Idiopathic intracranial hypertension as a presenting sign of adrenal insufficiency.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a diagnosis of exclusion defined by elevated intracranial pressure without mass lesions or hydrocephalus. Causes of idiopathic intracranial hypertension include obesity, vitamin derangements, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and autoimmune disorders. Cushing's disease and Addison's disease have been associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Secondary adrenal insufficiency following withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids has been found to be a relatively common phenomenon. This case describes an 11-year-old boy who was previously on inhaled corticosteroids for severe asthma who presented with secondary adrenal insufficiency after withdrawal of steroids. The adrenal insufficiency presented as idiopathic intracranial hypertension. We described the hospital course and process of diagnosis for this child with secondary adrenal insufficiency following withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids. The association between the discontinuation of this patient's corticosteroids and his onset of headache suggests secondary adrenal insufficiency as the most likely cause of his idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The gradual improvement in his symptoms after steroid replacement further supports this. Due to the significant prevalence of children using inhaled corticosteroids, it is important for clinicians to be aware of the potential for the withdrawal of these drugs to induce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression.

A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Family Recognition of Medical Team Member Roles.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that inpatients and families in academic settings have a limited ability to recall either their medical team members or the roles of those members. This is an important issue for patient and family satisfaction as well as patient safety. The objective of this study was to increase families' recognition of medical team members' roles. METHODS: We established a multidisciplinary quality improvement leadership team, measured family recognition of medical team members and their roles, and conducted 2 PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles. The first intervention was standardization of the content and delivery of our verbal team introductions to ensure inclusion of essential elements and family engagement. The second intervention was addition of an informational white board in each patient room. The prospective study included 105 families in the preintervention phase, 103 post-PDSA cycle 1, and 92 post-PDSA cycle 2. RESULTS: After conduction of 2 PDSA cycles, the recognition of the attending role increased from 49% to 87% (P = .000), the resident role from 39% to 73% (P = .000), and the medical student from 75% to 89% (P = .038). CONCLUSIONS: The multidisciplinary quality improvement model was effective in improving family recognition of the roles of attending physicians, resident physicians, and medical students. Consistent attention to engaging the families and explaining our roles as well as providing informational white boards are effective interventions to facilitate this process.

Familial clustering of habitual constipation: a prospective study in children from West Virginia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate familial clustering of habitual constipation in pediatric patients who attended our medical facilities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children with the diagnosis of functional, habitual constipation or patients without constipation and their respective family members were prospectively recruited to our study. Constipation was established in all participants using a standard questionnaire (Rome criteria). RESULTS: A total of 112 children and their families participated in the study, of which 37 were probands families (test) and 75 children and their respective family members constituted the control group. A total of 310 family members completed the questionnaire. No significant differences were found between the study and the control groups in age, sex, or family size. Siblings or parents from the study group (probands) had significantly higher rates of constipation compared with the control group (30% vs 7% and 42% vs 9%, respectively; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Habitual constipation in children seemed to cluster in families. The pathophysiology behind this phenomenon is yet unknown.