Record Year for Acanthosis

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Sad but true...Texas state law requires us to screen 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st graders for Acanthosis Nigricans. We used to only screen 7th graders, then it went to 5th, then 3rd, and a few years ago 1st grade was added. The numbers go up every year in spite of the state screening mandate and in spite of all the nutrition/exercise information that abounds.

I have yet to run into an ex-student around town that I identified, and referred, with Acanthosis as a youngster that doesn't look like an older/larger version of the kid I remember...but with greater and more marked Acanthosis.

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I find the info falls onto deaf ears....I usually have around 5 kids per year that I refer out, with some of those the same kids I referred out in either 1st or 3rd grade with no record of follow up care - of those maybe 1 parent will take me seriously about the issue - the others just plain ignore my letters and phone call about it.

I find the ones that ignore my referrals usually have the same weight issues as their kid so you know nothing will change unless the whole family decides to take the steps to change their lifestyle habits.

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Specializes in OB.

Yikes! How depressing. I guess weight loss surgery and endocrinology are the lucrative fields to go into, sadly.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I tend to just send referrals, if nothing is brought back, there's nothing that can be done. I just input what I get back to them and it's good.

And yes, each year it gets higher... and even if I educate the parent and students, it falls in deaf ears.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

I can't "like" this because it's sad. And it's happening up here in the NTX, too.

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:( We don't have any kind of screening for this.
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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

Isnt that kinda "personal" to screen for? I mean dont you look under armpits and groin areas??

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Isnt that kinda "personal" to screen for? I mean dont you look under armpits and groin areas??

No, just the back of the neck...when we do the hearing screening.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
No, just the back of the neck...when we do the hearing screening.

Yeah you just ask them to bend their neck and look for the mark.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

DX info: Acanthosis Nigricans - KidsHealth

:happy:

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Good article, but such information, unfortunately, falls on deaf ears...:(

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Specializes in nurseline,med surg, PD.

It's frustrating when parents don't care.

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