To view this page ensure that Adobe Flash Player version 11.1.0 or greater is installed.
Continued from cover
Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare
Care Program. “But planning these
transitions early is crucial because
adolescents with complex, chronic
conditions need uninterrupted access
to appropriate, high-quality healthcare,
or they risk becoming very sick.”
and attached to a heart-bypass machine,
which creates high-pressure suction. Once
connected, the device acts like a vacuum
cleaner, sucking out the clot. The system then
recirculates the patient’s blood through a
blood vessel near the groin, eliminating the
need for a transfusion.
Dr. Moriarty notes that the AngioVac can take
about half as long to perform as open-heart
surgery. Because it is minimally invasive,
patients usually experience less pain and
discomfort and have a much quicker recovery.
Approximately one in 500 Americans will
develop blood clots in their leg veins, a
condition called deep-vein thrombosis,
and nearly 100,000 people die each year of
a pulmonary embolism, when a clot breaks
away from the blood-vessel wall and lodges
in the lungs or heart. The clot-busting drug
tPA is effective at breaking up clots, but it can
take up to four days to work and is not always
able to do the job; in the UCLA patient’s case,
the clot was too large and dense. In addition,
certain patients, such as those who have had a
stomach ulcer or stroke and are at high risk for
bleeding, are not good candidates for tPA.
“The AngioVac procedure is ideal for patients
with large clots in areas where it’s not safe
to operate, or the operations would be very
difficult,” Dr. Moriarty says. “Such patients, if
they can’t benefit from medication, should be
evaluated because they may now have a much
better option than they had before.”
To view a video about
AngioVac, go to:
uclahealth.org/ angiovac
Approximately 15 percent of children in
the United States aged 17 and younger have
complex medical conditions, ranging from
asthma, diabetes and congenital heart
disease to juvenile inflammatory arthritis,
cystic fibrosis, neurological disabilities
and organ transplantation. As many as
60 percent of these patients experience
gaps in medical care, health-insurance
coverage or both during their transition
from adolescence to adulthood. To avoid
these problems, patients should begin
the transition to adult-based healthcare
between the ages of 12 and 18, Dr. Lotstein
says: “Early planning prevents problems
and helps to decrease anxiety for the
patients and their parents.”
At UCLA’s Med-Peds Transition Care
Program, preparing for the transition
involves evaluating patients’ current and
future healthcare needs and connecting
patients with appropriate providers to meet
those needs; addressing insurance-related
issues to prevent gaps in health coverage
when children are no longer eligible for
coverage under their parents’ health plans;
educating patients about self-care related
to their conditions; and helping patients
plan realistic education and career goals.
children with congenital heart defects
are surviving into adulthood and leading
active, productive lives, they may still face
certain challenges related to lifestyle and
career choices.
“Some patients don’t understand why
they should anticipate future challenges
such as the potential detrimental effects of
pregnancy or certain types of exercise,” he
says. “Discussing their personal goals and
recommendations early on helps to prevent
them from being disappointed or from
unintentionally hurting themselves later.”
Another important goal in the transition
process, Dr. Reardon says, is helping young
patients develop medical independence.
“There’s an interesting dynamic that occurs
when an adolescent takes ownership
of their healthcare from their parents.
They often feel empowered and begin
participating in their care in ways that
make them feel that they are not defined by
their medical condition,” Dr. Reardon says.
“Simple steps like scheduling appointments
or refilling prescriptions can help make
the transition to the adult setting much
more successful. Ultimately, we promote
independence so that our patients can
learn how to make positive choices for their
lives and participate in their own care and
decision-making as they become adults.”
In the Adolescent/Young Adult
Transitional Care Program for Congenital
Heart Disease at UCLA, “we try to help
patients and their parents understand
their condition using an age and
developmentally tailored approach,” says
pediatric cardiologist, Leigh Reardon,
MD, program director. “Many years
after heart surgery, some of our patients
believe they’re living on borrowed time,
while others feel like they’re invincible.”
Although an increasing percentage of
Vital Signs Spring 2014 Vol. 62
7
Continued from cover
Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare
Care Program. “But planning these children with congenital heart defects
transitions early is crucial because are surviving into adulthood and leading
adolescents with complex, chronic active, productive lives, they may still face
conditions need uninterrupted access certain challenges related to lifestyle and
to appropriate, high-quality healthcare, career choices.
or they risk becoming very sick.”
“Some patients don’t understand why
and attached to a heart-bypass machine, Approximately 15 percent of children in they should anticipate future challenges
which creates high-pressure suction. Once the United States aged 17 and younger have such as the potential detrimental effects of
connected, the device acts like a vacuum complex medical conditions, ranging from pregnancy or certain types of exercise,” he
cleaner, sucking out the clot. The system then asthma, diabetes and congenital heart says. “Discussing their personal goals and
recirculates the patient’s blood through a disease to juvenile inflammatory arthritis, recommendations early on helps to prevent
blood vessel near the groin, eliminating the cystic fibrosis, neurological disabilities them from being disappointed or from
need for a transfusion. and organ transplantation. As many as unintentionally hurting themselves later.”
Dr. Moriarty notes that the AngioVac can take 60 percent of these patients experience Another important goal in the transition
about half as long to perform as open-heart gaps in medical care, health-insurance process, Dr. Reardon says, is helping young
surgery. Because it is minimally invasive, coverage or both during their transition patients develop medical independence.
patients usually experience less pain and from adolescence to adulthood. To avoid
“There’s an interesting dynamic that occurs
discomfort and have a much quicker recovery. these problems, patients should begin
when an adolescent takes ownership
the transition to adult-based healthcare
Approximately one in 500 Americans will of their healthcare from their parents.
between the ages of 12 and 18, Dr. Lotstein
develop blood clots in their leg veins, a They often feel empowered and begin
says: “Early planning prevents problems
condition called deep-vein thrombosis, participating in their care in ways that
and helps to decrease anxiety for the
and nearly 100,000 people die each year of make them feel that they are not defined by
patients and their parents.”
a pulmonary embolism, when a clot breaks their medical condition,” Dr. Reardon says.
away from the blood-vessel wall and lodges At UCLA’s Med-Peds Transition Care “Simple steps like scheduling appointments
in the lungs or heart. The clot-busting drug Program, preparing for the transition or refilling prescriptions can help make
tPA is effective at breaking up clots, but it can involves evaluating patients’ current and the transition to the adult setting much
take up to four days to work and is not always future healthcare needs and connecting more successful. Ultimately, we promote
able to do the job; in the UCLA patient’s case, patients with appropriate providers to meet independence so that our patients can
the clot was too large and dense. In addition, those needs; addressing insurance-related learn how to make positive choices for their
certain patients, such as those who have had a issues to prevent gaps in health coverage lives and participate in their own care and
stomach ulcer or stroke and are at high risk for when children are no longer eligible for decision-making as they become adults.”
bleeding, are not good candidates for tPA. coverage under their parents’ health plans;
educating patients about self-care related
“The AngioVac procedure is ideal for patients to their conditions; and helping patients
with large clots in areas where it’s not safe plan realistic education and career goals.
to operate, or the operations would be very
difficult,” Dr. Moriarty says. “Such patients, if In the Adolescent/Young Adult
they can’t benefit from medication, should be Transitional Care Program for Congenital
evaluated because they may now have a much Heart Disease at UCLA, “we try to help
better option than they had before.” patients and their parents understand
their condition using an age and
developmentally tailored approach,” says
pediatric cardiologist, Leigh Reardon,
MD, program director. “Many years
To view a video about
AngioVac, go to: after heart surgery, some of our patients
uclahealth.org/ believe they’re living on borrowed time,
angiovac while others feel like they’re invincible.”
Although an increasing percentage of
Vital Signs Spring 2014 Vol. 62 7
Continued from cover
Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare
Care Program. “But planning these
transitions early is crucial because
adolescents with complex, chronic
conditions need uninterrupted access
to appropriate, high-quality healthcare,
or they risk becoming very sick.”
and attached to a heart-bypass machine,
which creates high-pressure suction. Once
connected, the device acts like a vacuum
cleaner, sucking out the clot. The system then
recirculates the patient’s blood through a
blood vessel near the groin, eliminating the
need for a transfusion.
Dr. Moriarty notes that the AngioVac can take
about half as long to perform as open-heart
surgery. Because it is minimally invasive,
patients usually experience less pain and
discomfort and have a much quicker recovery.
Approximately one in 500 Americans will
develop blood clots in their leg veins, a
condition called deep-vein thrombosis,
and nearly 100,000 people die each year of
a pulmonary embolism, when a clot breaks
away from the blood-vessel wall and lodges
in the lungs or heart. The clot-busting drug
tPA is effective at breaking up clots, but it can
take up to four days to work and is not always
able to do the job; in the UCLA patient’s case,
the clot was too large and dense. In addition,
certain patients, such as those who have had a
stomach ulcer or stroke and are at high risk for
bleeding, are not good candidates for tPA.
“The AngioVac procedure is ideal for patients
with large clots in areas where it’s not safe
to operate, or the operations would be very
difficult,” Dr. Moriarty says. “Such patients, if
they can’t benefit from medication, should be
evaluated because they may now have a much
better option than they had before.”
To view a video about
AngioVac, go to:
uclahealth.org/ angiovac
Approximately 15 percent of children in
the United States aged 17 and younger have
complex medical conditions, ranging from
asthma, diabetes and congenital heart
disease to juvenile inflammatory arthritis,
cystic fibrosis, neurological disabilities
and organ transplantation. As many as
60 percent of these patients experience
gaps in medical care, health-insurance
coverage or both during their transition
from adolescence to adulthood. To avoid
these problems, patients should begin
the transition to adult-based healthcare
between the ages of 12 and 18, Dr. Lotstein
says: “Early planning prevents problems
and helps to decrease anxiety for the
patients and their parents.”
At UCLA’s Med-Peds Transition Care
Program, preparing for the transition
involves evaluating patients’ current and
future healthcare needs and connecting
patients with appropriate providers to meet
those needs; addressing insurance-related
issues to prevent gaps in health coverage
when children are no longer eligible for
coverage under their parents’ health plans;
educating patients about self-care related
to their conditions; and helping patients
plan realistic education and career goals.
children with congenital heart defects
are surviving into adulthood and leading
active, productive lives, they may still face
certain challenges related to lifestyle and
career choices.
“Some patients don’t understand why
they should anticipate future challenges
such as the potential detrimental effects of
pregnancy or certain types of exercise,” he
says. “Discussing their personal goals and
recommendations early on helps to prevent
them from being disappointed or from
unintentionally hurting themselves later.”
Another important goal in the transition
process, Dr. Reardon says, is helping young
patients develop medical independence.
“There’s an interesting dynamic that occurs
when an adolescent takes ownership
of their healthcare from their parents.
They often feel empowered and begin
participating in their care in ways that
make them feel that they are not defined by
their medical condition,” Dr. Reardon says.
“Simple steps like scheduling appointments
or refilling prescriptions can help make
the transition to the adult setting much
more successful. Ultimately, we promote
independence so that our patients can
learn how to make positive choices for their
lives and participate in their own care and
decision-making as they become adults.”
In the Adolescent/Young Adult
Transitional Care Program for Congenital
Heart Disease at UCLA, “we try to help
patients and their parents understand
their condition using an age and
developmentally tailored approach,” says
pediatric cardiologist, Leigh Reardon,
MD, program director. “Many years
after heart surgery, some of our patients
believe they’re living on borrowed time,
while others feel like they’re invincible.”
Although an increasing percentage of
Vital Signs Spring 2014 Vol. 62
7