Endocrine Abstracts

As survival from childhood cancer continues to rise, attention to the quality of survivorship becomes more relevant and important. The most frequent causes of death after surviving a malignancy, are disease recurrence, development of second cancer, and then cardiovascular disease. This means that strategies aimed at assessing the risk factors and contributions to cardiovascular disease in this group, with a view to developing effective secondary prevention strategies are requi...

Paediatric obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes are on the rise worldwide and in the UK, and specialist services to address these complex and difficult problems are still in development. The definitions of obesity, diabetes and prediabetes in childhood and adolescence are not globally agreed and are affected by cultural and racial differences. In addition effective screening depends on the local availability of resources and the local population. The natural histor...

Introduction: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) has a gene frequency of at least 1/500 with >80% those affected remaining unidentified. Affected individuals have elevated LDL levels from birth which is a major cause of treatable premature coronary artery disease. NICE guidance recommends statin treatment from the age of 10 yrs for children with a confirmed diagnosis of FH. We were the first centre in England to have commissioned contact tracing and cascade testing to con...

Introduction: Optimal glycaemic control can be extremely challenging to achieve in children and adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) who have labile glycaemic control with frequent hypoglycaemia despite intensive blood glucose monitoring (BGM). Effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in children/adolescents at high risk of hypoglycaemia has been poorly studied. Frequent patient follow-up and review is recommended to support successful CGM management. This pilot ...

Background: The Paediatric Diabetes Team at Southampton Children’s Hospital provide a home annual review service for children with T1DM led by Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurses. They provide patients and families with support, advice and re-education. Service-users have reported positive feedback regarding effectiveness and relevance of education provided. However, many patients, particularly adolescents, still suffer reduced quality of life (QOL) and life-threatening...

Background: Structured education is offered by healthcare professionals for patients with type 1 diabetes and their families. The aims of education are to ensure competency in self-management and improve self-efficacy and glycaemic control. Therefore, this results in a reduced risk of adverse events related to diabetes and upholds quality of life.Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of education programmes offered by healthcare professionals in Southampto...

Introduction: We report the complexities in the management of two patients with functioning adrenocortical tumours (ACTs), presenting with features of androgen and cortisol excess, secondary to TP53 variants. Case report: Patient 1 presented with androgen excess (P1, TVs 2mls, penis 10 cm) aged 18 months. He was a known carrier of a maternally inherited TP53 variant. Adrenal androgens were elevated, with a DHEAS level of 86 umol/l (0.0-...

Introduction: Many children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and their parents/carers anecdotally report poor sleep quality. This is particularly problematic in patients experiencing frequent hypoglycaemia despite intensive blood glucose monitoring (BGM). Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) overcomes some of the burdens of BGM and can reduce overnight hypoglycaemia.Objectives: This pilot study explored the impact of CGM on sleep quality in children and adolesc...

Introduction: The Tier 3 paediatric weight management service at University Hospital Southampton comprises a Paediatric Endocrine Consultant, a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Specialist Dieticians. Children may be referred if they have an endocrinopathy, metabolic co-morbidity or obesity syndrome. We offer at least two years of engagement within the service prior to discharge.Service Evaluation: Twenty-six Tier 3 patients were under follow-up between 1<su...

Background: The choice of hydrocortisone (HC) formulation for children with adrenal insufficiency necessitates considerations for dose accuracy, palatability, and practicality in everyday life to optimise medicine adherence and health outcomes. Recently, several diverse new formulations have become available in the UK, but no information is available on real-life patient preferences for the different formulations.Objectives: Explore patient and parent ex...