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Polyuria, Polydipsia and Possible Diabetes Insipidus?
Discussion The body is smart. It has mechanisms for maintaining balances within the body in a closely controlled manner but allows for a variety of states. This is very true for fluid balance in the body which is highly controlled between almost all of the major body organ systems. When fluid is low, the sensor sends signals for us to drink, and conserves fluid until we can. When the fluid is high, the kidneys excrete the excess and sends signals not to drink. Usually it works very well. While there are many pathological states that can cause polyuria and/or polydipsia, the most common reason is excessive fluid intake beca...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - March 7, 2022 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Pediatric Education Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

How Common are Aortic Aneurysms?
Discussion Aortic root dilatation or thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs in 6:100,000 individuals > 50 years of age. It is due to aging, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking. Tertiary syphilis was a cause in the preantibiotic era. Pediatric aneurysms are very uncommon but the exact prevalence is different due to the various causes. Aneurysms are due to genetic disorders, congenital anomalies or post-surgical repair. In pediatric patients with sudden cardiac deaths, 5.4% are due to ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms. Learning Point Some causes of pediatric aneurysms include: Familial thoracic aneurysm and dissect...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - February 22, 2021 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Pediatric Education Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

What Are the Main Acyanotic Congenital Heart Diseases?
Discussion Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are malformations of the heart and great vessels. It occurs in about 5-8/1000 live births. Cyanotic congenital heart disease is often noted perinatally because of cyanosis, respiratory distress and/or poor feeding or other distress type problems. A review can be found here. Acyanotic congenital heart disease (ACHD) can present at birth but often is seen in older children or adults unless the lesions are severe, especially obstructive lesions. Severe lesions may also cause cyanosis and distress type problems in patients also. Shunting lesions cause problems by diverting blood flo...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - August 17, 2020 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Pediatric Education Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

What Causes Facial Nerve Palsy?
Discussion Facial nerve palsy has been known for centuries, but in 1821 unilateral facial nerve paralysis was described by Sir Charles Bell. Bell’s palsy (BP) is a unilateral, acute facial paralysis that is clinically diagnosed after other etiologies have been excluded by appropriate history, physical examination and/or laboratory testing or imaging. Symptoms include abnormal movement of facial nerve. It can be associated with changes in facial sensation, hearing, taste or excessive tearing. The right and left sides are equally affected but bilateral BP is rare (0.3%). Paralysis can be complete or incomplete at prese...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - June 3, 2019 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

What Causes Hyperammonemia?
Discussion Reye’s syndrome (RS)is named for Dr. Douglas Reye who along with Drs. G. Morgan and J. Baral described encephalopathy and fatty accumulation and degeneration in children in a 1963 Lancet article. RS usually affects children but can occur at all ages. All organs can be affected but the liver and brain are primarily affected causing liver failure and encephalopathy as toxic metabolites (especially ammonia) accumulate, and intracranial hypertension and cerebral edema occurs. As the ammonia levels begin to rise (> 100 mg/dL) patients lose their appetite, have nausea and emesis and mental status changes whic...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - February 20, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

What Genetics are Associated with Multiple Sclerosis?
Discussion Multiple sclerosis (MS) is “a chronic degenerative, often episodic disease of the central nervous system marked by patchy destruction of the myelin that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers, usually appearing in young adulthood and manifested by one or more mild to severe neural and muscular impairments, as spastic weakness in one or more limbs, local sensory losses, bladder dysfunction, or visual disturbances.” It is a chronic disease and therefore symptoms must occur more than once. The first episode is called an acute demyelinating attack. Fifteen to forty-five percent of children with their first...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - April 4, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

What is the Remission Rate for Antithyroid Drug Treatment for Hyperthyroidism in Children?
Discussion The thyroid gland secrets two hormones – T4 which is a prohormone and T3 which is the biologically active hormone. Receptors for T3 are found in nearly all body tissues. T3 regulates metabolism and energy production. Organs most affected are the heart, liver and central nervous system as well as growth of the fetus and child. Hyperthyroidism is common with a prevalence rate of about 1-2% for women and 0.2% for men. The most common cause of thyrotoxicosis is Grave’s disease where autoantibodies to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) exist. These autoantibodies attach to thyroid tissue TSH receptors and...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - January 26, 2015 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

When Can A Child Start Strength Training?
Discussion Exercise is an important part of health and daily life. A review of recommendations for general exercise for children and adults can be found here. Many people use pedometers as a marker of their activity and a list of activities and their equivalent steps can be found here. The benefits of strength training includes improved performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation, improved cardiovascular fitness, improved bone mineral density, improved blood lipid profiles and mental health. Improvements in strength can be found in properly structured programs of at least 8 weeks duration occurring at least 1-2 time...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - May 12, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news