3 research outputs found
Management of infantile hemangiomas during the COVID pandemic
This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.The COVIDâ19 pandemic has caused significant shifts in patient care including a steep decline in ambulatory visits and a marked increase in the use of telemedicine. Infantile hemangiomas (IH) can require urgent evaluation and risk stratification to determine which infants need treatment and which can be managed with continued observation. For those requiring treatment, prompt initiation decreases morbidity and improves longâterm outcomes. The Hemangioma Investigator Group has created consensus recommendations for management of IH via telemedicine. FDA/EMAâapproved monitoring guidelines, clinical practice guidelines, and relevant, upâtoâdate publications regarding initiation and monitoring of betaâblocker therapy were used to inform the recommendations. Clinical decisionâmaking guidelines about when telehealth is an appropriate alternative to inâoffice visits, including medication initiation, dosage changes, and ongoing evaluation, are included. The importance of communication with caregivers in the context of telemedicine is discussed, and online resources for both hemangioma education and propranolol therapy are provided