Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Arthritis in childhood? Isn't that only an old person's
disease?
Most laypeople
and many doctors fail to appreciate that arthritis in children exists. For the children affected and their families, education about the condition is essential. Many
children suffer for months or years before the diagnosis of arthritis
is thought of and proper treatment begun. But the problem doesn't end
there. Children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty
because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that children can develop arthritis. They have no idea what to expect from the child with
arthritis or about the nature of the illness. As a result, when the
child is finally diagnosed with arthritis, the family may be told just
to put them in a wheelchair because "nothing can be done." This is
entirely wrong!
How common is arthritis in children?
Arthritis affects approximately one child in every 1,000 in a given
year. Fortunately, most of these cases are mild. However,
approximately one child in every 10,000 will have more severe
arthritis that doesn't just go away. Many children have what is
called an acute inflammatory arthritis following a viral or bacterial infection. This arthritis is often quite severe for a brief period but usually disappears within a few weeks or months. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common type of arthritis that persists for months or years at a time. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is also now called juvenile arthritis or juvenile arthritis of unknown cause (juvenile idiopathic arthritis).
What are the signs, symptoms, and treatment of the different forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis?
There are three main forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which are classified by how they begin. These forms are pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and systemic-onset (inflamed joints with
high fevers and rash).
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing spondylitis is genetically inherited.
Kawasaki disease is a rare children's disease characterized by a fever that lasts more than five days and at least four of the following five symptoms are present: rash, swollen neck lymph gland, red tongue, swelling or redness of the hands or feet, and conjunctivitis. High doses of aspirin are used to treat Kawasaki disease. Cortisone and antiinflammatory drugs may also be used during treatment.
Still's disease (Systemic-Onset Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) is a disorder characterized by inflammation with high fever spikes, fatigue, salmon-colored rash and/or arthritis. Though there have been several theories regarding the cause(s) of Still's disease, the cause is not yet known. Many symptoms of Still's disease are often treatable with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Iritis is inflammation of the iris, the colored portion of the eye. Symptoms include a red, painful eye, blurry vision, and light sensitivity. Treatment usually involves cortisone eyedrops.
Growth plate fractures and injuries occur in the area growing tissue near the end of the long bones of children and teens. Both boys and girls are susceptible to growth plate fracture and injury. Common causes include: a fall while playing sports or playing on furniture or playground equipment, overuse injury from sports, injuries from competitive sports, child abuse, frostbite, and juvenile arthritis. Growth plate fracture and injury are classified into five categories according to the Salter-Harris Classification.
You have been informed by your healthcare provider that you will need to
receive intravenous (IV) infusions of a medication to treat your health condition.
What are some of the conditions that are treated with an IV drug infusion?
Examples of conditions treated with IV infusion include:
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