Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0085632 (apathy)
 4,089 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Communication difficulties are a commonly cited barrier to health-care provision for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, an examination of the medical and psychological literature on pain suggests that alternative explanations for some instances of medical catastrophe are pain insensitivity or pain indifference. Although the proportion of case studies of pain-absent individuals who also have developmental disabilities is much higher than would be expected given the size of this subpopulation, proper incidence studies have not been conducted. Reinterpretation of a study on intestinal obstruction-caused mortality suggests that there is a pressing need for such incidence studies.
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PMID:Pain insensitivity and indifference: alternative explanations for some medical catastrophes. 177 77

Intussusception, the invagination of a portion of the intestine into an adjacent segment, is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in post neonatal children. Most cases are idiopathic, but in about 2-12% the intussusception evolves secondary to an underlying abnormality. Classically, there is sudden onset of attacks of screaming, accompanied by pallor, vomiting, and irritability in a previously health child. Some gradually become weaker and lethargic. We evaluated variations in presenting symptoms and outcome as related to age and time until admission. There were incidence peaks in the spring and autumn. 48% developed irritability, while 42% were described as apathetic. These results emphasize the importance of awareness that apathy can be a major presenting symptom. The younger the child, the greater the rate of success of reduction by hydrostatic pressure. In those admitted within 24 hours of onset, the rate of reduction was twice that in those admitted later. Awareness of atypical symptoms and early diagnosis may affect treatment and improve prognosis.
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PMID:[Intussusception in infants]. 792 13