A 29-year-old Bodybuilder with Liothyronine-induced Thyrotoxic Hypokalaemic Periodic Paralysis

We describe a 29-year-old male bodybuilder with recurrent attacks of myalgia and muscle weakness associated with hypokalaemia and thyrotoxicosis due to abuse of liothyronine. The attacks quickly resolved after potassium supplementation and liothyronine cessation. We concluded that the patient had thyrotoxic hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (TPP). Although muscle weakness and hypokalaemia are prominent symptoms of TPP, underlying thyrotoxicosis may be overlooked. Up to 25% of androgen abusers also abuse thyroid hormone. Lack of recognition of thyroid hormone abuse as a cause of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis may result in unnecessary, potentially harmful medical investigations and improper treatment and advice.

Medical Investigations in Autism Spectrum Disorders. A critical review of the everyday practice

Objectives: To evaluate the outcome of medical examination in a population of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to describe its usefulness. Study design: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the records of 122 patients with ASD to analyze their clinical course, medical investigation and outcomes. Results: A total of 122 patients with ASD were included (0-18 years). Regarding the additional investigations, none of them has proved to have a high diagnostic yield in the absence of specific clinical features except from next generation sequencing (NGS), which showed a higher efficiency in comparison with the other genetic tests performed. Conclusions: Clinical context should be the main determining factor for the execution of additional medical investigations in children with diagnosis of ASD. Nevertheless, given its high yield, NGS would be indicated from the beginning in children with ASD as part of the etiological diagnosis.

P1551FAMILY SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL FOR DIALYSIS PATIENTS TREATMENT ADHERENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Background and Aims Non-compliant dialysis patients are at increased risk of mortality. Compliance depends on patient demographics, educational level and income. Family support and marital status might also influence the patients compliance, as well as the quality of life. Missed/shortened dialysis sessions, adherence to prescribed medications, excessive phosphate serum values and interdialytic weigh gain, smoking and adherence to medical investigations provide indicators of non-compliance. Aim: To assess the impact of family support on different compliance indicators in the dialysis patients. Method In this observational study 134 dialysis patients were scored for different indicators of compliance from 0-2 and summary scores of compliance were assessed. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the previous two years. Patients with mean IDWGs >4.5% of body weight (BW) and/or phosphorous level above 1.6 mmol/L were scored with 1, patients with IDWG/BW more than 5.7% and/or 2.0 for mean phosphorous level were scored with 2. Summary scores of non-compliance were also assessed. Patients were scored for quality of life with SF-36 questionnaire. Patients non-adherence was analysed for predictors in multivariate analysis. Results Estimated rates of noncompliance varied: Medical investigations 63%, phosphorous 33, IDWG 22, therapy 14%, HD treatment 9%. When the complete dietary fluid, medications and treatment regimen were studied noncompliance rate was 73%, and when adherence to medical investigations was added the rate rose up to 87%. Patients with family support above median level (≥25) were significantly more often men (0.049), with diabetes (p=0.014), lower socioeconomic status (0.001) and married (0.003). The quality of life scores were significantly worse in the low family supported patients (56.73±26.15 vs 39.23±24.05, p=0.0001). They also scored worse in overall non-compliance scores 2.04±1.71 vs 2.97±2.06, p= 0.007). In the multivariate analysis the non-compliance was predicted most powerfully in patients with younger age, low social status and lower family support (β=-0.202, p=0.023, β=0.220, p=0.036, β=-0.175, p=0.019, respectively). Conclusion Family support is crucial for dialysis patients adherence to treatment and Quality of life. Efforts should be done to recognize the patients real needs and adequately help those confronting dialysis burden and improve their quality of life.

Caregiver-fabricated illness in a child prescribed long-term opioids and benzodiazepines

Caregiver-fabricated illness in a child (CFIC) can result in unnecessary, potentially harmful medical investigations and treatment. As pediatric pain has historically been undertreated, the movement for more compassionate treatment has led to an increase in analgesic prescribing in children and adolescents. Overall, this has been a positive change but this may also lead to unintentional harm, particularly if CFIC is not considered as a possibility in the presentation. We present a case in which CFIC was associated with long-term prescribing of opioids, benzodiazepines, and other central nervous system depressants.

The Replanting of a 1.1 from an Ectopic Position during the Course of Orthodontic Therapy: Follow-Up at 8 Years

The case that is reported here describes the replanting of a 1.1 from an ectopic position during orthodontic therapy. The 9-year-old patient suffered from class 2 type malocclusion with the upper maxilla contracted, right-left posterior cross-bite. The clinical case presented the following details: in the upper incisor group, the 1.1 was overlapping the 1.2 and was distalised and completely vestibularised, whilst in the place of the 1.1, a 1.1 supernumerary persisted in occlusion. Following several medical investigations, such as OPT and, most importantly, TC cone beam investigation, the dangerous position of the dental element became clear. This did not present vestibular cortical bone but only gingival mucosa. Following these investigations, the difficulty in bringing the dental element into its natural position through orthodontic treatment became obvious since the natural position was without sufficient bone support. From this, it became obvious that surgery and replanting of the 1.1 immediately after the extraction of the supernumerary 1.1 was the only choice available.

Improving transition outcomes in adolescents with permanent hearing loss

Young people with permanent hearing loss need to transition into adult services and engagement with the transition process is required to achieve this. Although there are clear national recommendations about the transition process and transfer to the adult services limited evidence has been published about the implementation and efficacy of transition programmes in young adults with permanent hearing loss. The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to significantly increase the number of teenagers with a clear transition protocol documented in their notes. The secondary aims were to ensure good medical and audiological outcomes based on all completing their medical investigations prior to transfer to the adult services and also based on a survey regarding attitudes to hearing aids use. A multiphase intervention programme was developed ; (1) staff update with national transition protocols, (2) development of a clear transition protocol, (3) allocated key worker (4) access and (5) engagement. Through these interventions we increased the number of teenagers who had a clear transition protocol documented in their notes from 11% to 91%. 84% of our teenagers had completed their medical investigations, although documented discussion about the investigations had been done with 100% of the cohort. 9.2 % of adolescents felt pressurised to use hearing aids compared to 35% prior to the interventions. This project resulted in clear, measurable conclusions and we have shown that we better understand the needs of ourpatients and the improvement is sustainable.