Using an anesthesia block such as erector spinae plane block in some pediatric cardiac surgeries has allowed us to quicken patient recovery, shorten stays in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) and extubate sooner. By blocking the afferent neuronal impulses in surgeries involving a midline sternotomy, erector spinae plane blocks reduce the body’s sensation of…
Babies born with complex congenital heart disease often can have associated issues such as extreme prematurity, low birth weight, abnormal genes and significant congenital disorders other than the heart. These associated issues can significantly increase the risk of their heart surgery. An example is a baby who recently received care at Norton Children’s Hospital. He…
Adam M. Skaff, M.D., has joined Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as a pediatric cardiologist. Dr. Skaff completed his initial medical training at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. His residency in pediatrics was completed at the University of Virginia. Dr. Skaff completed fellowship training in pediatric cardiology…
Care provided by Norton Children’s Pulmonology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, helped Norton Children’s Hospital earn the No. 38 U.S. News & World Report ranking for pulmonology and lung surgery in 2022, aided in part by low pediatric asthma readmission rates. The program has expanded its testing for asthma to help lower readmission…
Clinical trials and studies, which are essential to the development of new drugs and treatments, need to be conducted under strict ethical, clinical and investigational structures. The most common are investigational trials with new medications or new devices. There are also studies involving outcome measurements and those looking at how people most effectively manage disease….
Young people ages 15 to 24 account for at least half of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, despite only making up around 25% of the population, with higher numbers of infections reported among adolescents since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV are increasing among…
This is a condensed version of “One Family’s Clinical Odyssey From Evolving Phenotypic and Genotypic Knowledge of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia and Long QT Syndrome,” which is open access and available to read in full here. Life-threatening arrhythmias in apparently healthy individuals can be due to diverse heritable cardiac channelopathies. Ongoing advances revealing the underlying…
Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain combined with machine learning could provide a fast and objective alternative to traditional methods of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a recently published study. Currently, the gold standard for an autism diagnosis is a set of diagnostic evaluations, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation…
Michele N. Bresler, D.O. Pediatric Emergency Medicine Sarah Grout, M.D. Neonatology Jessica D. Hatfield, APRN Pediatric Neurology William David Lohr, M.D. Pediatric Behavioral Medicine Adrian R. O’Hagan, M.D. Pediatric Pulmonology Kristin E. Maguino, APRN Pediatric Gastroenterology Kacy Metzner, APRN Pediatrics Naomi C. Warnick, M.D. Pediatric Emergency Medicine
An imperforate hymen is a vaginal abnormality that may be discovered at birth or later during puberty. It is the most common type of vaginal blockage that eventually requires a corrective surgical procedure, which is usually deferred until puberty. Newborn patients When an imperforate hymen is found in a neonate, it is important to assess…
Diagnosing eating disorders can be challenging because telltale behaviors typically are hidden, even from those closest to the patient, according to Andrea L. Krause, M.D., who heads the team involved with the medical stabilization of eating disorder patients at Norton Children’s Hospital. Eating disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)…
A new intraoperative technique during complex congenital heart surgeries allows us to map the location of conduction tissue. This is important, because damage to the tissue during surgery can result in a condition called heart block, where the heart does not revert to its preoperative rhythm. Children with heart block may require pacemakers for the…