Difficult vaccine targets – RSV and Dengue

Both RSV and Dengue have proved to be difficult vaccine targets.  In both cases vaccine development has taken a very long time, and in both cases some vaccine candidates have led to more severe disease in some individuals. We are currently in the middle of an era of remarkable progress in both fields, but problems remain. 

Children having tests, treatments, examinations and interventions; proposing an approach to minimise anxiety, distress, restraint and harm

This Grand Round will provide a critical overview of what we know about holding children for clinical procedures, considering the child, parent, health professional and system factors which can influence procedural practice. Lucy will discuss an approach to challenge accepted narratives within practice and adopt a more child-centred rights-based approach to reduce harm and the use of restrictive practice during procedures.

100 years of insulin at The Royal Children’s Hospital – pigs, pumps and pluripotent potential

One hundred years ago the first insulin injection was given at RCH. Overnight, type 1 diabetes went from a fatal to a ‘manageable’ condition. Since that time, diabetes management has developed and evolved to a point where in the near future it is hoped that exogenous insulin will represent a treatment failure rather than a therapeutic mainstay. This Grand Round will trace the history of insulin therapy and diabetes management at RCH, and discuss the likely direction of new therapies in the upcoming decades.

Lessons learned from the review of child deaths in Victoria in 2021

The independent Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM) reviews cases of maternal, perinatal, and paediatric mortality and morbidity. Child deaths have been reviewed since 1985. The child and adolescent subcommittee of CCOPMM reviews deaths and develops recommendations and good practice points for practitioners and health systems.  

NAIDOC Week – For Our Elders: celebrating the valuable contribution of Elders in the work of the Melbourne Children’s Campus

This year’s NAIDOC Week Theme, ‘For Our Elders’ celebrates the valuable contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders in all areas of Australia. Please join Melbourne Children’s Campus leaders in Aboriginal and Torres Islander healthcare in a panel discussion about the crucial role that Elders play in our services, programs, care and research. The panel aims to acknowledge and celebrate the often hidden guidance, influence and advocacy of Elders in health.

Medicines for ADHD: They work, but are they safe?

Meta-analyses show that medication is an effective treatment pathway in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. These medications are also commonly associated with a number of side effects and risk factors for other conditions, which are less well understood by practitioners. This Grand Round intends to balance understanding of the efficacy of ADHD medication with the potential risks, and provide evidence for the safety of ADHD medication prescription in clinical practice.