Journal of child neurology
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Neurologists have professional, ethical, and social obligations to ensure that expert witness testimony is reliable, objective, and truthful. In the past, an absence of professional regulatory oversight combined with immunity from civil litigation allowed the partisan expert to flourish. ⋯ The expert witness unquestionably faces an increasingly perilous liability climate, and must be cognizant of the legal rules and procedures. The authors provide guidelines with risk management strategies for the neurologist serving as an expert witness.
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We surveyed child neurologists first certified in "Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology" by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) between 2001 and 2010 using a 24-item questionnaire. Respondents (n = 204, 54% response rate) were between the ages of 30 and 59 years (54% male), and 68% completed adult neurology training in a 10- to 12-month, primarily inpatient block. ⋯ Current practice data showed just 3% provide general neurology services to adults. A majority reported using adult neurology residency training "less than weekly" and believed the ideal model for residency training in diagnosis and management of both common and rare neurologic conditions would involve less time in adult neurology and more time (mean 6 months) in child neurology, most prominently in genetics and developmental and behavioral areas.
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Hyperekplexia is a rare inherited neurologic disorder that is characterized by hypertonia and an exaggerated startle response to sudden external stimuli. Until now, 5 genes are known to be associated with hyperekplexia: GLRA1, SLC6A5, GLRB, GPHN, and ARHGEF9. In this report, we performed a clinical and genetic analysis of 4 Korean children with hyperekplexia. ⋯ R299X), in patient 2. The other 2 familial cases, patients 3 and 4, exhibited startle responses, which appeared at the age of 1 year, and had global developmental delay. Those patients showed negative results for the 5 genes.
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We developed a comprehensive set of quality-of-care indicators for the management of children with infantile spasms in the United States, encompassing evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and management of side effects and comorbidities. The indicators were developed using the RAND/UCLA Modified Delphi Method. ⋯ The panel recommended 21 indicators, of which 8 were identified as most likely to have a large positive impact on improving quality of life and/or health outcomes for children with infantile spasms. The proposed indicators can be used to assess and document variations and gaps in quality-of-care and inform future research and quality improvement interventions.
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Recent studies and consensus statements have expressed the need to involve palliative care services in the care of children with progressive neuromuscular diseases (PMD), yet there have been no reviews of the utilization of palliative care services by children who died on a palliative care program. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all children who had a PMD who died on a single-center palliative care program. Twenty cases were identified. ⋯ Prominent symptoms in the last 24 hours of life included respiratory distress, pain, nausea/vomiting, and anxiety; however, symptom management was very good. Utilization of services differed depending on the disease trajectory, with respite playing a critical role in the care of children with PMD. Good symptom management can be achieved.