Emergency and Surgery

Emergency care considerations

If you find yourselves needing to go to the hospital in an emergency situation, there are a range of factors that should be taken into account.

  • The diagnosis of DMD, current medication, presence of any respiratory and cardiac complications and the people who are your key medical input should be made clear to the admitting unit.
  • As many health professionals are not aware of the potential management strategies available for DMD, the current life expectancy and expected good quality of life should also be explained.

Important facts to remember

  1. You are very likely to know more about DMD than the doctors in Accident and Emergency.
  2. Advise the doctor or healthcare staff if your son is taking steroids.
  3. If your son has a broken bone, insist that they speak with your doctor or physiotherapist.
  4. If you can, bring copies of your son’s most recent test results, such as FVC and LVEF.
  5. If your son’s oxygen level drops, the doctor must be very careful about giving him oxygen or sedating medication.

Information based on consensus statement (published in January 2010)