Carolyn Kercsmar, MD, MS
From common to rare diseases and conditions, the presentations at Tuesday’s “Pediatric Year in Review” will give attendees both new treatment strategies and scientific breakthroughs in the management of children with cardiopulmonary disease. The review will be from 2 to 4 p.m. in Terrace Ballroom II (400 Level) Pennsylvania Convention Center.
“The program has something for everyone—those who want to treat the more commonplace conditions and diseases, and those who need to identify the more rare patients who require a special level of care. Uncommon conditions can sometimes fool us. This is a great opportunity to update one’s knowledge on how to identify uncommon, but also important and serious disorders in infants and young children,” said Carolyn Kercsmar, MD, who is co-chair of the review with James Chmiel, MD, MPH.
Breakthroughs in cystic fibrosis have given physicians hope, noted Dr. Chmiel, associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland.
In the presentation on “Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis in the 21st Century,” Felix Ratjen, MD, Toronto, will look at breakthroughs in treatment aimed at correcting the basic defect in CFTR.
“For the first time, we have some therapies targeted at making the protein work properly, so it will correct dysfunction in the airway epithelium,” said Dr. Kercsmar, co-director of pulmonary medicine and director of the asthma center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati.
Lisa Young, MD, Nashville, Tenn., will then share new studies regarding treatment, including a potential treatment for surfactant protein deficiencies, during “Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease.”
Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSci, Copenhagen, Denmark, will then examine new basic science and clinical research publications in “Asthma in Infants and Young Children.” In particular, he’ll share treatment algorithms for young children with asthma and why they are important to maximize effect and minimize adverse effects, Dr. Kercsmar said.
Those who treat critically ill children know all too well about the challenges of their respiratory disorders.
Dr. Chmiel said that “Respiratory Disorders in the Critically Ill Child” with Ira Cheifetz, MD, Durham, N.C., will appeal not only to ICU intensivists, but also those who consult in the ICU. The discussion will focus on outcomes and management of acute lung injury in children, lung transplantation, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia genomics.
Steven Abman, MD, Aurora, Colo., will close the program with “Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension,” for which there is controversy as to the best management team and strategy.
“These kids are difficult to manage. Often times, we adapt what we do for adult pulmonary hypertension to children, and they are very different,” Dr. Chmiel said. “With all the talks, we wanted to help individuals provide better care. We choose areas that pediatricians see every day and areas that are rare because you never know when one of these kids might show up on your doorstep.”