The PDA Conundrum
The PDA Conundrum 150 150 Jeb Phillips

A patent ductus arteriosus is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but common treatments are associated with poor outcomes as well. What is a neonatologist to do? Until the mid-2000s, most neonatologists were pretty sure they knew how to handle a patent ductus arteriosus…

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Colorful illustration of gene therapy in action
Can Gene Therapy Treat Dominantly Inherited Disorders?
Can Gene Therapy Treat Dominantly Inherited Disorders? 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Recent applications of adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene therapy have focused mainly on correcting recessively inherited diseases. But what about dominantly inherited disorders? It looks like AAV could be a delivery mechanism for treating those genetic disorders, too. Most applications of AAV-mediated gene therapy…

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Rajeswari Swaminathan smiling and posing for photo in front of windows
Accessing Genomic Data for Research and Clinical Diagnostics – Meeting the Challenge
Accessing Genomic Data for Research and Clinical Diagnostics – Meeting the Challenge 1024 575 Rajeswari Swaminathan, MS

What good is genomic data if it can’t be shared efficiently? The genesis of DNA sequencing technology in the 1970s was a turning point in science, giving birth to a modern era in biology. Further, with the unfolding of the relationship between nucleic acid…

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Colorful illustration of gene therapy in action
FDA APPROVAL: Gene Therapy Comes of Age
FDA APPROVAL: Gene Therapy Comes of Age 1024 575 Abbie Miller

UPDATED: May 2019 On May 24, 2019, the FDA approved Zolgensma (formerly AVXS-101), a first-of-its-kind gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. In the 13 months that have passed since this article first posted, the long-term outcomes of gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)…

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Is Whole Exome Sequencing the Future of Kidney Stone Management?
Is Whole Exome Sequencing the Future of Kidney Stone Management? 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

The first use of whole exome sequencing for monogenic causes of kidney stone disease reveals the diagnostic tool is ripe for clinical application. In the first-ever study of whole exome sequencing for early-onset kidney stone disease, an international team of researchers led by clinician-scientists…

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Weaving an Antimicrobial Safety Net
Weaving an Antimicrobial Safety Net 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Stewards thread together monitoring programs and new protocols while trimming unwarranted tests and diagnostic speed. This story also appeared in the Spring/Summer 2018 print issue. Download a PDF of the print issue. Studies estimate that 30 to 50 percent of antimicrobials prescribed in hospitals and…

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Black and white photo of infant crying in hospital
Reevaluate the Evaluation of Febrile Infants?
Reevaluate the Evaluation of Febrile Infants? 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

For decades, complete blood cell counts have been the go-to way to identify babies at high risk for serious bacterial infections. But recent research shows the popular lab test isn’t as useful as everyone thought. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) has…

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A Heart in Three Dimensions
A Heart in Three Dimensions 1024 575 Abbie Miller

The 3D Printing Lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive patient-specific treatment planning and device development services from a pediatric perspective. The tiny heart pictured above is just one of the many 3D printed models created by the 3D Printing Team at Nationwide Children’s.…

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Can We Prevent Future Language Delays in the NICU?
Can We Prevent Future Language Delays in the NICU? 150 150 Abbie Miller

Researchers investigate the use of event related potentials to measure the effects of mother’s voice exposure on speech sound differentiation. Preterm infants are at high risk for neurosensory impairments and developmental delays, including hearing loss, which may have lasting consequences. Compared to babies born…

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The National Mortality Rate for the Comprehensive Stage 2 Procedure
The National Mortality Rate for the Comprehensive Stage 2 Procedure 1024 575 Jeb Phillips

A substantial overall U.S. rate, in contrast to the low rates reported by a few single centers such as Nationwide Children’s, shows room for improvement in handling the hybrid approach for left ventricular physiology. Most published outcomes data on the pediatric Comprehensive Stage 2…

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Photo of leukemia cells under microscope
What Happens When Cancer Remission Is in Question?
What Happens When Cancer Remission Is in Question? 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD

A new study looks at outcomes for children with leukemia when two tests of remission disagree. In both clinical practice and clinical trials, remission in leukemia is determined by morphological assessment — a person counting cancer cells in a bone marrow sample under a…

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Quality Improvement Boosts Use of Enteral Therapy in Patients With Crohn’s Disease
Quality Improvement Boosts Use of Enteral Therapy in Patients With Crohn’s Disease 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood

Refined procedures, tools and support promote this proven alternative to steroids. A team of researchers found that employing quality-improvement methods increased use of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) to induce remission in children with Crohn’s disease at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. By increasing awareness of the…

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Illustration of a blood bag
Solving the Puzzle of Transfusion-Related Immune Reactions
Solving the Puzzle of Transfusion-Related Immune Reactions 576 367 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Now that physicians have the “how” of blood transfusions mastered, they are starting to explore the “what” — and they’re learning that the effects of sharing human blood may be even more far-reaching and complex than previously imagined. With the initial safety challenges addressed…

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Growing Tissue to Help Children With Short Bowel Syndrome
Growing Tissue to Help Children With Short Bowel Syndrome 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood

Research using a small animal model shows that it matters where in the body the cultured intestine is grown. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are hoping to use short bowel syndrome patients’ own cells to grow extra tissue needed for their small intestine to…

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Color close up image of young baby girl looking at hanging toys
Small Trial of Omega Fatty Acid Supplementation in Toddlers Born Preterm Points to Possible Therapeutic Intervention
Small Trial of Omega Fatty Acid Supplementation in Toddlers Born Preterm Points to Possible Therapeutic Intervention 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Researchers show that supplementation of omega fatty acids may improve symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder in toddlers who were born very preterm. Researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital have shown that omega fatty acid supplements may improve autism spectrum disorder symptoms in toddlers who were born…

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A Better Non-Invasive Method To Monitor Liver Disease in Short Bowel Syndrome?
A Better Non-Invasive Method To Monitor Liver Disease in Short Bowel Syndrome? 150 150 Jeb Phillips

A pilot study suggests that acoustic radiation force impulse elastography can help monitor liver disease in children with short bowel syndrome. Patients with intestinal failure (most frequently caused by short bowel syndrome) are at risk for developing liver disease due to multiple contributing factors,…

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Photo of equipment for premature infants
Somali-Born Women Have Lowest Preterm Birth Rate in Ohio
Somali-Born Women Have Lowest Preterm Birth Rate in Ohio 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood

Researchers hope the immigrants can teach them how to reduce the rates of prematurity in the general population. Year after year, studies have found that non-Hispanic white women have the lowest preterm birth rate in Ohio, but new research found a different trend. Somali…

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Four Reasons Hospitals Fail to Prioritize Drug Abuse in Communities Plagued by Opioids
Four Reasons Hospitals Fail to Prioritize Drug Abuse in Communities Plagued by Opioids 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Lack of money and expertise, risk and stigma appear to forestall community benefit programming. Communities in Appalachian Ohio are among the hardest hit in America’s opioid crisis, but a study of hospitals in the region shows that under half make substance abuse a priority…

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A Different Way of Measuring Undesired Events Can Better Clinical Performance
A Different Way of Measuring Undesired Events Can Better Clinical Performance 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Clinical care indexes allow departments to track failures and harm and continually upgrade processes for delivering optimal care. Three Nationwide Children’s Hospital departments that developed and applied their own clinical index to the care of patients with a certain illness or who underwent specific…

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The Challenge of Studying Supplementation: Omega Fatty Acids to Prevent Preterm Birth and Associated Complications
The Challenge of Studying Supplementation: Omega Fatty Acids to Prevent Preterm Birth and Associated Complications 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Dietary supplements: it seems that medical professionals either love them or hate them. And while much research shows that the average healthy adult with a good diet probably doesn’t need them, studies of specific supplements in specific patient populations may show efficacy. For example,…

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