Attentional bias to activity of different parts of the body in children with functional abdominal pain: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) show an attentional bias for their bodily activity, and whether receiving information about bodily activity influenced perception of bodily sensations. METHODS: A total of 30 children with FAP and 30 healthy children performed a dot-probe task, in which they were shown sham pictures about their bodily activity. RESULTS: Contrary to our hypotheses, no attentional bias for gut activity was found in either group. However, children with FAP were slower than healthy children on all supraliminal gut-activity trials, suggesting that pictures of gut activity distracted children with FAP from the task they were performing. Both groups showed an attention bias away from supraliminal pictures about heart activity. As hypothesized, more children with FAP than healthy children reported increases in pain after the experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Children with FAP seemed more strongly influenced by information about gut activity than healthy children. The present study should be replicated for intervention purposes.

Cognitive behavior therapy for pediatric functional abdominal pain: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of a 6-session protocolized cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) compared with 6 visits to a pediatrician (intensive medical care; IMC) for the treatment of pediatric functional abdominal pain (FAP). METHODS: One hundred four children aged 7 to 18 were randomized to CBT or IMC. CBT was delivered primarily by trained master's degree students in psychology; IMC was delivered by pediatricians or pediatric gastroenterologists. Assessments were performed pretreatment, posttreatment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcomes were level of abdominal pain (AP) as reported on questionnaires and diaries. Secondary outcomes were other gastrointestinal complaints, functional disability, other somatic complaints, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. RESULTS: Both CBT and IMC resulted in a significant decrease in AP (P < .001), but no significant difference was found between the treatments in their effectiveness (P > .05 for all end points). According to the questionnaire-derived data, 1 year after treatment, 60% of children that received CBT had significantly improved or recovered, versus 56.4% of children receiving IMC, which did not significantly differ (P = .47). These percentages were 65.8% versus 62.8% according to the diary-derived data, which also did not significantly differ (P = .14). Additionally, nearly all secondary outcomes improved after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: CBT was equally effective as IMC in reducing AP in children with FAP. More research into the specific working mechanisms of CBT for pediatric FAP is needed.

Patient satisfaction with the colonoscopy procedure: endoscopists overestimate the importance of adverse physical symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a frequently performed procedure associated with a substantial burden for the patient. Most of what is known about patient satisfaction stems from surveys that target issues doctors believe to be important. It has been noticed that patients often focus on different aspects. AIM: To have patients and endoscopists rate the extent to which each of a list of patient-generated issues-of-concern contributes to patient satisfaction with the colonoscopy procedure. SUBJECTS: A sample of consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy in a Dutch tertiary teaching hospital and a convenience sample of endoscopists. METHODS: Colonoscopy patients and endoscopists were asked to rate on a five-point Likert scale the importance of 55 items concerning the colonoscopy procedure for patient satisfaction. Items were derived from focus group sessions with colonoscopy patients. Endoscopists were invited to rate the importance of the same set of items from a patient perspective. An analysis was carried out of whether patients and endoscopists rated the importance of items differently. RESULTS: 69 patients and 34 endoscopists completed the questionnaire. The ratings of the endoscopists were significantly different from those of patients (p<0.0001). Endoscopists underestimated the importance of involving patients in decisions, discussing risks and complications, providing the opportunity for substantive questions and offering a comfortable temperature in the examination room. Endoscopists overestimated the importance of adverse physical symptoms, such as pain and abdominal cramps, and the role of the treating doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopists do not have a good perception of the items that contribute most to patient satisfaction with the colonoscopy procedure. Overcoming this gap may be an essential step towards improving patient satisfaction by targeting those concerns most relevant to patients.

Educational paper: Detection of child abuse and neglect at the emergency room.

UNLABELLED: The emergency room (ER) represents the main system entry for crises-based health care visits. It is estimated that 2% to 10% of children visiting the ER are victims of child abuse and neglect (CAN). Therefore, ER personnel may be the first hospital contact and opportunity for CAN victims to be recognised. Early diagnosis of CAN is important, as without early identification and intervention, about one in three children will suffer subsequent abuse. This educational paper provides the reader with an up-to-date and in-depth overview of the current screening methods for CAN at the ER. CONCLUSION: We believe that a combined approach, using a checklist with risk factors for CAN, a structured clinical assessment and inspection of the undressed patient (called 'top-toe' inspection) and a system of standard referral of all children from parents who attend the ER because of alcohol or drugs intoxication, severe psychiatric disorders or with injuries due to intimate partner violence, is the most promising procedure for the early diagnosis of CAN in the ER setting.

Evaluation of a psychoeducational intervention for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis, often has its onset in adolescence. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a psychoeducational group intervention (aiming to enhance information seeking and giving about the disease, relaxation, social competence, and positive thinking) can strengthen the coping efforts of adolescents with IBD and have a positive effect on their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). METHODS: Adolescent IBD patients from the Emma Children's Hospital AMC and adolescent members of the Crohn and Ulcerative Colitis Association in The Netherlands, were invited to participate in The intervention study. Using reliable and valid self-report instruments the adolescent's coping styles, feelings of competence, and HRQoL were assessed before and 6-8 months after the intervention. The parents were asked to fill in the Child Behavior Check List. Linear regression analyses were performed to test whether group participation was predictive of the outcome measures while correcting for the first measurement occasion and sex. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Forty patients responded positively to invitation to the intervention. Eighteen adolescents, however, lived too far away to attend and served as a control group. Twenty-two children were enrolled and attended in groups of four to six children in six group sessions, supervised by two psychologists. The intervention seemed to have a positive effect on: coping (predictive control, P<0.01), feelings of competence (global self-worth, P<0.05 and physical appearance, P<0.01), and HRQoL (body image, P<0.05). These results give good reason to continue this intervention study with a larger population.

Evaluation of a psychoeducational intervention for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis, often has its onset in adolescence. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a psychoeducational group intervention (aiming to enhance information seeking and giving about the disease, relaxation, social competence, and positive thinking) can strengthen the coping efforts of adolescents with IBD and have a positive effect on their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). METHODS: Adolescent IBD patients from the Emma Children's Hospital AMC and adolescent members of the Crohn and Ulcerative Colitis Association in The Netherlands, were invited to participate in The intervention study. Using reliable and valid self-report instruments the adolescent's coping styles, feelings of competence, and HRQoL were assessed before and 6-8 months after the intervention. The parents were asked to fill in the Child Behavior Check List. Linear regression analyses were performed to test whether group participation was predictive of the outcome measures while correcting for the first measurement occasion and sex. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Forty patients responded positively to invitation to the intervention. Eighteen adolescents, however, lived too far away to attend and served as a control group. Twenty-two children were enrolled and attended in groups of four to six children in six group sessions, supervised by two psychologists. The intervention seemed to have a positive effect on: coping (predictive control, P<0.01), feelings of competence (global self-worth, P<0.05 and physical appearance, P<0.01), and HRQoL (body image, P<0.05). These results give good reason to continue this intervention study with a larger population.

Pilot evaluation of an instrument to measure quality of life in British children with inflammatory bowel disease.

The IMPACT questionnaire was developed in Canada to measure quality of life in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the present study, 20 children with IBD completed 2 versions of the IMPACT questionnaire with a Likert scale or visual analog scale (VAS), 5 of whom expressed problems with language or phrasing. Difficult words included "restrictions," "moderate," "diarrhea," "school break," and the abbreviation "IBD." Fifteen children preferred the Likert scale to the VAS (chi = 20, P < 0.01). Rewording the difficult words and using a Likert scale should facilitate completion of the IMPACT questionnaire in the United Kingdom. Further validation is needed to ensure that the instrument is reliable and valid.

Health-related quality of life and psychosocial functioning of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to study how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during adolescence and to examine how self-esteem influences HRQoL. METHODS: We compared self-esteem, anxiety, and parental reports on behavioral problems in a group of IBD patients to a healthy norm group. Forty children and 38 parents filled out questionnaires separately. Trait anxiety, self-perception, and the data on the Child Behavior Checklist were taken to compare the IBD population with healthy norms, using Student's t tests and 1-sample t tests. Effect sizes were calculated to show the clinical relevance of the differences. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association between disease-related variables and self-perception with HRQoL, anxiety, and problem behavior. RESULTS: The results of this study show that adolescents with IBD, especially boys, have a significantly worse HRQoL and show more internalizing problem behavior compared with healthy peers. An important predictor of HRQoL is self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, adolescents with IBD are at risk for experiencing problems with their illness. Because self-esteem is an important predictor of HRQoL, it should be taken into account in future interventions for these children.

Infliximab therapy in 30 patients with refractory pediatric crohn disease with and without fistulas in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical experience with the anti-tumor necrosis factor chimeric monoclonal antibody, infliximab, in pediatric patients with Crohn disease in The Netherlands. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHODS: Clinical response and adverse effects of infliximab were recorded for pediatric patients with Crohn disease treated from October 1992 to January 2003. RESULTS: Thirty patients (aged 7-18 years) with refractory Crohn disease (with or without severe fistulas) were treated with infliximab. Patients were treated with up to 30 infusions. Mean follow-up was 25.3 months. A total of 212 infusions were administered. Thirteen patients had refractory Crohn disease without fistulas. Six patients showed good long-term response to infliximab treatment (defined as clinical index < or =10 points). Sixteen patients had refractory Crohn disease with draining fistulas. Nine showed good long-term response (closure or nonproductiveness of fistulas). One patient with metastatic Crohn disease in the skin had a good long-term response. Six patients developed an allergic reaction during infusion. In one patient, the allergic reaction occurred after an infliximab-free interval of 9 years. One patient died of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Infliximab was an effective therapy in 53% of patients with refractory pediatric Crohn disease, with or without fistulas. Approximately half of the patients become unresponsive to infliximab therapy. Randomized controlled studies are mandatory to assess long-term efficacy and safety to define the optimal therapeutic strategy of infliximab therapy in children with Crohn disease.

Pediatricians overestimate importance of physical symptoms upon children's health concerns.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the importance of issues of concern ranked by physicians and children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An item list consisting of 96 items-of-concern, identified by individual interviews and focus group sessions with 81 children with IBD, was administered to a second group of children with IBD (n = 117) asking them to rate the importance of each item to their lives on a 7-point scale. Twenty-one pediatric gastroenterologists experienced with treating children with IBD were asked to mark on the same questionnaire how important they thought each item was to their patients. RESULTS: Of the top 10 most important items identified by children with IBD only two were ranked in the top 10 by physicians. Most striking was the item: "having to take medication," which was scored number 3 by the children and did not appear in the top 50 of physicians. Physicians significantly overestimated the importance of four IBD symptoms (bothered by diarrhea, embarrassed by bad odor, worried about having accident in pants, and worries about passing gas) whereas they underestimated the importance of three other items (bothered by having to take medicines, worries about future health problems, and worries about weight). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians' views of what issues and concerns are most important to children with IBD differ from those stated by the children themselves. Physicians overestimate the importance of physical symptoms. Children should be included in the development phase of instruments assessing health perceptions.

Are parents able to rate the symptoms and quality of life of their offspring with IBD?

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of agreement between parents and their offspring with inflammatory bowel disease for the presence of symptoms and the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Factors influencing parent-child agreement were studied. Eighty-three Children and 81 parents separately filled out a five-item symptom card and a validated generic HRQOL instrument, which assesses seven domains of HRQOL, using the child and parent form. The parent also filled out the GHQ-30, an instrument assessing nonpsychotic psychiatric disorder in the parent, and an item on marital status. Intraclass correlation coefficients and paired student t-test were used to assess the level of agreement between raters. On one domain, parents reported their children as having a worse QOL than did the children themselves (social functioning). The parents were adequate raters of objective components of their child's HRQOL (overall correlation coefficient: 0.88). However, on more subjective components, the coefficient dropped to 0.62. In 82% of the cases did parents correctly classify their child into the disease activity category the child classified him- or herself. In conclusion, agreement between parents and offspring is good for the child's symptoms, but for HRQOL assessment only when it concerns objective states.

Value of rectosigmoidoscopy with biopsies for diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in children.

BACKGROUND: In children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), treatment depends on the type and extent of disease. Therefore, maximal effort should be made to provide a correct diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the value of a histologic diagnosis made on the basis of either ileal and colonic or rectosigmoid biopsies. METHODS: In 42 children with a known diagnosis of IBD, biopsies from rectum and sigmoid were reassessed by an expert, blinded pathologist. This histologic diagnosis was compared with the diagnosis based on (ileo)colonic biopsies and the final diagnosis. RESULTS: In patients with IBD, diagnostic accuracy of rectosigmoid histology was 0.4524. For (ileo)colonic biopsies, diagnostic accuracy was 0.7619. CONCLUSIONS: Histology on biopsies from rectum and sigmoid is insufficient for a correct diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in children. At initial presentation, an ileocolonoscopy with biopsies should therefore be performed in all children.