Endocrine Abstracts

Teenagers and young adult survivors of congenital and acquired brain injury caused by developmental defects (e.g. septooptic dysplasias), brain tumours and their treatment, or intracerebral and systemic disease (e.g. histiocytoses and meningitis), are often both learning disabled and requiring lifesaving (cortisol and desmopressin) and life-enhancing (sex steroid, thyroxine, and growth) hormone replacement due to panhypopituitarism.

Managing the parental expectation and obtaining the understanding of the young person on the context of their level of understanding often requires a team approach and several sessions. Achieving adherence for life saving therapy whilst respecting choice, require formal assessment of intellectual capapcity and psychological/psychiatric insight into individual expectations (family and patient), perception, fear and careful discussion of risk-benefits of therapy at their level of understanding.

This workshop presentation will showcase particular examples and contextualise the legal and practical frameworks in which we aim to achieve adherence.