Major study of opiate use in children’s hospitals provides simple steps to alleviate harm
Hospitalized kids with painful ailments from broken bones to cancer are often dosed with strong, painkilling drugs known as opiates. The medications block pain, but they can have nasty side effects. Constipation, for instance, is one side effect that can cause discomfort and even extend a child’s hospital stay.
“No parent wants their child in the hospital any longer than necessary,” said Paul Sharek, MD, MPH, medical director for quality management and chief clinical patient safety officer at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Sharek is the primary author of a new study, detailing the first large multicenter trial in children to show a decrease in harm from pain medications. It shows how simple changes to hospital procedures can sharply reduce the harm children suffer from opiates. The study, a yearlong collaboration between 14 U.S. children’s hospitals, documented a 67 percent drop in harmful events caused by the pain relievers when these procedures were implemented.
“Our collaborative aim was to decrease adverse drug event rates by 50 percent,” Sharek said. “We far exceeded that, which was very exciting.”
Parents foster significant misperceptions of children’s weight
Results of a survey presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adulthood obesity. Obesity in the United States is often accompanied by an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases and has emerged as a major health concern, particularly the issue of obesity among children and adolescents.
Researcher Rona L. Levy, Ph.D. and her colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Minnesota measured parental perceptions of their children’s current weight and perceived risk for developing obesity as an adult.
Forty-six parents of children ages 5 to 9 with a body mass index (BMI) in the 70th percentile or higher were recruited for the study. Child height and weight were measured during a routine pediatric clinic visit. Parents were mailed a series of questionnaires, which included questions on their perception of their child’s current weight, and whether they perceived that their child was at risk for developing obesity as an adult.
Neurotransmitter defect may trigger autoimmune disease
A potentially blinding neurological disorder, often confused with multiple sclerosis (MS), has now become a little less mysterious. A new study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, may have uncovered the cause of Devic’s disease. Their new study, which will appear online on October 6th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, could result in new treatment options for this devastating disease.
Devic’s disease, also known as neuromyelitis optica (NMO), results in MS-like demyelinating lesions along the optic nerves and spine. Affected individuals often experience rapid visual loss, paralysis, and loss of leg, bladder, and bowel sensation. Some lose their sight permanently. Unlike MS, Devic’s disease can be diagnosed by the presence of a specific self-attacking immune protein—an autoantibody referred to as NMO-IgG—in the blood. Until now, however, clinicians didn’t know how that protein damaged nerves and contributed to disease symptoms.
Air pollution may increase risk of appendicitis
Could there be a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of appendicitis? New research presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando, suggests a novel connection.
“Adult onset appendicitis is a common condition whose cause is unclear and almost universally requires surgery,” explained Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan of the University of Calgary.
Dr. Kaplan and his colleagues identified more than 5,000 adults who were hospitalized for appendicitis in Calgary between 1999 and 2006. The team used data from Environment Canada’s National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) monitors that collect hourly levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter of varying sizes. Regression analysis was used to evaluate whether short-term daily changes in air pollution levels were related to the development of appendicitis.
Vitamin D deficiency common in patients with IBD, chronic liver disease
New research presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando found patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease were at increased risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies. Two separate studies highlight the importance of regular Vitamin D checkups in the evaluation of patients with certain digestive diseases.
For IBD Patients, Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with Lower Quality of Life and Higher Disease Activity
Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin investigated whether Vitamin D deficiency in patients with IBD is associated with a lower quality of life or higher disease activity independent of other known risk factors and medication use.
