types. The evaluation of these biomarkers in large prospective studies of specific tumour types should be undertaken. The correlation between lipids and glutamine provides new insight into paediatric brain tumour metabolism that may present novel targets for therapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caregivers' practices, knowledge and beliefs of antibiotics in paediatric upper respiratorytract infections in Trinidad and Tobago: a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pereira Lexley

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Antibiotic overuse and misuse for upper respiratory tract infections in children is widespread and fuelled by public attitudes and expectations. This study assessed knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding antibiotic use for these paediatric infections among children's caregivers' in Trinidad and Tobago in the English speaking Caribbean. Methods In a cross-sectional observational study, by random survey children's adult caregivers gave a telephone interview from November 1998 to January 1999. On a pilot-tested evaluation instrument, respondents provided information about their knowledge and beliefs of antibiotics, and their use of these agents to treat recent episodes ( Results Of the 417 caregivers, 70% were female and between 18–40 years, 77% were educated to high school and beyond and 43% lived in urban areas. Two hundred and forty nine (60% respondents scored high (≥ 12 on antibiotic knowledge and 149 (34% had used antibiotics in the preceding year. More caregivers with a high knowledge score had private health insurance (33%, (p Conclusions In Trinidad and Tobago, caregivers scoring low on antibiotic knowledge have erroneous beliefs and use antibiotics inappropriately. Children in their care receive antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections without visiting a health clinic or a physician. Educational interventions in the community on the consequences of inappropriate antibiotic use in children are recommended. Our findings emphasise the need to address information, training, legislation and education at all levels of the drug delivery system towards discouraging self-medication with antibiotics in children.

Challenges of intra-institutional transfer of care from paediatric to adult congenital cardiology: the need for retention as well as transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohun, Claudine M; Woods, Patricia; Winter, Christiane; Mitchell, Julie; McLarry, Joel; Weiss, Joseph; Broberg, Craig S

2016-02-01

Transferring patients with CHD from paediatric to adult care has been challenging, especially across institutions. Within a single institution, some issues such as provider interaction, information exchange, or administrative directives should not play a significant role, and should favour successful transfer. We studied patients who were eligible for transfer to the adult congenital heart disease service within our institution in order to identify factors associated with successful transfer to adult care providers versus failure to transfer. Patients above18 years of age with CHD who were seen by paediatric cardiologists before January, 2008 were identified through a patient-care database. Records were reviewed to determine follow-up between 2008 and 2011 and to determine whether the patient was seen in the adult congenital cardiology clinic, paediatric cardiology clinic, or had no follow-up, and statistical comparisons were made between groups. After reviewing 916 records, 229 patients were considered eligible for transition to adult congenital cardiology. Of these, 77 (34%) were transferred successfully to adult congenital cardiology, 47 (21%) continued to be seen by paediatric cardiologists, and 105 (46%) were lost to follow-up. Those who transferred successfully differed with regard to complexity of diagnosis, insurance, and whether a formal referral was made by a paediatric care provider. Only a small fraction of the patients who were lost to follow-up could be contacted. Within a single institution, with shared information systems, administrations, and care providers, successful transfer from paediatric to adult congenital cardiology was still poor. Efforts for successful retention are just as vital as those for transfer.

Diagnostic radiology in paediatric palliative care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Preena; Koh, Michelle; Carr, Lucinda; McHugh, Kieran

2014-01-01

Palliative care is an expanding specialty within paediatrics, which has attracted little attention in the paediatric radiological literature. Paediatric patients under a palliative care team will have numerous radiological tests which we traditionally categorise under organ systems rather than under the umbrella of palliative medicine. The prevalence of children with life-limiting illness is significant. It has been estimated to be one per thousand, and this may be an underestimate. In this review, we will focus on our experience at one institution, where radiology has proven to be an invaluable partner to palliative care. We will discuss examples of conditions commonly referred to our palliative care team and delineate the crucial role of diagnostic radiology in determining treatment options. (orig.)

Diagnostic radiology in paediatric palliative care

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Preena; Koh, Michelle; Carr, Lucinda; McHugh, Kieran [Great Ormond Street Hospital, Radiology Department, London (United Kingdom)

2014-01-15

Palliative care is an expanding specialty within paediatrics, which has attracted little attention in the paediatric radiological literature. Paediatric patients under a palliative care team will have numerous radiological tests which we traditionally categorise under organ systems rather than under the umbrella of palliative medicine. The prevalence of children with life-limiting illness is significant. It has been estimated to be one per thousand, and this may be an underestimate. In this review, we will focus on our experience at one institution, where radiology has proven to be an invaluable partner to palliative care. We will discuss examples of conditions commonly referred to our palliative care team and delineate the crucial role of diagnostic radiology in determining treatment options. (orig.)

Conceptualizing clinical nurse leader practice: an interpretive synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Miriam

2016-01-01

The Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing report identifies the clinical nurse leader as an innovative new role for meeting higher health-care quality standards. However, specific clinical nurse leader practices influencing documented quality outcomes remain unclear. Lack of practice clarity limits the ability to articulate, implement and measure clinical nurse leader-specific practice and quality outcomes. Interpretive synthesis design and grounded theory analysis were used to develop a theoretical understanding of clinical nurse leader practice that can facilitate systematic and replicable implementation across health-care settings. The core phenomenon of clinical nurse leader practice is continuous clinical leadership, which involves four fundamental activities: facilitating effective ongoing communication; strengthening intra and interprofessional relationships; building and sustaining teams; and supporting staff engagement. Clinical nurse leaders continuously communicate and develop relationships within and across professions to promote and sustain information exchange, engagement, teamwork and effective care processes at the microsystem level. Clinical nurse leader-integrated care delivery systems highlight the benefits of nurse-led models of care for transforming health-care quality. Managers can use this study's findings to frame an implementation strategy that addresses theoretical domains of clinical nurse leader practice to help ensure practice success. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hidden Costs in Paediatric Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Services

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kehoe, C

2018-03-01

It is recognised that children attending paediatric services have an increased rate of mental health (MH) problems1. Hospital based Mental Health services, interchangeably termed Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Services (PCLS), or Psychological Medicine, exist in the large hospitals, and collaborate with their paediatric colleagues, offering assessment and intervention as required. However, PCLS may also have a role in providing Emergency MH assessments for young people presenting to the Emergency Department (ED), a role independent of their paediatric colleagues. In some cases, these children will need to be admitted to an acute paediatric bed for the management of their mental health illness or psychological distress, awaiting transfer to a child psychiatry specialised bed, or discharge to community services. The profile and costs of these cases are inadequately captured by both HSE CAMHS Annual Reporting System3,4 and the Healthcare Pricing Office (HIPE)2 as they often inadequately record MH referrals. This study explores the costs associated with a cohort of patients presenting to a large paediatric hospital ED, and managed by PCLS, in a one-year period.

Oral medicines for children in the European paediatric investigation plans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Riet-Nales, Diana A; Römkens, Erwin G A W; Saint-Raymond, Agnes; Kozarewicz, Piotr; Schobben, Alfred F A M; Egberts, Toine C G; Rademaker, Carin M A

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Pharmaceutical industry is no longer allowed to develop new medicines for use in adults only, as the 2007 Paediatric Regulation requires children to be considered also. The plans for such paediatric development called Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs) are subject to agreement by

Ingested foreign bodies in the paediatric patient.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Brien, G C

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Paediatric foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common problem and while most can be managed conservatively, a sub-population require intervention. AIMS: To establish clear guidelines for management of paediatric FB ingestion. METHODS: A retrospective chart review analysing all paediatric admissions with FB ingestion over a 10-year period from 1990 to 1999. RESULTS: Of 339 patients presenting to the accident and emergency department with FB ingestion, 59 required admission. Ingestion was accidental in 93.0% of patients. The reasons for admission were as follows: large FBs; dangerous FBs; and living far from the hospital. Nineteen patients (32.2%) were discharged without intervention. Thirty-seven (62.7%) required endoscopic retrieval. In two, the FB was not identified at endoscopy. Only three (5%) required surgery. CONCLUSION: Conservative management of FB ingestion in the paediatric population is possible in the majority of cases. However, a minority require intervention. While guidelines for intervention are ill-defined, definitive indications include symptomatic patients, or dangerous objects.

PAEDIATRIC SURGERY

African Journals Online (AJOL)

in increased mortality in developing nations.6,7 However, it has been shown ... Background: The time from birth to the first paediatric surgical consultation of neonates with gastroschisis is a predictor ... of Helsinki and its later amendments. Informed consent was obtained from the parents of the infants included in the study.

Paediatric interventional radiology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-06-29

Jun 29, 2016 ... Non-operative management is the standard of care in children with blunt solid ... treatment of choice in children with extensive deep venous ... thrombosis. An IVC .... children, a paediatric nurse comfortable with administering.

The information sources and journals consulted or read by UK paediatricians to inform their clinical practice and those which they consider important: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Teresa H; Hanney, Steve; Buxton, Martin J

2007-01-15

Implementation of health research findings is important for medicine to be evidence-based. Previous studies have found variation in the information sources thought to be of greatest importance to clinicians but publication in peer-reviewed journals is the traditional route for dissemination of research findings. There is debate about whether the impact made on clinicians should be considered as part of the evaluation of research outputs. We aimed to determine first which information sources are generally most consulted by paediatricians to inform their clinical practice, and which sources they considered most important, and second, how many and which peer-reviewed journals they read. We inquired, by questionnaire survey, about the information sources and academic journals that UK medical paediatric specialists generally consulted, attended or read and considered important to their clinical practice. The same three information sources--professional meetings & conferences, peer-reviewed journals and medical colleagues--were, overall, the most consulted or attended and ranked the most important. No one information source was found to be of greatest importance to all groups of paediatricians. Journals were widely read by all groups, but the proportion ranking them first in importance as an information source ranged from 10% to 46%. The number of journals read varied between the groups, but Archives of Disease in Childhood and BMJ were the most read journals in all groups. Six out of the seven journals previously identified as containing best paediatric evidence are the most widely read overall by UK paediatricians, however, only the two most prominent are widely read by those based in the community. No one information source is dominant, therefore a variety of approaches to Continuing Professional Development and the dissemination of research findings to paediatricians should be used. Journals are an important information source. A small number of key ones can be

[Challenges in acute paediatric medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Moll, Henriette A

2016-01-01

A big drop in the number of severe infections has resulted in less experience in recognising a seriously ill child. The challenge is finding a safe and effective balance between high-quality expertise and quickly accessible care, while avoiding over-diagnosis. There are a number of tools available to aid recognition of a seriously ill child and to avoid delay in diagnostic procedures and treatment: the use of a validated paediatric triage system, validated decision rules and guidelines, listening carefully to the parents ('my child's illness is different this time'), the clinical intuition of the experienced paediatrician and the provision of good 'safety net' advice to parents concerning the alarm signals and when they should contact a care provider. Experienced paediatricians should be at the forefront in the evaluation of the acutely ill child in order to teach their younger colleagues the importance of various alarm signals and the role played by clinical intuition.

Future career intentions of higher specialist trainees in general Paediatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Grainne; Breatnach, Colm; Harty, Sinead; Gavin, Patrick; O'Donnell, Colm; O'Grady, Michael J

2018-03-27

A survey of paediatric higher specialist trainees was carried out in 2002 assessing career intentions and perception of training. Fourteen years later, with increased numbers of trainees and a national model of care and a tertiary paediatric hospital on the horizon, we re-evaluated the career intentions of the current trainee workforce. To assess the career intentions of the current paediatric higher specialist trainees. A 28-item questionnaire was developed based on a previously validated instrument and distributed online using the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland trainee database. We distributed the questionnaire to 118 eligible trainees and received responses from 92 (78%). Seventy-nine (86%) respondents desire a consultant post in Ireland. Seventy-five (82%) indicated that their preferred consultant post location was in a tertiary paediatric centre. Sixty-two trainees (67%) intend to become subspecialists with 25 (27%) planning a career in general paediatrics. This contrasts with the 2002 survey when 76% wished to work in urban centres and 61% of trainees planned a career in general paediatrics. There appears to be a mismatch between the career goals of the future paediatric consultant workforce and the requirements for staffing paediatric units nationally. This has the potential to complicate the proposed expansion of general paediatricians in regional centres and result in a significant proportion of current trainees failing to secure a post in their desired location.

Opioid detoxification : from controlled clinical trial to clinical practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Boukje A G; De Jong, Cor A J; Wensing, Michel; Krabbe, Paul F M; van der Staak, Cees P F

2010-01-01

Controlled clinical trials have high internal validity but suffer from difficulties in external validity. This study evaluates the generalizability of the results of a controlled clinical trial on rapid detoxification in the everyday clinical practice of two addiction treatment centers. The results

The Bobath concept - a model to illustrate clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Michielsen, Marc; Vaughan-Graham, Julie; Holland, Ann; Magri, Alba; Suzuki, Mitsuo

2017-12-17

The model of Bobath clinical practice provides a framework identifying the unique aspects of the Bobath concept in terms of contemporary neurological rehabilitation. The utilisation of a framework to illustrate the clinical application of the Bobath concept provides the basis for a common understanding with respect to Bobath clinical practice, education, and research. The development process culminating in the model of Bobath clinical practice is described. The use of the model in clinical practice is illustrated using two cases: a client with a chronic incomplete spinal cord injury and a client with a stroke. This article describes the clinical application of the Bobath concept in terms of the integration of posture and movement with respect to the quality of task performance, applying the Model of Bobath Clinical Practice. Facilitation, a key aspect of Bobath clinical practice, was utilised to positively affect motor control and perception in two clients with impairment-related movement problems due to neurological pathology and associated activity limitations and participation restrictions - the outcome measures used to reflect the individual clinical presentation. Implications for Rehabilitation The model of Bobath clinical practice provides a framework identifying the unique aspects of the Bobath-concept. The model of Bobath clinical practice provides the basis for a common understanding with respect to Bobath clinical practice, education, and research. The clinical application of the Bobath-concept highlights the integration of posture and movement with respect to the quality of task performance. Facilitation, a key aspect of Bobath clinical practice, positively affects motor control, and perception.

The learning environment of paediatric interns in South Africa.

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Naidoo, Kimesh L; Van Wyk, Jacqueline M; Adhikari, Miriam

2017-11-29

South African (SA) paediatric interns (recently qualified medical graduates) work in a high disease burdened and resource deficient environment for two years, prior to independent practice. Perceptions of this learning environment (LE) influences their approaches to training as well as the outcomes of this period of development. Obstacles to creating a supportive LE and supervisor interaction affects the quality of this training. Measuring perceptions of the LE with validated instruments can help inform improvements in learning during this crucial period of medical education. The aims of this study was to determine the psychometric qualities of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) amongst paediatric interns across four hospital complexes in South Africa and to measure the LE as perceived by both interns and their supervisors. Construct validity was tested using factor analysis and internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha. A total of 209 interns and 60 supervisors (69% intern response rate) responded to the questionnaire. The PHEEM was found to be very reliable with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.943 and 0.874 for intern and supervisors respectively. Factor analysis using a 3-factor solution accounted for 42% of the variance with the teaching subscale having the best fit compared with the other sub-scales of the original tool. Most interns perceived the learning environment as being more positive than negative however, their perceptions differed significantly from that of their supervisors. Poor infrastructural support from institutions, excessive workloads and inadequate supervision were factors preventing optimal training of paediatric interns. The SA version of the PHEEM tool used was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in interns amongst high disease burdened contexts. Various obstacles to creating an ideal learning environment for paediatric interns were identified to be in need of urgent review. Key

A telemedicine network to support paediatric care in small hospitals in rural Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, Carsten; Niemi, Mauri

2012-01-01

We reviewed our experience with the Tanzanian Telemedicine Network in supporting paediatric care at 40 small, rural hospitals in the country. The network began operating in 2008. Store and forward telemedicine was provided via the open source software iPath. The 33 volunteer consultants were based in several countries, although most of them had practical experience in Tanzania. During the first three years of network operation there were 533 referrals. There were 159 paediatric cases (median age five years). Three paediatric specialists provided most consultations (64%), but other specialists provided recommendations when required. The response time was usually less than two days (median 6 h; inter-quartile range 2-24 h). A precise recommendation was not always provided, but since all consultants had an intimate knowledge of the state of health services in Tanzania, their advice was usually well adapted to the local circumstances of the hospitals. Referral to a higher level of care was recommended in 26 cases (16%). A simple web-based telemedicine system combined with email alerts is feasible in remote locations in Tanzania, even where fast Internet connections are not available. Copyright © 2012 by the Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd

Introducing guidelines into clinical practice.

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Fowkes, F G; Roberts, C J

1984-04-01

The impetus for guidelines of practice has been accelerated by a worldwide trend towards insurance based systems of health care. In the past it has been the tradition for the clinician to order all the diagnostic procedures that conceivably might help to clarify what is wrong with a patient, or what course of treatment should be followed. This traditional view ignores the stubborn economic reality that resources are finite and that it is no longer possible to be both endlessly generous and continually fair. Making judgements about the need for, and value of, services now forms an important part of coping with this problem. Clinical practice has to strive to be as safe as possible and to produce a given benefit at a socially acceptable cost. Guidelines are recommendations, preferably developed by clinicians themselves, which describe how and when individual clinical activities should be offered in order to achieve these objectives. Utilisation review of current practice is a valuable source of information for the development of guidelines. In the United Kingdom the Royal College of Radiologists attempted to do this in connection with the use of pre-operative chest X-rays. In 1979 they published the findings of a multicentre review of 10,619 consecutive cases of elective non-cardiopulmonary surgery undertaken in 8 centres throughout the United Kingdom. Substantial variations were found in national practice. Use of pre-operative chest X-rays varied from 11.5% of patients in one centre to 54.2% of patients in another centre. The study also found that the chest X-ray report did not seem to have much influence on the decision to operate nor on the decision to use inhalation anaesthesia. The College study failed to find "any evidence at all for the effectiveness of pre-operative chest X-ray when used routinely" and it was estimated that even if the procedure was 10% effective the costs of avoiding one death would be approximately 1 million pounds. These findings provided

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... The Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice is the official publication of the Medical ... Its purpose is to promote clinical and academic excellence in Medicine and Dentistry and allied sciences.

Simulation in paediatric urology and surgery, part 2: An overview of simulation modalities and their applications.

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Nataraja, R M; Webb, N; Lopez, P J

2018-02-02

Surgical training has changed radically in the last few decades. The traditional Halstedian model of time-bound apprenticeship has been replaced with competency-based training. In our previous article, we presented an overview of learning theory relevant to clinical teaching; a summary for the busy paediatric surgeon and urologist. We introduced the concepts underpinning current changes in surgical education and training. In this next article, we give an overview of the various modalities of surgical simulation, the educational principles that underlie them, and potential applications in clinical practice. These modalities include; open surgical models and trainers, laparoscopic bench trainers, virtual reality trainers, simulated patients and role-play, hybrid simulation, scenario-based simulation, distributed simulation, virtual reality, and online simulation. Specific examples of technology that may be used for these modalities are included but this is not a comprehensive review of all available products. Copyright © 2018 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contemporary dental caries management concepts in paediatric dentistry: a survey of awareness and practice of a group of Gulf Cooperation Council Dentists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iyad Hussein

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Methodology: Paediatric Dentists (PDs and General Dental Practitioners (GDPs who treated children completed a questionnaire (N=150 covering: RCM choices; choice of PM; knowledge and practice of HT and acceptance of SDC in primary and permanent teeth. Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-Square test (p<0.05. Results: For RCM: 76% of those surveyed would remove non-pulpal caries in an asymptomatic lower D and restore with composite (33%, glass ionomer or conventional stainless steel crown (SSC (17.4%, amalgam (7.4% and zirconia (0.7%. The remaining 24% would seal caries (HT SSC. For PM: 40.7% chose Ferric Sulphate, followed by Formocresol (36.7%, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (14% and Calcium hydroxide (8.7%; For HT: 60.6% had knowledge of HT but 81.5% never used it. For SDC: sealing caries in primary & permanent teeth was rejected by 56.6% & 53.1% respectively. GDPs and PDs choices differed significantly with RCM, HT (knowledge and practice (p=0.007, 0.003 and 0.003 respectively. Conclusion: Overall the surveyed dentists practicing in the GCC disagreed on RCM, PM with reluctance to accept new concepts like the HT and SDC. PDs choices of RCM differed from GDPs, and their awareness of HT and practice of HT were more favourable.

Teleconsultation in paediatric orthopaedics in Djibouti: evaluation of response performance.

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Bertani, A; Launay, F; Candoni, P; Mathieu, L; Rongieras, F; Chauvin, F

2012-11-01

Djibouti has no paediatric orthopaedics department and three options are available for difficult cases: transfer of the patient to another country; overseas mission transfer to Djibouti by a specialised surgical team; and management by a local orthopaedic surgeon receiving guidance from an expert. The extreme poverty of part of the population of Djibouti often precludes the first two options. Telemedecine can allow the local orthopaedic surgeon to receive expert advice. HYPOTHESES AND STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively recorded all the paediatric orthopaedics teleconsultations that occurred between November 2009 and November 2011. Our objective was to assess the performance of the teleconsultations. We hypothetized that this option was influential in decision making. We assessed the influence of the teleconsultation on patient management (i.e., change in the surgical indication and/or procedure). We then used the electronic patient records to compare the actual management to that recommended retrospectively by two independent orthopaedic surgeon consultants who had experience working overseas. Finally, we assessed the clinical outcomes in the patients. Of 48 teleconsultations for 39 patients, 13 dealt with diagnostic problems and 35 with therapeutic problems. The teleconsultation resolved the diagnostic uncertainties in 90% of cases. Advice from the expert modified the management in 37 (77%) teleconsultations; the change was related to the surgical indication in 18 cases, the surgical technique in 13 cases, and both in six cases. Agreement between the advice from the independent consultants and the treatment delivered by the local surgeon was 2.2/3. Clinical outcomes were good or very good in 31 (81%) of the 38 treated patients. This study establishes the feasibility and usefulness of paediatric orthopaedics teleconsultations in Djibouti. The introduction of telemedicine has changed our approach to challenges raised by patients in remote locations or precarious

Factors affecting Korean nursing student empowerment in clinical practice.

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Ahn, Yang-Heui; Choi, Jihea

2015-12-01

Understanding the phenomenon of nursing student empowerment in clinical practice is important. Investigating the cognition of empowerment and identifying predictors are necessary to enhance nursing student empowerment in clinical practice. To identify empowerment predictors for Korean nursing students in clinical practice based on studies by Bradbury-Jones et al. and Spreitzer. A cross-sectional design was used for this study. This study was performed in three nursing colleges in Korea, all of which had similar baccalaureate nursing curricula. Three hundred seven junior or senior nursing students completed a survey designed to measure factors that were hypothesized to influence nursing student empowerment in clinical practice. Data were collected from November to December 2011. Study variables included self-esteem, clinical decision making, being valued as a learner, satisfaction regarding practice with a team member, perception on professor/instructor/clinical preceptor attitude, and total number of clinical practice fields. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analyses. All of the hypothesized study variables were significantly correlated to nursing student empowerment. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that clinical decision making in nursing (t=7.59, pempowerment in clinical practice will be possible by using educational strategies to improve nursing student clinical decision making. Simultaneously, attitudes of nurse educators are also important to ensure that nursing students are treated as valued learners and to increase student self-esteem in clinical practice. Finally, diverse clinical practice field environments should be considered to enhance experience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conflict escalation in paediatric services: findings from a qualitative study.

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Forbat, Liz; Teuten, Bea; Barclay, Sarah

2015-08-01

To explore clinician and family experiences of conflict in paediatric services, in order to map the trajectory of conflict escalation. Qualitative interview study, employing extreme-case sampling. Interviews were analysed using an iterative thematic approach to identify common themes regarding the experience and escalation of conflict. Thirty-eight health professionals and eight parents. All participants had direct experience of conflict, including physical assault and court proceedings, at the interface of acute and palliative care. Two teaching hospitals, one district general hospital and two paediatric hospices in England, in 2011. Conflicts escalate in a predictable manner. Clearly identifiable behaviours by both clinicians and parents are defined as mild, moderate and severe. Mild describes features like the insensitive use of language and a history of unresolved conflict. Moderate involves a deterioration of trust, and a breakdown of communication and relationships. Severe marks disintegration of working relationships, characterised by behavioural changes including aggression, and a shift in focus from the child's best interests to the conflict itself. Though conflicts may remain at one level, those which escalated tended to move sequentially from one level to the next. Understanding how conflicts escalate provides clinicians with a practical, evidence-based framework to identify the warning signs of conflict in paediatrics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Smartphone applications in paediatric radiology: availability and authority

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelmerdine, Susan C.; Lynch, Jeremy O.

2015-01-01

With the widespread ownership of smartphones, many health care professionals question the degree to which medically related smartphone applications are reliable. To assess the variety of smartphone applications relating to paediatric radiology and the presence of health care professional involvement in their development. As a secondary objective, we explore whether there are gaps within the paediatric radiology app market. The most popular smartphone marketplaces (Apple iTunes App Store, Blackberry Mobile Market, Google Play Android Market, Nokia Ovi, Samsung and Microsoft Windows Marketplace) were searched for terms relating to paediatric radiology. Cost, review ratings, number of downloads, health care involvement and target audience were recorded. Nine paediatric radiology applications were found in the Apple iTunes App Store and nine in the Google Play Android Market. The target audiences for all applications were health care professionals. None were available for patients or their caregivers. All applications were reported to have medical expertise in their development. All paediatric radiology applications were developed with the aid of a health care professional. Due to the small number available online, there is a potential gap in the marketplace for further applications in this field, possibly aimed at patients and their families. (orig.)

Smartphone applications in paediatric radiology: availability and authority

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shelmerdine, Susan C. [Great Ormond Street Hospital, Specialist Registrar in Clinical Radiology, Department of Clinical Radiology, London (United Kingdom); Lynch, Jeremy O. [Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Specialist Registrar in Clinical Radiology, Department of Clinical Radiology, London (United Kingdom)

2015-08-15

With the widespread ownership of smartphones, many health care professionals question the degree to which medically related smartphone applications are reliable. To assess the variety of smartphone applications relating to paediatric radiology and the presence of health care professional involvement in their development. As a secondary objective, we explore whether there are gaps within the paediatric radiology app market. The most popular smartphone marketplaces (Apple iTunes App Store, Blackberry Mobile Market, Google Play Android Market, Nokia Ovi, Samsung and Microsoft Windows Marketplace) were searched for terms relating to paediatric radiology. Cost, review ratings, number of downloads, health care involvement and target audience were recorded. Nine paediatric radiology applications were found in the Apple iTunes App Store and nine in the Google Play Android Market. The target audiences for all applications were health care professionals. None were available for patients or their caregivers. All applications were reported to have medical expertise in their development. All paediatric radiology applications were developed with the aid of a health care professional. Due to the small number available online, there is a potential gap in the marketplace for further applications in this field, possibly aimed at patients and their families. (orig.)

High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy can be used safely in the general paediatric ward using Paediatric Early Warning Scores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morsing, IE; Tinnevelt, Marcel; Jansen, Nicolaas J.G.; Koomen, E

2015-01-01

High Flow Nasal Cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) is nowadays widely used at paediatric intensive care units (PICU) to provide a safe and comfortable (warm and humidified) oxygen delivery in children with respiratory distress. At general paediatric wards HFNC is hardly used because intensive observation

Paediatric nurses' perception of the child-family dyad's autonomy in managing a chronic disease situation: the experience of an Italian paediatric department.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagnasco, A; Petralia, P; Furnari, S; Ghio, S; Calza, S; Sasso, L

2013-06-01

Chronically ill patients have to take several medications and non-adherence to treatment can lead to severe and negative outcomes. Therefore, several interventions are suggested in literature to improve adherence rates in clinical practice. Adherence to treatment can be particularly troublesome in adolescents, who strive for autonomy and self-care independence. Literature suggests that improving adherence is useful to guarantee positive outcomes and reduce costs. To explore how nurses perceived autonomy in parents, adolescents, and children related to the management of chronic disease. A qualitative study including 1 focus group and 7 semi-structured interviews conducted between September 2011 and October 2011. The qualitative date were analysed with the thematic analysis method. The sample included 12 paediatric nurses working in a Children's Cystic Fibrosis Unit and Neuromuscular Disease Unit. The 5 main categories that emerged from this qualitative study after he process of categorization were: 'Changes in daily lifestyle', 'Nurses' attitude towards educating the dyad', 'Adolescence and transition', 'Parents' attitudes towards chronic disease', and 'Availability of information'. Correct information and education is crucial for families who have a chronically ill child. Internet can be a misleading source of information and provide wrong information also in relation to prevention.

Refractory septic shock in children: a European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, Luc; Ray, Samiran; Wilson, Clare; Remy, Solenn; Benissa, Mohamed Rida; Jansen, Nicolaas J G; Javouhey, Etienne; Peters, Mark J; Kneyber, Martin; De Luca, Daniele; Nadel, Simon; Schlapbach, Luregn Jan; Maclaren, Graeme; Tissieres, Pierre

2016-12-01

Although overall paediatric septic shock mortality is decreasing, refractory septic shock (RSS) is still associated with high mortality. A definition for RSS is urgently needed to facilitate earlier identification and treatment. We aim to establish a European society of paediatric and neonatal intensive care (ESPNIC) experts' definition of paediatric RSS. We conducted a two-round Delphi study followed by an observational multicentre retrospective study. One hundred and fourteen paediatric intensivists answered a clinical case-based, two-round Delphi survey, identifying clinical items consistent with RSS. Multivariate analysis of these items in a development single-centre cohort (70 patients, 30 % mortality) facilitated development of RSS definitions based on either a bedside or computed severity score. Both scores were subsequently tested in a validation cohort (six centres, 424 patients, 11.6 % mortality). From the Delphi process, the draft definition included evidence of myocardial dysfunction and high blood lactate levels despite high vasopressor treatment. When assessed in the development population, each item was independently associated with the need for extracorporeal life support (ECLS) or death. Resultant bedside and computed septic shock scores had high discriminative power against the need for ECLS or death, with areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.920 (95 % CI 0.89-0.94), and 0.956 (95 % CI 0.93-0.97), respectively. RSS defined by a bedside score equal to or higher than 2 and a computed score equal to or higher than 3.5 was associated with a significant increase in mortality. This ESPNIC definition of RSS accurately identifies children with the most severe form of septic shock.

Barriers to and facilitators of implementing shared decision making and decision support in a paediatric hospital: A descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Boland, Laura; McIsaac, Daniel I; Lawson, Margaret L

2016-04-01

To explore multiple stakeholders' perceived barriers to and facilitators of implementing shared decision making and decision support in a tertiary paediatric hospital. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and interviews to examine senior hospital administrators', clinicians', parents' and youths' perceived barriers to and facilitators of shared decision making and decision support implementation. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Fifty-seven stakeholders participated. Six barrier and facilitator themes emerged. The main barrier was gaps in stakeholders' knowledge of shared decision making and decision support. Facilitators included compatibility between shared decision making and the hospital's culture and ideal practices, perceptions of positive patient and family outcomes associated with shared decision making, and positive attitudes regarding shared decision making and decision support. However, youth attitudes regarding the necessity and usefulness of a decision support program were a barrier. Two themes were both a barrier and a facilitator. First, stakeholder groups were uncertain which clinical situations are suitable for shared decision making (eg, new diagnoses, chronic illnesses, complex decisions or urgent decisions). Second, the clinical process may be hindered if shared decision making and decision support decrease efficiency and workflow; however, shared decision making may reduce repeat visits and save time over the long term. Specific knowledge translation strategies that improve shared decision making knowledge and match specific barriers identified by each stakeholder group may be required to promote successful shared decision making and decision support implementation in the authors' paediatric hospital.

'Kids need to talk too': inclusive practices for children's healthcare education and participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Koller, Donna

2017-09-01

To examine how children with chronic medical conditions view healthcare education and decision-making and to propose the application of the universal design for learning in paediatric settings. Children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions tend to be excluded from healthcare decision-making. In schools, the universal design for learning promotes access to education and participation in school communities for all children, regardless of their disabilities or medical needs, rendering it an appropriate model for children's participation in healthcare decision-making. This article presents findings from a qualitative study with 26 children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions about their views and experiences with healthcare education and decision-making. Twenty-six children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Findings provide evidence that clinical practices often fail to provide equal opportunities for paediatric patients to understand their condition, share their views and/or participate in decisions regarding their care. In response to ongoing concerns about paediatric decision-making, we propose that the universal design for learning be adapted in paediatrics. The model presents exemplary programmes as inclusive, accounting for the needs of all children through multiple means of engagement and expression. A discussion of how the principles of universal design for learning could be applied in paediatric settings is offered for the purpose of advancing ethical and psychosocial care for all children regardless of their age, developmental capacity or condition. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A paediatric X-ray exposure chart

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Knight, Stephen P, E-mail: stephen.knight@health.qld.gov.au [Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Children' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

2014-09-15

The aim of this review was to develop a radiographic optimisation strategy to make use of digital radiography (DR) and needle phosphor computerised radiography (CR) detectors, in order to lower radiation dose and improve image quality for paediatrics. This review was based on evidence-based practice, of which a component was a review of the relevant literature. The resulting exposure chart was developed with two distinct groups of exposure optimisation strategies – body exposures (for head, trunk, humerus, femur) and distal extremity exposures (elbow to finger, knee to toe). Exposure variables manipulated included kilovoltage peak (kVp), target detector exposure and milli-ampere-seconds (mAs), automatic exposure control (AEC), additional beam filtration, and use of antiscatter grid. Mean dose area product (DAP) reductions of up to 83% for anterior–posterior (AP)/posterior–anterior (PA) abdomen projections were recorded postoptimisation due to manipulation of multiple-exposure variables. For body exposures, the target EI and detector exposure, and thus the required mAs were typically 20% less postoptimisation. Image quality for some distal extremity exposures was improved by lowering kVp and increasing mAs around constant entrance skin dose. It is recommended that purchasing digital X-ray equipment with high detective quantum efficiency detectors, and then optimising the exposure chart for use with these detectors is of high importance for sites performing paediatric imaging. Multiple-exposure variables may need to be manipulated to achieve optimal outcomes.

Paediatric CT dose: a multicentre audit of subspecialty practice in Australia and New Zealand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, D.; Atkin, K.; Clark, J. [Monash Health, Diagnostic Imaging, Clayton, VIC (Australia); Bettenay, F. [Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia (Australia); Ditchfield, M.R. [Monash Health, Diagnostic Imaging, Clayton, VIC (Australia); Monash Children' s, Clayton, Victoria (Australia); Monash University, Clayton, Victoria (Australia); Grimm, J.E. [Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Linke, R. [Women' s and Children' s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Long, G. [Royal Children' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Onikul, E. [The Children' s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales (Australia); Pereira, J. [Sydney Children' s Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales (Australia); The University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales (Australia); Phillips, M. [Mater Children' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Wilson, F. [Starship Children' s Health, Auckland (New Zealand); Paul, E. [Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Clayton, Victoria (Australia); Goergen, S.K. [Monash Health, Diagnostic Imaging, Clayton, VIC (Australia); Monash University, Department of Surgery, Southern Clinical School, Clayton, Victoria (Australia)

2015-11-15

To evaluate paediatric CT dosimetry in Australia and New Zealand and calculate size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) for chest and abdominal examinations. Eight hospitals provided data from 12 CT systems for 1462 CTs in children aged 0-15. Imaging data were recorded for eight examinations: head (trauma, shunt), temporal bone, paranasal sinuses, chest (mass) and chest HRCT (high-resolution CT), and abdomen/pelvis (mass/inflammation). Dose data for cranial examinations were categorised by age and SSDEs by lateral dimension. Diagnostic reference ranges (DRRs) were defined by the 25th and 75th percentiles. Centralised image quality assessment was not undertaken. DRRs for 201 abdominopelvic SSDEs were: 2.8-4.7, 3.6-11.5, 8.5-15.0, 7.6-15, and 10.6-16.2 for the <15 cm, 15-19 cm, 20-24 cm, 25-29 cm and >30 cm groups, respectively. For 147 chest examinations using these body width categories, SSDE DRRs were 2.0-4.4, 3.3-7.9, 4.0-9.4, 4.5-12, and 6.5-12. Kilovoltage peak (kVp), but not AEC or IR, was associated with SSDE (parameter estimate [standard error]: 0.12 (0.03); p < 0.0001). Australian and New Zealand paediatric CT DRRs and abdominal SSDEs are comparable to international data. SSDEs for chest examinations are proposed. Dose variations could be reduced by adjusting kVp. (orig.)

Pharmacogenetics in the oncological clinical practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruber, S.

2004-01-01

The genetic control of drug metabolism allows new insights into the bioavailability, toxicity, and efficacy of chemotherapy. In addition, molecular expression profiles of tumors offers the potential for targeted therapy to be directed more specifically to the biologic behavior of the cancer. Together these strategies are likely to change the practice of clinical oncology. However, appropriate clinical trials will be required to demonstrate the utility of these approaches before they are broadly implemented the biologic behavior of the cancer. Together these strategies are likely to change the practice of clinical oncology. However, appropriate clinical trials will be required to demonstrate the utility of these approaches before they are broadly implemented

The paediatric surgeon and his working conditions in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Gnassingbé

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study described the current conditions of work of paediatric surgeons in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa (FSSA and set the debate at the level of the humanist thinking in medicine. Patients and Methods: This was a multicentre study from 1 st May to 30 th October 2008. The African Society of paediatric surgeons′ directory was used to identify paediatric surgeons in the Francophone′s countries in Sub Saharan Africa. The parameters studied were number of surgeons per country, means of training, working conditions, remunerations, needs for continuous training and the research. Results: A total of 41 paediatric surgeons (68.33% responded. The average number of paediatric surgeons per country was 5. The means of training included government scholarships among 7 paediatric surgeons (17.07%, scholarship from a non-governmental organisations in 14 (34.15% and self-sponsorships in 20 (48.78%. The average salary was 450 Euros (€ (range: 120-1 400 Euros. Most of the paediatric surgeons (68.29% had internet services for continuous update courses and research. Thirty six paediatric surgeons (87.80% had no subscription to specialised scientific journals. Conclusion: The paediatric surgeon in FSSA faces many problems related to his working and living conditions that may have a negative impact on their competences.

Communities of clinical practice: the social organization of clinical learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Tony; Jaye, Chrystal

2009-01-01

The social organization of clinical learning is under-theorized in the sociological literature on the social organization of health care. Professional scopes of practice and jurisdictions are formally defined by professional principles and standards and reflected in legislation; however, these are mediated through the day-to-day clinical activities of social groupings of clinical teams. The activities of health service providers typically occur within communities of clinical practice. These are also major sites for clinical curriculum delivery, where clinical students learn not only clinical skills but also how to be health professionals. In this article, we apply Wenger's model of social learning within organizations to curriculum delivery within a health service setting. Here, social participation is the basis of learning. We suggest that it offers a powerful framework for recognizing and explaining paradox and incongruence in clinical teaching and learning, and also for recognizing opportunities, and devising means, to add value to students' learning experiences.