Dr. Salim Al Ketheri, MD(Cuba), PhD(Spain), Sr. Consultant
ACTIVITIES
Two busy clinics are run on Sundays and Tuesdays, at which referred patients are screened, admitted for investigation and initiation of therapy, or followed-up till they are stable enough to be back-referred to the various Regional hospitals and to health centres in the capital area.
Many intractable epilepsy patients, syndromic seizure disorders, epileptic encephalopathy problems are admitted and after complete work up and appropriate selection of anti-epileptic medications, they are sent back to the respective hospitals for further follow up. A protocol for management of status epilepsy has been introduced for use by Pediatric Accident & Emergency team of doctors. Neurological protocols for other emergencies have also been circulated for implementation by pediatricians at Royal Hospital and at other hospitals in the country.
Neurological investigations (electro-encephalography, nerve conduction studies, visual evoked potentials, brain stem auditory evoked potentials, somoto sensory evoked potentials) are performed on a regular basis to diagnose the complex neurological disorders. With the help of MRI imaging, many conditions like neuronal migration syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and mesial temporal sclerosis can now be diagnosed easily and managed appropriately. Recently video EEG has been made available at the Hospital thus enabling proper monitoring and treatment of paroxysmal movement disorders and intractable seizures.
Neuro-metabolic, neuro-degenerative disorders and a few rare diseases like Batten disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy, adrenoleukodystrophy, Alexander disease, have been diagnosed with the assistance of biochemical tests available at Royal Hospital and by referring some tests abroad.
The Physiotherapy department has been lending strong support to the neurological diseased children through special rehabilitation sessions and by counseling parents on activities of daily living for continued care at home.
In collaboration with Pediatric Neurology Department of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a study on acute flaccid paralysis in Oman is being carried out to evaluate the efficiency and safety of immunoglobulin in Gullian Barre Syndrome.
