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Welcome to AACPDM eCourses! 

Registration is now closed for Complex Care: Team Management in Spinal Fusion for Children with Cerebral Palsy. If you have registered, you may login at the left and begin the course. If you are new, you will need to first create an account. Please keep in mind this is separate from your AACPDM account (unless you created it to be the same).



Course Opens: June 7, 2017 (self-paced)

Course Closes: July 12, 2017 (no extensions allowed)

The registration deadline has passed.


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For best results, you’re encouraged to access your eCourses through a high-speed broadband service, and check to make sure you have adequate audio and video capabilities, including Adobe Flash. eCourses will perform well on either a Mac or Windows-based computer.


HOW TO ENROLL:

1. Login if you have taken an eCourse before or Create an Account

Please keep in mind this is separate from your AACPDM account (unless you created it to be the same).

2. Select the Course from “Available Courses”

3. Follow the directions on screen to submit a payment through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account and may checkout as a guest. 


Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be granted to AACPDM eCourses enrollment. Any cancellation requests must be received in writing prior to the course start date to info@aacpdm.org. Approved requests will be given credit towards a future AACPDM eCourse. 
  • Shared Discussion Forum

    This is the shared discussion forum for students enrolled in the Complex Care AACPDM eCourse. You may respond within an existing post or create a new question.


    Presenters will be monitoring the discussion board occasionally, but as they are volunteering their time for the eCourse, please excuse any delay in response.


Available courses

Non-Members

Complex Care: Team Management In Spinal Fusion for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Presenters: Mohan Belthur, MD, FRCS (Tr & Orth), FRCS(C), Dr. Ranjit Varghese, Irene Dietz, MD, FAAP, Gina Rempel, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, Lisa Letzkus, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-AC, CCRN, & Holly Beth Roach, OTR, ATP

Course Description:

Spine deformity is common in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities especially cerebral palsy. Surgical intervention presents management challenges to their families and care teams because of the complex interplay of co-occurring conditions. Decreased pulmonary function, inadequate nutrition, seizures, infection and immunodeficiency, coagulopathies, decreased mobility, communication and cognitive difficulties may all be present.

Protocol-based care has been shown to successfully decrease the number of days on mechanical ventilation, improve mortality from sepsis, reduce costs of hospitalization, and reduce the incidence of drug-resistant bacterial infections. A high-risk spine protocol helps patients by having dedicated professionals in multiple specialties focusing on all aspects of a patients care in the pre, intra and postoperative phases. This course will present the current knowledge informing providers for children with NM disorders in this process.

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the prevalence of scoliosis in children with cerebral palsy, risk factors for developing scoliosis, natural history, treatment options, and outcomes of surgical treatment, complications and related healthcare costs.

  2. Identify modifiable risk factors and co-occurring conditions including airway, pulmonary, cardiac, nutritional, musculoskeletal, and psychosocial issues should be evaluated and treated before undergoing high-risk spine surgery

  3. Understand how dedicated multidisciplinary team involved throughout the pre-, intra-, and postoperative periods improves patient outcome

  4. Integrate how protocol-based care in spine surgery may lead to reduced complications and better outcomes with reduced length of stay and overall improved patient outcomes

  5. Discuss how shared decision-making and adequate preparation of the family before surgery improves outcomes


The AACPDM would like to thank these presenters for generously volunteering their time to present this eCourse.


AACPDM Members

Complex Care: Team Management In Spinal Fusion for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Presenters: Mohan Belthur, MD, FRCS (Tr & Orth), FRCS(C), Dr. Ranjit Varghese, Irene Dietz, MD, FAAP, Gina Rempel, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, Lisa Letzkus, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-AC, CCRN, & Holly Beth Roach, OTR, ATP

Course Description:

Spine deformity is common in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities especially cerebral palsy. Surgical intervention presents management challenges to their families and care teams because of the complex interplay of co-occurring conditions. Decreased pulmonary function, inadequate nutrition, seizures, infection and immunodeficiency, coagulopathies, decreased mobility, communication and cognitive difficulties may all be present.

Protocol-based care has been shown to successfully decrease the number of days on mechanical ventilation, improve mortality from sepsis, reduce costs of hospitalization, and reduce the incidence of drug-resistant bacterial infections. A high-risk spine protocol helps patients by having dedicated professionals in multiple specialties focusing on all aspects of a patients care in the pre, intra and postoperative phases. This course will present the current knowledge informing providers for children with NM disorders in this process.

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the prevalence of scoliosis in children with cerebral palsy, risk factors for developing scoliosis, natural history, treatment options, and outcomes of surgical treatment, complications and related healthcare costs.
  2. Identify modifiable risk factors and co-occurring conditions including airway, pulmonary, cardiac, nutritional, musculoskeletal, and psychosocial issues should be evaluated and treated before undergoing high-risk spine surgery
  3. Understand how dedicated multidisciplinary team involved throughout the pre-, intra-, and postoperative periods improves patient outcome
  4. Integrate how protocol-based care in spine surgery may lead to reduced complications and better outcomes with reduced length of stay and overall improved patient outcomes
  5. Discuss how shared decision-making and adequate preparation of the family before surgery improves outcomes

The AACPDM would like to thank these presenters for generously volunteering their time to present this eCourse.