ABPMR Pediatric Rehab key terms

A scored bedside assessment of eye opening, verbal response, and motor response adapted for preverbal or young children; the total score of 3 to 15 grades injury severity and guides triage and serial monitoring.

The period after brain injury during which new memory formation is impaired, marked by confusion and disorientation; its duration predicts functional outcome and readiness for intensive rehabilitation and return to school.

An eight-level scale describing recovery of consciousness and cognition after brain injury, from no response through purposeful, appropriate behavior; clinicians use it to set expectations and stage rehabilitation goals.

Episodes of tachycardia, hypertension, tachypnea, diaphoresis, and posturing after severe brain injury, often triggered by routine care; treatment combines trigger avoidance with agents such as beta-blockers, gabapentin, or clonidine.

Brain injury from violent shaking or impact in infants, producing subdural hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhages, and diffuse axonal injury; survivors commonly need seizure management, feeding support, and long-term developmental surveillance.

The International Standards examination grades spinal cord injury from A (complete) to E (normal) using sacral sensory and motor testing; the grade predicts prognosis and frames rehabilitation planning.

Loss of sympathetic tone after cervical or high thoracic spinal cord injury causes hypotension with bradycardia and warm extremities; treated with fluids, vasopressors, and atropine, it contrasts with hypovolemic shock.

A life-threatening surge in blood pressure triggered by noxious stimuli below a lesion at or above T6, with headache, flushing, and bradycardia; immediate steps are sitting upright, loosening clothing, and removing the trigger.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction after neurologic injury, causing failure to store or empty urine; management aims to protect the kidneys and achieve continence through catheterization, medications, or bladder surgery.

The summed electrical response of a muscle recorded over the skin after electrical stimulation of its nerve; its amplitude and latency help localize nerve, neuromuscular junction, or muscle disease.

A nerve conduction technique delivering trains of supramaximal stimuli to detect an abnormal amplitude decrement at the neuromuscular junction; a decrement supports myasthenia gravis, while facilitation suggests Lambert-Eaton syndrome.

An X-linked dystrophinopathy causing progressive proximal weakness in boys, with calf pseudohypertrophy, elevated creatine kinase, and cardiomyopathy; care includes corticosteroids, stretching, orthoses, and timely ventilator and mobility support.

An autosomal recessive motor neuron disease from SMN1 loss, producing progressive weakness and areflexia; severity ranges from infantile to adult onset, and newer gene-targeted therapies can substantially alter the course.

An acute immune-mediated polyneuropathy causing ascending weakness and areflexia, often after infection; children need monitoring of breathing and swallowing, pain control, and rehabilitation during prolonged recovery.

Idiopathic avascular necrosis of the femoral head in children, typically ages four to eight, presenting with limp and groin or knee pain; treatment aims to contain the head in the acetabulum and preserve motion.

Displacement of the femoral neck relative to the epiphysis in older children or adolescents, causing hip or referred knee pain and limited internal rotation; urgent surgical fixation prevents further slip and avascular necrosis.

A spectrum of hip instability ranging from a shallow acetabulum to frank dislocation, detected by Ortolani and Barlow maneuvers or ultrasound; early bracing or surgery prevents lifelong arthritis and gait problems.

Unilateral sternocleidomastoid tightness causing head tilt and rotation restriction in infants, sometimes with plagiocephaly; conservative care emphasizes positioning, stretching, and tummy time, with screening for hip dysplasia.

A five-level classification of self-initiated sitting, walking, and wheeled mobility for children with cerebral palsy; levels are stable over time and guide prognosis, equipment selection, and service planning.

A neural tube defect in which meninges and spinal cord protrude through an unfused vertebral arch, causing paralysis, bowel and bladder dysfunction, hydrocephalus, and Chiari malformation; multidisciplinary lifelong care is required.

Excessive movement between the first and second cervical vertebrae from ligamentous laxity, seen in Down syndrome and other conditions; it risks cord compression, so screening and activity restrictions precede procedures such as intubation.

Brain injury from reduced oxygen and blood flow around birth, causing seizures, hypotonia, and feeding difficulty; therapeutic hypothermia reduces mortality and disability, and survivors need developmental surveillance and early intervention.

Dose-dependent heart muscle injury from doxorubicin and related chemotherapy that may appear years later as reduced ejection fraction or heart failure; survivors need periodic echocardiography and counseling about exercise and later cardiotoxic exposures.

Transient mutism, ataxia, and emotional lability after surgery near the cerebellum, often for medulloblastoma; recovery is gradual and requires patience, communication support, and intensive rehabilitation rather than urgent reimaging alone.

Chronic lung disease of prematurity with arrested alveolar growth and airflow obstruction; affected infants need oxygen, nutrition support, immunizations, and gradual exercise progression while monitoring for pulmonary hypertension.

Sensory and sometimes motor nerve damage from agents such as vincristine or cisplatin, causing pain, weakness, and balance loss; rehabilitation addresses gait safety, strengthening, and adaptive equipment while doses are adjusted.

A brace crossing the ankle that controls foot position during stance and swing; in children it manages equinus, crouch, or dorsiflexion weakness and must be paired with stretching and monitored for skin breakdown.

A wheelchair whose seat and back recline as a unit while preserving hip and knee angles, redistributing pressure and easing tone or fatigue; useful for children who cannot tolerate upright sitting for long periods.

Methods and devices, from picture boards to speech-generating tablets, that supplement or replace spoken language; successful implementation requires vocabulary selection, partner training, and access methods matched to motor ability.

Application of successive casts to gradually lengthen a tight muscle or correct a joint deformity, often before botulinum toxin for equinus; casting is followed by bracing and stretching to maintain the gains.

A legally required school plan for eligible students that documents present levels, measurable goals, services, accommodations, and placement; rehabilitation providers contribute evaluations and consult on participation and physical access needs.

A civil rights accommodation plan for students with a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, ensuring equal access without specialized instruction; used for conditions managed with medication, mobility aids, or fatigue precautions.

Planned movement of adolescents from pediatric to adult-centered care, addressing self-management skills, insurance, medications, and adult providers; successful transition begins years before transfer and includes written summaries.

A court-appointed arrangement granting an adult authority to make decisions for a person judged unable to do so; less restrictive alternatives such as supported decision-making should be considered first.