|
The Hospital
for Sick Children Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic 
The Paediatric MS Clinic at the Hospital
for Sick Children (HSC) began in October 1999 to provide comprehensive
assessment, treatment, education, and support of children and
adolescents diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and their families.
The clinic takes place twice a month
and is run by a team of health care professionals with expertise
in childhood MS. Patients receive regular follow-up appointments
with the team and are seen as needed during acute MS-related relapses.
Acute relapses are generally managed through our Medical Short
Stay Unit, although patients with more severe symptoms are admitted
to hospital if necessary. Children who live a long distance from
HSC usually receive urgent care for MS relapses through their
local hospital in consultation with the HSC team. Children diagnosed
before their 18th birthday are followed in the clinic until they
have completed high school.
Who is part of the Paediatric MS Clinic
team?
The following professionals are available for assessment, treatment,
education and/or support during the MS Clinic:
- Paediatric Neurologist
- Clinic Nurse (Multiple Sclerosis Certified
Nurse)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Paediatric
Neurology (Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse)
- Paediatric Physiotherapist
The following services provide additional consultation,
assessments or care as needed:
- Social Work
- Neuro-Ophthalmology
- Neuropsychology
- Psychiatry
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurophysiology - Evoked Potentials
- Diagnostic Imaging – MRI
What happens at the clinic?
All patients attending the clinic are assessed by the paediatric
neurologist and nurses. Based on the individual needs of each
patient and family, other members of the clinic team such as the
physiotherapist or social worker become involved. Referrals to
specialists such as a neuro-ophthalmologist, neuropsychologist
or psychiatrist are generated from clinic assessments.
Recommendations for further testing such as blood work, MRI, or
evoked potentials are also common during initial assessments or
when a child presents with new neurological symptoms. When a decision
is made to begin treatment with one of the disease modifying therapies,
the first injection takes place in the clinic and patients and
their families are educated on medication preparation, administration
and storage as well as management of side effects.
Additionally, information is provided to families on multiple
sclerosis, treatment options and community resources.
How are patients referred to the
clinic?
A Neurologist or Paediatrician may refer a patient under 18 years
of age with a confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis to the
HSC Paediatric MS Clinic. A referral form may be obtained by calling
the Neurology Clinic Booking Office at (416) 813-8133 or logging
onto the Hospital for Sick Children website at Sick
Kids and going to “For Health Care Professionals”
then “Referral to Ambulatory Clinics and Services”.
The completed referral form may be faxed or mailed to:
Neurology Clinic Booking Office
Attention: Dr. Brenda Banwell
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University AveToronto, ON
M5G 1X8
Fax: (416) 813-8105
How do I find out more about the
clinic? Contact information
For general inquiries about the Paediatric MS Clinic and the services
provided, please contact:
Jennifer Boyd, Clinical Nurse Specialist
(416) 813-7738
Email: Jennifer
Boyd, or
Lynn MacMillan, Clinic Nurse
(416) 813-7355
Email: Lynn MacMillan
For physicians requesting a consultation with
the Medical Director about medical management of paediatric patients
with MS, please contact:
Dr. Brenda Banwell
(416) 813-6660
Email: Dr. Brenda
Banwell
www.sickkids.on.ca
This information was provided by the Paediatric MS Clinic
at Hospital for Sick Children, February 2004.
|
