In December, the Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics published its recommendations for cardiac care in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and carriers of those dystrophies in its journal, Pediatrics.
Summary of the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
MDA, in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, has issued a consensus statement on management of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) undergoing anesthesia or sedation.
The complete statement is published in the December 2007 issue of the journal Chest. A technical abstract and list of authors is available on the journal’s website. (The full paper requires a journal subscription.)
The Aug. 15, 2004, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society (ATS), contains a set of guidelines about respiratory care in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) prepared by a special ATS working group. Members of this group are experts in DMD respiratory care, generally managing the respiratory care of patients being seen at Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) clinics.
A comprehensive set of clinical care recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is now available to medical professionals and families.
The complete recommendations, in printable PDF format, can be read here:
Belen Pappa, a graduate student in genetic counseling, is seeking participants for a survey-based study about psychosocial functioning in families in which a child has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).