ADECA: A Novel Course for Training Paediatric Diabetes Nurse Educators in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: Care of children with diabetes is best delivered by a specialist multidisciplinary team of paediatric endocrinologists, diabetes nurse educators, dietitians, and psychologists. The Allied Healthcare Paediatric Diabetes Educator Course for Africa (ADECA) is the first specialised paediatric diabetes educator training programme for nurses working in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of the paper was to describe the course structure and evaluation findings of the first ADECA programme.

International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2024: Glycemic Targets.

The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines represent a rich repository that serves as the only comprehensive set of clinical recommendations for children, adolescents, and young adults living with diabetes worldwide. This chapter builds on the 2022 ISPAD guidelines, and updates recommendations on the glycemic targets for children and adolescents living with diabetes. A new target for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of ≤6.

Preparing for medical school selection: Exploring the complexity of disadvantage through applicant narratives.

Background: Despite a growing drive to improve diversity in medical schools, those from state schools and less-advantaged sociodemographic backgrounds remain underrepresented. We explore applicants' approaches to preparing for medical school selection, considering the complexity of sociodemographic disadvantage in this highly competitive process.

Methods: Narrative interviews were undertaken with applicants to a United Kingdom medical school, exploring experiences of preparation for selection (n = 23).

Preparing for selection success: Socio-demographic differences in opportunities and obstacles.

Introduction: There is a growing drive to improve the heterogeneity of medical school cohorts. However, those from lower socio-economic groups remain under-represented. Understanding the methods used by applicants to prepare for medical school selection, and the challenges they face with respect to opportunities and access, may provide important insights to this lack of diversity.

Presentation of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in children and young people during COVID-19: a national UK survey.

In the UK, there have been reports of significant reductions in paediatric emergency attendances and visits to the general practitioners due to COVID-19. A national survey undertaken by the UK Association of Children's Diabetes Clinicians found that the proportion of new-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) presenting with diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) during this COVID-19 pandemic was higher than previously reported, and there has been an increase in presentation of severe DKA at diagnosis in children and young people under the age of 18 years. Delayed presentations of T1D have been documented in up 20% of units with reasons for delayed presentation ranging from fear of contracting COVID-19 to an inability to contact or access a medical provider for timely evaluation.

Hypertension is the major predictor of poor outcomes among inpatients with COVID-19 infection in the UK: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To assess the impact of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases on inpatient mortality from COVID-19, and its relationship to ethnicity and social deprivation.

Design: Retrospective, single-centre observational study SETTING: Birmingham, UK.

Participants: 907 hospitalised patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from a multi-ethnic community, admitted between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020.

Fluid and electrolyte therapy in childhood diabetic ketoacidosis management: A rationale for new national guideline.

Fluid and electrolyte therapy in childhood diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) management has been controversial. Previous National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2015 guidance advocated a restricted fluid regimen while more recent guidelines have advocated a more liberal approach to fluid replacement in DKA. At the core of the debate is the need to avoid developing cerebral oedema as a complication.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Practical use of continuous glucose monitoring.

Type 1 diabetes is a self-managed condition. Regular monitoring of blood glucose (BG) levels has been the cornerstone of diabetes management. Finger prick BG testing traditionally has been the standard method employed.

Development of central precocious puberty following cannabinoid use for paediatric epilepsy: causal or coincidence?

Research suggests a role for cannabidiol oil in managing certain forms of paediatric onset epilepsy. However, studies on the impact of cannabis on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis have conflicting results. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) acutely inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the hypothalamus, reducing testosterone levels by 65% in rhesus monkeys.

Coexistence of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D): a management challenge.

Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is an autosomal recessive fatty acid β-oxidation defect. The enzyme, medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is important in the breakdown of medium chain fats into acetyl-CoA to produce ketones. Ketones are used as an alternative energy source when glucose or hepatic glycogen stores become depleted during prolonged fasting.

COVID-19 outbreak and pediatric diabetes: Perceptions of health care professionals worldwide.

Background: Coronavirus diasease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that started in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and later spread around the world. Diabetes has been recognized as a possible risk factor for COVID-19 complications.

Objective: International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) investigated perceptions, challenges and experience of health care professionals (HCP) taking care of children and young people with diabetes worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic.

Rare case of pseudohypoaldosteronism in a neonate secondary to congenital hydrometrocolpos.

Pseudohypoaldosteronism (PHA) due to obstructive uropathy, urinary tract infections and congenital urogenital malformations has been reported in the literature; however, there are no reports of PHA associated with hydrometrocolpos due to a common urogenital tract. Hydrometrocolpos is a condition resulting in distension of the vagina and uterus due to accumulation of secretions (other than blood), caused by increased oestrogenic stimulation and vaginal outflow obstruction. We report on a neonatal case of PHA caused by recurrent hydrometrocolpos presenting with vomiting and poor weight gain.

Timeliness of referral of children with new onset type 1 diabetes.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterised by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells leading to insulin deficiency. Prompt referral to a specialist paediatric diabetes team (PDT) for insulin initiation and further management is important to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which remains the most common cause of death in this condition.

Objective: The aim was to study the timeliness of referrals from general practitioners (GPs) to PDT, of children suspected of having TID.

Growth Characteristics of Contemporary School-age Nigerian Children.

Objective: There are no locally derived growth charts in Nigeria, and so, health workers rely on international reference charts. We therefore compared the growth characteristics of 4350 school-age Nigerian children (SNC) (2243 girls, 2107 boys) (4-16 years) from three ethnic groups (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) to both the UK (UK 1990) and US (2000 CDC) reference data.

Results: Height of SNC was similar to international references at the start of school age and then started to decline.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of Synacthen tests for assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal insufficiency in children.

Background: The diagnostic value of tests used in assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in children remains controversial.

Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis with receiver-operated-characteristic curve was undertaken to assess the diagnostic values of conventional standard dose 250 μg tetracosactrin (ACTH), short Synacthen test (SSST) and/or low-dose Synacthen test (LDSST) in the assessment of HPA insufficiency in children. Studies eligible for inclusion were any study that compared the use of the LDSST and/or SSST in the assessment of central adrenal insufficiency in children compared with reference standard test.

Management of children with type 1 diabetes during illness: a national survey.

Aim: Adequate sick-day management at home can reduce the risk of progression to diabetic ketoacidosis and admission to hospital. The aim of this project was to review the management of diabetes during illness.

Method: The Association of Children's Diabetes Clinicians (ACDC) carried out a questionnaire survey of all paediatric diabetes units.

Improving the quality of documentation of paediatric post-take ward rounds: the impact of an acrostic.

Background: Review of patients' notes while investigating clinical incidents showed a recurring problem of poor documentation of important aspects of the paediatric post-take ward round.

Purpose Of The Study: To evaluate the impact of an acrostic (type of mnemonic), created to reflect the aspects of care that should be documented after every ward round, on the completeness of note keeping.

Study Design: The acrostic, 'Please Verify Information For Doctors, Please Note Every Plan, was developed in 2010 to make it easy to remember the important aspects of post-take ward round, which are: Problem; Vital signs; Investigations; Fluids; Drugs; Patient/Parental concerns; Nursing concerns; Examination; Plan.