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Pediatric orthopedic surgeons at Columbia are using a new device with magnetic technology that avoids the need for multiple spine-lengthening surgeries to correct early-onset scoliosis, a severe curvature of the spine in young children. In April 2014, Michael Vitale, MD, the Ana Lucia Professor of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at CUMC and 1995 graduate of P&S, performed the first procedure in the New York area, using the device to treat a 5-year-old boy. When braces and casts cannot control scoliosis in young children, surgeons turn to growing rods, which help correct the curve while allowing the spine to grow. When spinal maturity is near, the rods are removed and a spinal fusion can be performed. But during years of treatment with growing rods, patients must undergo surgery every six months to lengthen the rods to keep up with the patients’ growth. A patient may undergo eight to 10 procedures, which are costly and result in lost time for parents at work and children at school. The new device—MAGEC (MAGnetic Expansion Control) rods—contains a mechanism inside the growing rods that allows surgeons to lengthen the rods with a handheld external magnet, without surgery.
Shaken baby syndrome usually occurs when a parent or caregiver severely shakes a child in frustration or anger, often because the child won't stop crying. Permanent brain damage or death may result. Symptoms include irritability, difficulty staying awake, seizures, abnormal breathing, poor eating, bruises, and vomiting. Treatment will vary depending on complications related to shaken baby syndrome. In rare instances, breathing support or surgery may be needed to stop bleeding in the brain.
A nonsurgical method of treating a ganglion is to drain the fluid from (aspirate) the ganglion sac. Your doctor can do this in the office using the following procedure: The ganglion area is cleaned with an antiseptic solution. A local anesthetic is injected into the ganglion area to numb the area. When the area is numb, the ganglion sac is punctured with a sterile needle. The fluid is drawn out of the ganglion sac. The ganglion collapses. A bandage and, in some cases, a splint are used for a few days to limit movement and prevent the ganglion sac from filling again. Treating a ganglion by draining the fluid with a needle may not work because the ganglion sac remains intact and can fill again, causing the ganglion to return. For this reason, your doctor may puncture the sac with the needle 3 or 4 times so the sac will collapse completely. Even then, the ganglion is likely to come back.
Liddle syndrome is an inherited form of high blood pressure (hypertension). This condition is characterized by severe hypertension that begins unusually early in life, often in childhood, although some affected individuals are not diagnosed until adulthood. Some people with Liddle syndrome have no additional signs or symptoms, especially in childhood. Over time, however, untreated hypertension can lead to heart disease or stroke, which may be fatal.
Bartter syndrome has traditionally been classified into three main clinical variants, as follows: Neonatal (or antenatal) Bartter syndrome Classic Bartter syndrome Gitelman syndrome Advances in molecular diagnostics have revealed that Bartter syndrome results from mutations in numerous genes that affect the function of ion channels and transporters that normally mediate transepithelial salt reabsorption in the distal nephron segments. Hundreds of mutations have been identified to date. Such advances may result in the development of new therapies (see the image below). [2] (See Pathophysiology and Etiology.)
In Reye's syndrome, a child's blood sugar level typically drops while the levels of ammonia and acidity in his or her blood rise. At the same time, the liver may swell and develop fatty deposits. Swelling may also occur in the brain, which can cause seizures, convulsions or loss of consciousness. The signs and symptoms of Reye's syndrome typically appear about three to five days after the onset of a viral infection, such as the flu (influenza) or chickenpox, or an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold
Reduction techniques can vary in terms of required force, time, equipment, and staff. [7] No single reduction method is successful in every instance; therefore, the clinician should be familiar with several reduction techniques. Techniques commonly used to reduce anterior shoulder dislocations include the following [35, 36, 37, 38, 39] : Stimson maneuver Scapular manipulation External rotation Milch technique Spaso technique Traction-countertraction
This medication is used to treat certain types of serious (possibly fatal) irregular heartbeat (such as persistent ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia). It is used to restore normal heart rhythm and maintain a regular, steady heartbeat. Amiodarone is known as an anti-arrhythmic drug. It works by blocking certain electrical signals in the heart that can cause an irregular heartbeat.