Volume 23, Issue 1, Supplement , Pages S5-S21, January 2009
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Closing Diagnostic, Communication, and Treatment Gaps
Abstract
Nurses and nurse practitioners often play a key role in the management of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder that often persists into adolescence and adulthood. The diagnosis of ADHD requires careful history taking, use of standardized rating scales, and close attention to the patient's behavior and informants' reports. Stimulants appear to be most effective for patients with this diagnosis, but pharmacotherapy for ADHD should be combined with educational and behavioral interventions and careful follow-up to optimize treatment outcomes. Nurses and nurse practitioners must advocate to assist patients and families achieve goals at home and at school.
Key words: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, psychiatric comorbidities, screening, diagnosis
STATEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Amy Vierhile has received grant/research support from Ovation, Eisai, Shire and is on the McNeil Pediatrics Speakers' Bureau. Adelaide Robb has received grant/research support from Janssen, Otsuka, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Forest Laboratories, has received consulting fees from Lundbeck and Otsuka, is on the Speakers' Bureau for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and McNeil Pediatrics, and is on the Advisory Boards for Eli Lilly and Forest Laboratories. Patricia Ryan-Krause has reported no significant financial relationship with any commercial entity related to this activity. XME reviewer Bob Rhodes hereby states that neither he nor his spouse/life partner have any financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interests related to the content of this CE activity of any amount during the past 12 months.
PII: S0891-5245(08)00345-3
doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2008.10.009
© 2009 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Volume 23, Issue 1, Supplement , Pages S5-S21, January 2009