Report Meeting AEPC WG Prevention 30.11./01.12.2012
Munich
Recently, the Working Group on Prevention of the AEPC organized a special meeting in Munich. Prof. R. Oberhoffer (Head of the Institute of Preventive Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Secretary of the AEPC-WG), Prof. E. Jokinen (Head, Dept. Of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Helsinki, Speaker of the AEPC-WG), Dr. D. Ehringer-Schetitska (Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Wiener Neustadt, Counselor of the AEPC-WG), Dr. P. Fritsch (Consultant, Dept. of Pediatric Cardiology, Graz, Junior Member of the AEPC-WG), Dr. A. Petropoulos (Counselor of the AEPC-WG) and Prof. R. Dalla Pozza(Dept. of Pediatric Cardiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Treasurer of the AEPC-WG) met to discuss about possibilities for synchronizing the very different methods of IMT measurements in children.
After introduction of Prof. Oberhoffer the work of setting up standards for the IMT measurement started. According to the literature up to date, a total of 15 guidelines on pediatric IMT-measurement had been reviewed by the members of the WG. A lively discussion around the setting, measurement and interpretation of the IMT rose. During the following 2 days, several problems of IMT measurement were identified such as the lack of longitudinal data to proof the benefit of measuring and normalizing IMT in special patient groups. Also, the serious problem of widely differing setups in different ultrasound systems, the sometimes high intra- and interobserver variability and the different methods of IMT measurement werde addressed. After the 2-days meeting, the WG came to the conclusion, that an initiative to synchronize the methods used in different centers iswarranted and the next steps for the future should be the development of recommendations for a morehomogeneous IMT assessment in children.
Photo: Prof. R. Dalla Pozza, Prof. R. Oberhoffer, Prof. E. Jokkinen, Dr. D. Ehringer-Schetitska, Dr. A. Petropoulos (v. l. t. r.).