Adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) are a rapidly growing population with complex medical needs and psychosocial challenges. Identity formation is an important developmental task accomplished during the teenage years….
The medical family history is a comprehensive and dynamic record of illnesses and other pertinent health information among family members. Family history is used to facilitate diagnosis, to identify family…
Cardiomyopathy encompasses a broad range of inherited and acquired abnormalities affecting the myocardium. This heterogeneous group of disorders is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the adolescent patient…
Obesity in the child and adolescent population is a growing problem. This article discusses the identification of obesity and overweight youth using body mass index and anthropometry and reviews literature…
Over the last two decades, essential hypertension has become common in adolescents, yet remains under-diagnosed in absence of symptoms. Diagnosis is based on normative percentiles that factor in age, sex…
The spectrum of blunt cardiac trauma ranges from asymptomatic myocardial contusion to fatal cardiac arrhythmias and/or cardiac rupture. Although cardiac rupture is common in fatal traffic accidents, these patients rarely…
Ensuring the safety of young athletes is a priority among health care providers. Controversy remains as to the best method of preparticipation screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the…
Since the earliest descriptions of the condition, controversy has prevailed as to the existence of as well as appropriate management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Often diagnosed in childhood, symptoms…
Palpitations can result from cardiac awareness (increased conscious perception of the heart beating) or from a fast or irregular cardiac rhythm. Most causes for palpitations in the teenager can be…
Use of medications for attention-deficit hyperkinetic disorder and preparticipation sports physical examination has led to an increase in number of electrocardiograms (ECG) performed during adolescence. Interpreting ECGs in children and…
