docs.chocchildrens.org

A new study co-authored by a CHOC Children’s otolaryngologist finds that nearly a quarter of U. S. children are at increased risk for hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds and infrequent hearing protection use. The study, published in the May 2019 issue of the otolaryngology journal “Laryngoscope,” is the largest evaluation of loud noise exposure patterns and the use of hearing protection in children to date. The prevalence of pediatric loud noise exposure is the likely cause of the noise-induced hearing loss noted in one in five adults ages 20 to 29. The gender disparities found by the study underscore the importance of hearing protection education to not just boys, who are more frequently exposed to loud noises, but also girls, who are less frequently exposed but less likely to wear hearing protection, the authors write.

Chenue Abongwa, M.D., joined CHOC Children’s in October 2018 as a pediatric neuro-oncologist at the Hyundai Cancer Institute. After finishing medical school at the Universite de Yaounde in Cameroon, he completed his pediatrics residency at Brookdale University Hospital in New York, his pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at University of Iowa Hospitals and his neuro-oncology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. My mother worked as a nurse, and I often accompanied her when she did house calls to visit children and was very impressed by her dedication and desire to help sick children. I am currently involved in several divisional clinical projects based on COG (Children’s Oncology Group) and will be joining some committees.

Tiny premature babies who suffer from a common but potentially fatal opening in their hearts are now being treated with a new device by physicians at CHOC Children’s. We’ve never had the capability of doing this here at CHOC,” says Dr. Amir Ashrafi, director of CHOC’s neonatal-cardiac intensive care. The trial included 50 patients at eight facilities in the U. S. Upon FDA approval of this device, Abbot Vascular recognized CHOC Children’s as one of the first hospitals in America to use this device for those smallest and most vulnerable patients in the hospital. This device offers a new era in treating PDAs, and was successful at CHOC in great part due to a strong effort of collaboration between the cardiologist and the neonatologists,” says Dr. Sinha, a CHOC/UCI pediatric cardiologist.

The CHOC Children’s Mental Health Inpatient Center is an inpatient psychiatric center exclusively dedicated to the treatment of children ages 3-17 with mental illness who are in immediate risk of hurting themselves or others. In observance of Mental Health Month, follow along for a day in the life of Madeline, a clinical nurse in CHOC’s Mental Health Inpatient Center. Afterwards, as part of the patient care team, I meet with that patient’s psychiatrist Dr. Lavanya Wusirika, and social worker Gaby, to discuss the patient’s care plan. As our night shift nurses arrive, we take turns giving a report of their patient’s day and mental status.