The posts below are educational content created by the site author, Dr. Andrew Norris, for clinical providers wishing to learn more about pediatric endocrinology. Click on an article to view.
- “Metabolic Acidosis – A Clinical Primer“ :
- Topic: An overview of metabolic acidosis.
- Intended Audience: residents, fellows, practitioners
Content Summary (click to view) :
Metabolic acidosis is frequently encountered in clinical medicine. It is crucial that clinicians be able to recognize metabolic acidosis, characterize the specific type of acidosis, and assess its severity.
- “The Most Common Cognitive Error That Physicians Make When Treating Patients with Type 1 Diabetes“ :
- Topic: Managing type 1 diabetes when unable to eat.
- Intended Audience: residents, fellows, practitioners
Content Summary (click to view) :
Inpatient management of type 1 diabetes is challenging, especially when a patient is unable to eat. The treating physician can feel caught between two opposing adverse outcomes: hypoglycemia from too much insulin and hyperglycemia from too much glucose. These two fears present a false dichotomy that can lead to a cognitive error. This teaching piece teaches the basic principles involved in astute inpatient management of type 1 diabetes
- “Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Tumors“ :
- Topic: Hormone-secreting pituitary tumors specifically in children.
- Intended Audience: Pediatric endocrinologists, fellows; pediatricians
Content Summary (click to view) :
This piece is a concise review of hormone-secreting pituitary tumors and their clinical syndromes specifically as manifest in children.
- “Endocrine Conditions that “Break the Rules”“ :
- Topic: How endocrine conditions such as diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, hyperthyroidism, adrenal insufficiency change physiology.
- Intended Audience: Pediatric providers
Content Summary (click to view):
In pediatrics and medicine we are taught various rules that help us interrogate a person’s health . However, some endocrine disorders alter normal physiology such that the usual rules no longer apply. Failure to recognize this can lead to erroneous interpretation of a person’s condition, sometimes with even fatal results. The following broken “rules” are discussed- “Good urine output indicates that a child is well hydrated.”
- “Children and adolescents can tolerate the physical stress of fever or vomiting.”
- “Children and adolescents tolerate exercise well.”
- “Children do not experience electrolyte problems as long as renal function is normal and fluid / electrolyte intake is adequate.”
- “Failure of an infant to gain weight is a feeding issue.”