Monthly Archives :

June 2020

Collaborative Study Seeks to Understand Gene Expression Changes During Acute Events in Patients With SCD
Collaborative Study Seeks to Understand Gene Expression Changes During Acute Events in Patients With SCD 1024 575 Natalie Wilson

Researchers explore gene responses among SCD patients hospitalized for acute complications to inform understandings of the under-studied disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic, genetic disorder characterized by structural changes in circulating red blood cells. According to the CDC, SCD affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States alone and accounts for 3,000 births…

Improving the Care and Management of Urinary Tract Infections Through Collaboration
Improving the Care and Management of Urinary Tract Infections Through Collaboration 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

The Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance (UTIGA) is a new professional society that is dedicated to combatting the many challenges in UTI management and care through collaboration. With nearly 150 million people affected by urinary tract infections (UTIs) annually across the globe, UTIs are a major health problem. Both the term ‘UTI’ and the infection’s…

Privacy for the Vulnerable: Confidentiality in Adolescent Care
Privacy for the Vulnerable: Confidentiality in Adolescent Care 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Confidentiality plays a critical role in adolescent care, yet can be difficult for providers to implement because of legal complexities and other challenges. Confidentiality is a critical component of adolescent medical care. As adolescents transition into adulthood, the opportunity to spend time alone with a health care provider fosters independence in discussing health issues, making…

Exploring the Link Between Cystic Fibrosis and Celiac Disease
Exploring the Link Between Cystic Fibrosis and Celiac Disease 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Overlapping symptoms can cause delayed diagnosis of celiac disease in patients with cystic fibrosis. Physician scientists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have recently identified three cases of patients with cystic fibrosis, all of whom had the same genotype, were treated with the CFTR modulator, ivacaftor, and were diagnosed with celiac disease. This adds to a novel body…

Technical Aspects of Fetal Aortic Valvuloplasty Predict Success of the Procedure
Technical Aspects of Fetal Aortic Valvuloplasty Predict Success of the Procedure 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Fetus in utero receiving valvuloplasty

The procedure is often successful but comes with significant risks to fetal health and life. Fetal aortic valvuloplasty (FAV) is a procedure performed mid-gestation in a subset of fetuses with aortic stenosis who would likely develop hypoplastic left heart syndrome with no intervention. Although often successful, it is a high-risk procedure that is associated with…

Encouraging First Report of Systemic Delivery of Micro-dystrophin Gene Therapy in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Encouraging First Report of Systemic Delivery of Micro-dystrophin Gene Therapy in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 150 150 Abbie Miller

One-year data from the first four patients to receive a single dose of the rAAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-dystrophin gene therapy is published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital have published in JAMA Neurology results from the first four patients treated in the first clinical trial of systemic delivery of micro-dystrophin gene therapy in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy…

The Autism Treatment Network Reflects on a Decade of Work
The Autism Treatment Network Reflects on a Decade of Work 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Members point to family involvement as key to the network’s success. The Autism Treatment Network (ATN) started in 2005 as a group of clinical investigators with the goal of improving understanding of the medical aspects of autism spectrum disorders. The network expanded in 2008 to become the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P).…

Distal Radius Physeal Bar and Ulnar Overgrowth: Indications for Treatment
Distal Radius Physeal Bar and Ulnar Overgrowth: Indications for Treatment 1024 575 Julie Samora, MD, PhD
Julie Samora, MD

Distal radius fractures are among the most common fractures in pediatrics. Although most heal without complication, some result in partial or complete physeal arrest. Risk factors for distal radius growth arrest include physeal fractures, ischemia, infection, radiation, tumor, blood dyscrasias, burns, frostbite and repetitive stress.  The distal radius physis is responsible for 75% of the…

Using Metrics to Improve the Delivery of Optimal Diabetes Care for Children With Type 1 Diabetes
Using Metrics to Improve the Delivery of Optimal Diabetes Care for Children With Type 1 Diabetes 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

The Type 1 Diabetes Care Index is a new metric that tracks the delivery of diabetes care, with the goal to reach zero missed opportunities to deliver quality care. The complexity and chronicity of pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) necessitate a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to effectively deliver the optimal standards of diabetes care, as outlined…

Comparing Treatments for Intractable Functional Constipation
Comparing Treatments for Intractable Functional Constipation 1024 680 Mary Bates, PhD
Close up color photo of little boy holding hands on his belly

Two procedures are both successful but have different effects on specific symptoms. Constipation is a common problem in children. While a majority of kids respond to traditional treatments, including behavioral interventions and laxatives, a sizable number continue to have problems with intractable constipation that can lead to fecal incontinence. For these children, treatment options include…

Emotion Regulation and Family History: Examining the Intersection of Two Risk Factors for Suicidal Behavior
Emotion Regulation and Family History: Examining the Intersection of Two Risk Factors for Suicidal Behavior 1024 575 Test Author

First pilot study exclusively focused on early vulnerabilities in youth with maternal history of suicidal behavior sets the foundation for future research. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for persons ages 10-24. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth suicide rates have nearly tripled from 2007 to 2017.…

Eosinophilic Pneumonia Brought on by Vaping
Eosinophilic Pneumonia Brought on by Vaping 1024 680 Mary Bates, PhD

A case study emphasizes the importance of a detailed history in differentiating between eosinophilic and infectious pneumonia. Eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. It is often seen in previously healthy individuals and can be difficult to distinguish from infectious pneumonia, leading to delays in the appropriate treatment. According to a new case…

Preventing and Ameliorating Acute and Chronic Kidney Damage After Chemotherapy
Preventing and Ameliorating Acute and Chronic Kidney Damage After Chemotherapy 720 480 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Research looking at mitochondrial targets in kidney health holds promise for cisplatin-induced kidney injury. Recent work exploring the mitochrondrial metabolism in the kidneys following exposure to cisplatin, a common chemotherapy, has revealed a key role of superoxide (O2•-, an indicator of oxidative stress in renal cells associated with cell damage and death) in both acute…

Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers: Advancing Options for Children and Young Adults
Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers: Advancing Options for Children and Young Adults 1024 683 Abbie Miller

Most cancer treatments are first discovered, developed and approved for adult patients. But translating those therapies to pediatric and young adult patients with cancers can be more of a winding path than a superhighway. At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplant is dedicated to participating in and supporting clinical…

Hemophilia Gene Therapy Trials Aim to Reduce Patient Burden
Hemophilia Gene Therapy Trials Aim to Reduce Patient Burden 1024 495 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
blood cells

Clinical trials using gene therapy to boost the body’s production of clotting factor aim to remove the need for regular infusions — ideally giving patients years or even decades free from daily worry about their condition. Unlike most pediatric treatment centers, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of only a few dozen sites worldwide selected to…

Taking Research to the Public Library: Learning From One Initiative to Increase Health Literacy
Taking Research to the Public Library: Learning From One Initiative to Increase Health Literacy 1024 683 Adrianna Matos-Nieves

Researchers from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, visited the Columbus Metropolitan Library with the goal to improve health literacy in the Parsons community. During the summer of 2019, when outings and gathering were still allowed, I received an outreach request from the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML). It turns out the library…

Study of Children With COVID-19 Admitted to US and Canadian Pediatric Intensive Care Units
Study of Children With COVID-19 Admitted to US and Canadian Pediatric Intensive Care Units 1024 683 Abbie Miller

Publication examines the characteristics and outcomes of children with COVID-19 who were admitted to North American PICUs. While two studies from Wuhan, China, have indicated that COVID-19 disease burden and severity seems to be lower in children, it remains to be seen how children around the world will fare as the pandemic progresses. In March…