ESPE Abstracts

For the safe delivery of Paediatric Diabetes services at DBTH during the COVID pandemic a postal HbA1c service with patients collecting capillary blood samples to send to the laboratory for analysis was proposed. The aim of this pilot study was to assess stability of HbA1c at ambient temperature in capillary whole blood samples collected into Sarstedt Microvette EDTA tubes. Samples were analysed on the day of collection on the TOSOH G11 analyser and then re-assayed daily for u...

Background: i.v. Pamidronate (PAM) has been used in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and is known to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce the incidence of fractures. However an attractive alternative is the more potent i.v. Zoledronic acid (ZOL).Objective and hypotheses: To determine the clinical efficacy of i.v. PAM vs ZOL in children with mild to moderate OI and compare the cost benefits of the two drugs.Me...

Background: Throughout 2020 telemedicine was rapidly deployed across health services and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, replaced many face-to-face (FTF) medical consultations. Children and young people (CYP) with diabetes present a unique opportunity for this type of consultation, due to the ability to interpret and share glucose data via other platforms. This study describes both CYP and parent experience of a new telemedicine service for CYP with diabetes.</...

Methods: A retrospective analysis of children with T1DM attending the Paediatric-diabetes service in an inner-city hospital. We included CYPD with paired values of hospital-measured BMI and HbA1C during 2 periods covering pre and post-lockdown (January-June 2020 versus November2020-April 2021). Children without paired values were excluded. HbA1C is expressed in DCCT% units. BMI calculated in absolute values, given the short study period....

Background: Turner Syndrome (TS) is commonly complicated by otological problems, of which middle ear infections, conductive and sensorineural hearing losses are most frequent. Middle ear infection and hearing loss, isolated or in combination, have putative roles in balance disturbance and may be related to the increased fracture risk exhibited in TS in adulthood. Our aim was to both establish the prevalence of balance problems in TS during childhood and explor...

Introduction: Proton beam therapy (PBT) is being used increasingly for craniopharyngioma, as it is perceived to be a major benefit. There are some limited data relating to endocrine dysfunction following PBT, but very limited data on hypothalamic disturbance. Here we report two patients who presented with hypothalamic disruption immediately following PBT for craniopharyngioma.Case 1: A 12 year old girl presented with sei...

Background: There are international guidelines on screening for Microalbuminuria (MA) in children with Type1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). But the National Paediatric Diabetic Audit, UK suggests that screening is missed in over 50% of cases. Further, there is little data on the management and natural course of MA in children by frontline units.Objective and hypotheses: To describe the prevalence, management and natural course of MA in children and adolescent...

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder caused by lack of expression of paternally inherited imprinted genes on Chr15q11-q13. rhGH has beneficial effects on growth, body composition and development. Starting age, dose titration and monitoring remain controversial.Objective: To study retrospectively children who presented in our multidisciplinary PWS clinic and assess response to rhGH treatment, auxology, IGF1 concentration a...

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a life-threatening disease and manifests in the majority of cases in the first days after birth. Based on the distribution of affected cells, focal CHI forms are distinguished from diffuse CHI forms. Focal forms occur in most cases due to a paternally inherited heterozygous mutation in a subunit of an ATP sensitive potassium channel (ABCC8, KCNJ11). Within the diagnostic setting, focal forms can be visualized by 18F DOPA PET scan, as a marke...

Background: Homozygotes for the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs242941 and rs1876828 of the corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene were previously associated with lower stimulated and basal cortisol levels respectively in asthmatic children on inhaled corticosteroids. Heterozygotes for rs41423247 of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene were found to have higher basal cortisol levels.Objectives</stro...