The Center for Gender Surgery: Pioneering team looks to the future
In January 2018, physicians in Boston Children’s Center for Gender Surgery performed the first hospital’s phalloplasty, or surgical creation of a penis. The procedure was groundbreaking: It was the first such surgery performed for a transgender patient at a major U.S. pediatric hospital. And it was a key step in the 24-year-old patient’s lifelong journey ... Read More
PDA transcatheter closure in preemies
The problem of how to close a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature babies is not new. Medications don’t always work and surgery can be associated with substantial risk for these vulnerable patients. This has led many neonatologists to recommend that the PDA not be closed until a child is older, or to wait for ... Read More
Natural language processing captures new insights on patient safety
Safety monitoring at Boston Children’s Hospital is getting even more thorough, thanks to natural language processing systems. Aided by machine-learning algorithms, these systems are capturing problems that clinicians didn’t explicitly flag through a safety reporting system, but documented in their notes. The net result is further opportunities to improve care. Natural language processing, or NLP, ... Read More
Beware probiotics in ICU patients
It’s become common for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), both children and adults, to receive probiotics. Often, they are started at home to counteract diarrhea caused by antibiotics. There is also interest in using probiotics proactively in the ICU. A large multicenter clinical trial in Canada is testing whether probiotics would prevent ventilator-associated ... Read More
Most parents of children with advanced cancer don’t recognize their low chance of cure
End-of-life care for children with advanced cancer is often very intensive, and can cause much suffering. When parents recognize that a cure is unlikely, they often choose to spare their children from aggressive treatments and focus on the quality of their child’s remaining time. But a study published Oct. 4 in the journal Cancer finds ... Read More
Improving developmental care for infants in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Infants born with congenital heart disease (CHD) are some of the most fragile patients, often requiring surgery or other interventions in the first few months after birth. They also face a higher risk of developmental delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems than children born with a healthy heart. To help mitigate these developmental challenges, a ... Read More