 istorian Will Durant once said, "The health of nations is more important than the wealth of nations." And it is indisputable that a nation's health begins with its children's health.
It is horrifying to see a baby or small child struggling to breathe - but help is at hand at Winthrop, one of the few hospitals in the region with three hospital-based Pediatric Pulmonologists. Haesoon Lee, MD, Chief, Pediatric Pulmonology, Mary Cataletto, MD, Associate Director, and Pramod Narula, MD, Director of Pediatric Critical Care provide expert diagnosis, individually tailored treatment, and above all, quality care, for both inpatients and ambulatory patients.
Here, Mary Cataletto, MD (R), Associate Director, Pediatric Pulmonology, encourages four-year-old patient Michael Berrios to breathe into the Peak Flow Meter. |
In each case, therapies are
implemented to fit the patient's specific medical diagnosis, stage
of development, chronological age, family support system, and personality. A close personal relationship usually develops among the Winthrop pediatric pulmonary medical and support staff, the patient, and parents.
Diseases and conditions treated:
* bronchiolitis
* bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
* childhood asthma
* croup
* Cystic Fibrosis
* pleural effusion
* pneumonia
* Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV)
* sleep apnea
* tuberculosis (TB)
Advanced Diagnostics: Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy
Winthrop is also one of only a few Long Island hospitals to provide fiberoptic bronchoscopy, utilizing digital video recording, for even the smallest premature babies and children. Dr. Pramod Narula uses flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopes "as thin as a single strand of spaghetti" to help diagnose congenital and acquired diseases of the lung.
Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV)
"RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children, affecting most children by their second year of life," says Warren Rosenfeld, MD, Chairman of Winthrop's Department of Pediatrics. RSV infection ranges from mild cold symptoms to life-threatening lung disease. Children who are born prematurely, before the 35th week of gestation, are the most vulnerable. Winthrop's Pediatric Pulmonology Division has a specially designed program for the administration of Synagis,TM a new monoclonal antibody, proven to prevent or lessen the severity of RSV. "The lifesaving value of SynagisTM therapy for RSV prevention cannot be overstated," Dr. Lee adds. "RSV causes more than 90,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 childhood deaths annually in the United States."
Asthma
At Winthrop, quality asthma treatment depends upon intensive education and training for patients and parents, including the identification of what "triggers" asthmatic exacerbation, how to reduce environmental factors, and how to provide immediate and appropriate care at home.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
This chronic lung disease affects prematurely born children, who spent the first weeks of their lives on a ventilator. Premature children, and those born with respiratory distress syndrome, suffer a surfactant deficiency, producing abnormal growth of lung tissue, which can endure through the child's second year of life. Once diagnosed, Winthrop's pediatric pulmonologists treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia until recovery is assured.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea in children is often caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which can be removed surgically. If the problem is neuromuscular, further diagnostics and treatments are available through Winthrop's full service Sleep Disorders Center - Nassau County's only accredited Center.
Support Systems Enhance Quality of Life
At Winthrop, pediatric pulmonary medicine is provided in a warm and supportive environment. For chronically ill children who require ventilator support, home care services are provided. If necessary, psychosocial counseling, provided by Winthrop's Child Psychologist, William Bryson-Brockmann, PhD, can be invaluable in coping with emotional problems that could arise.
An added benefit to patients is the research in pulmonary disease which is being conducted in Winthrop's CardioPulmonary Research Institute, leading to further improvements in care.
For further information or to make an appointment, call the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at 516/663-4937 or 516/663-8401.
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