Latest Conference Articles

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is poorly understood. In research presented at the American Epilepsy Society 69th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, there is new evidence that mutations in genes that control heart rhythm may explain some cases.

Could personal monitoring devices give patients with epilepsy advance warning of seizures? An array of such gizmos is already available and more are coming.

Sleep disorders are common in children with Dravet syndrome, a genetic epileptic encephalopathy. Researchers call for medicating these young patients.

Ketamine, an anesthetic drug that is also being used for patients with treatment-resistant depression, may hold promise for refractory status epilepticus.

Although the increased bleeding risk in patients with both acute and chronic liver disease is recognized, strategies to predict the occurrence are lacking. A team from South Korea discussed parameters to do just that during a poster session 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (ASH 2015) in Orlando, Florida.

At the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Christine Cserti-Gazdewich, BSc, MD, Blood Transfusion Laboratory, Toronto General Hospital discussed the progress made in blood unit storage.

Two studies have already shown that a hemophilia treatment option is safe and effective, but researchers from the United Kingdom took an in-depth look to confirm these outcomes.

Christine Cserti-Gazdewich, BSc, MD, Blood Transfusion Laboratory, Toronto General Hospital, and colleagues wanted to address the burgeoning concern that the longer blood units are stored, the likelier it may be to introduce harm or simply not work as well.

When a medical condition is paired with another, it could make for a trickier situation. New research found that some diseases can significantly impact platelet function while others appear to have no effect.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is used by about 20% of epilepsy surgery programs, but not without controversy. Researchers came up with case data and showed MEG is a valid approach and useful tool.

Genetic testing is increasingly used in studying epilepsy, but few studies have looked at how patients and their families feel about getting tested from a religious standpoint.

Researchers are looking at how cannabidiol interacts with traditional anti-seizure drugs. It appears to have a synergy with one but an antagonistic effect with others.

Seth Karol, MD, St. Jude's Children's Research Center and his team focused their research on the 10-20 age group, the "sweet spot" where the bones are still finishing up development and thus going to be susceptible to therapy.

New research further supports the understanding that patients with hemophilia suffer from pain and mobility issues, and it went on to uncover which joints are most greatly affected by the condition.

Seth Karol, MD, St. Jude's Children's Research Center discussed several ways in which he and his colleagues intensified therapy over the years and referred to a key toxicity that had emerged from the two drugs they used.

Bleeding events are to be expected in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), but the average time before the first episode may be sooner than you think.

Romiplostim has been indicated for adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), but what about for kids? A phase three study examined the notion during a presentation at the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (ASH 2015) in Orlando, Florida.

Drugs do not usually help patients with autoimmune epilepsy but surgery may. The severity of illness appears to vary depending on which antineuronal antibodies are present.

Treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is significantly more expensive when treated in secondary care settings than it is when treated in primary care settings -- without a corresponding increase in treatment effectiveness.

Researchers assessed the effect of epoetin alfa biosimilar both with and without iron supplementation on CIA in patients undergoing treatment for oncologic and hematologic malignancies.

Analysis of study data from patients in real-world clinical setting showed a rapid increase in mean hemoglobin levels in this patient population, often as early as 3-4 weeks following initiation of treatment.

Researchers show that treatment with epoetin alfa biosimilar effectively reduces the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced anemia. Patients with absolute iron deficiency who also took iron supplements achieved improved response to treatment.

Sickle cell disease, as debilitating as it is, is associated with the progressive complication of renal damage – beginning with hyerfiltration in childhood to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline and chronic renal failure in approximately 12 % of HbSS sickle cell adults.

In cardioverting a patient with atrial fibrillation, physicians accidentally overstimulated an implanted vagal nerve stimulator, harming the patient.

Do patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (pITP) have worse health-related quality of life? Francesco Rodeghiero, from S. Bortolo Hospital in Italy, and colleagues set out to investigate this overlooked part of the disease.

Pain crises are common in those with sickle cell disease, but now new research may have identified biomarkers for patients whose pain becomes chronic.

Detecting iron deficiency or iron-restricted erythropoiesis (the presence of multiple iron deficiency syndromes) can be a challenge when inflammatory disease is thrown into the mix.

Patients suffering from the most common hereditary bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease (VWD) also undergoing surgical procedures are recommended specific treatment methods to manage perioperative anticoagulation.

Thirty-day emergency room readmissions due to acute pain is not uncommon in children with sickle cell disease, and researchers suspect that opioid prescription practices has something to do with it.

Although peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) can cure sickle cell disease, the treatment runs the risk of permanent infertility.