Blog | Page 98 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

Crista forms lifelong friendship with her cancer doctor

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Austin Fontanella | Patient Stories

It’s impossible not to notice the connection between Crista Cardillo and Dr. Kim Stegmaier. The way they laugh and swap stories might make you think they grew up down the street from one another. But their friendship began differently than most: as patient and oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. When Crista was ... Read More

Tagged: cancer, lymphoma

Matt’s story: An innovative approach to midaortic syndrome

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: hypertension, magic, midaortic syndrome, surgery

Until he was 12-and-a-half, Matt Sarracco had hardly missed a day of school. In fact, he had won awards for his near-perfect attendance. So it was concerning when, at a routine physical, his blood pressure soared to extremely high levels. “At first we thought the cuff must be broken,” says his mother, Kelly. But subsequent ... Read More

Tagged: hypertension, magic, midaortic syndrome, surgery

Exploring the link between homelessness and COVID-19

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Lisa D. Ellis | Clinical Care

Tags: community health, coronavirus, health equity, racism

With COVID-19 cases continuing to surge across the nation, it’s increasingly clear that people who don’t have a stable living situation find it much more challenging to shelter in place. Homelessness affects as many as 58,000 families — and more than 100,000 children — in the U.S. on any given night. More than three-quarters of ... Read More

Tagged: community health, coronavirus, health equity, racism

Bone cancer surgery: A difficult choice

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Joanne Barker | Patient Stories

Tags: bone tumors, cancer, ewing sarcoma, orthopedics, osteosarcoma

Nolan and Natasha might never have met if they hadn’t been diagnosed with bone cancer. Nolan, 13, is a natural athlete who lives in Maine. Natasha, 11, lives in Rhode Island and loves music and theater. As kids go, the two are pretty different — except for their osteosarcoma diagnoses and the surgery to remove ... Read More

Tagged: bone tumors, cancer, ewing sarcoma, orthopedics, osteosarcoma

A global view of rheumatic disease during COVID-19

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Alice McCarthy | Clinical Care

Tags: coronavirus, disease surveillance, global health, research, rheumatology

COVID-19 is bringing new challenges to many people with underlying rheumatic disease who already are immunocompromised by the very nature of their illnesses or the medications used to treat them. To help manage those uncertainties in the current climate, Boston Children’s Hospital is participating in two surveys: one collecting information from rheumatologists, the other directly ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, disease surveillance, global health, research, rheumatology

Trial tests dornase alfa, a cystic fibrosis drug, for severe COVID pneumonia

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Specialty Care

Tags: blood, clinical trials, coronavirus, pneumonia, pulmonology, research, thrombosis

Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will soon begin testing an existing drug, dornase alfa, in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure. The randomized, controlled clinical trial aims to enroll 60 adults and children over age 3 who require mechanical ventilation. Key takeaways:· A randomized trial is testing whether a cystic ... Read More

Tagged: blood, clinical trials, coronavirus, pneumonia, pulmonology, research, thrombosis

A master regulator of kidney health?

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: cellular and molecular medicine, genetics and genomics, kidney failure

End-stage kidney disease often begins with injury to podocytes. These highly specialized cells are a critical part of the glomeruli, clusters of capillaries that serve as the filtration units in our kidneys’ tightly-packed nephrons. As their name suggests, podocytes extend tiny foot processes to intermingle with the capillaries and filter the blood, maintaining the proper ... Read More

Tagged: cellular and molecular medicine, genetics and genomics, kidney failure

Nurses, COVID-19, and PTSD: When it hurts to care

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Joanne Barker | Research

Tags: nursing, psychiatry, research

When Boston Children’s Michelle Schuster, MSN, RN, CPHON, inpatient oncology/hematology staff nurse and Patricia Dwyer, PhD, RN, CNOR, nurse scientist, set out to study post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in nurses, they weren’t thinking about COVID-19. The two had been studying PTSD in nurses for almost two years when the pandemic hit. Key takeaways· PTSD is ... Read More

Tagged: nursing, psychiatry, research

When your baby has clubfoot: Answers for expecting parents

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Joanne Barker | Health and Parenting

Tags: clubfoot, lower extremity, MFCC, orthopedics

Treatment for clubfoot usually begins within a few weeks of a child’s birth. With prenatal ultrasound, parents often learn about clubfoot weeks or months before their child’s arrival. Below, Dr. Collin May of the Lower Extremity Program in Boston Children’s Orthopedic Center answers questions about how meeting with an orthopedic specialist can ease expecting parents’ ... Read More

Tagged: clubfoot, lower extremity, MFCC, orthopedics

Isolde’s story: A concussion leads to 3PD

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Ellen Greenlaw | Patient Stories

Tags: brain injury, concussion, vestibular system

When Isolde Edson was injured in the fall of 2018, during the last junior varsity soccer game of the season, she had no idea she’d still be dealing with the repercussions nearly two years later. “During a home game at the end of the season, I jumped up to kick the ball, and a girl ... Read More

Tagged: brain injury, concussion, vestibular system