JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH CARE Vol. 8, No. 3

DEFlClENCY OF GHOMTH HORMONE (OH) IN ADOLESCENTS WITH ANOREXIA NERVOSA (AN). Michael NussLaun. M.D., I. Ronald Shenher. M.D.. Sandra Blatho”. N.D.. Fred Chasolow, Ph.D., Joseph Feldman, Or. PH. Dept. OC Pcdiotrics. Schneider Children’s Hoapitol of Loos Inland Jowish Hcdlcel Center, New Hyde Pork. NY.

WC have previously roporrrd that odolescont vntionts with AN tend to be shorter thon norm”1 controls. We have atudiod Gil lovela in 18 AN patients ronSlnS Lo ago from I2 to 20 yews (LS-39% totol body weiSht loss.) Duration of syinptomu W(IP 2 months to 1D years. vlth 12 of the 18 having symptoms Ior 1 yoor or LP4S. WolSht * 11.0 ? 11.4 lba. and heISht 61.E t 3.3 in. All hod omonxrhco (4 ptlnuryl nod 15 of 18 hod cerebral atrophy on CT. Ti,e meon basal level of GH was 2.3. cornpored to G control Srouv of 4.1. vhich vos not statiatica11y slgnlficant. A blunted CH response (410 nJm1) vna seen in 1s of 18 (83X) pot*ixw. There woo no correlutlon batwoen GH response and w1Sht lass and/w duration ol dlaeoae or between hei,,ht or body mass lndcx (wtlht2). Tbyrold function “as decreased in five (Lou T3 but oorns, TO Ln r, of 3) cow”, but could not be correlated with GH Iowls.

Sewr.~l rocont reports have nhovn elevotcd GH levela lbnsal and alter vrowrh hormone rolol~L”S factor (CRF)I. The patients Lo these atudics were oldor und hod o Larger duration of diasasc. Slncc Clonidlnc Is believed to act ot the hyvotholnnlc lcvcl uhlle CRF acts nt the pltultary, our resulto R”S,,oEllt that thwo 1s on obnormol hyvotholnnlc resvunse to odrenergic and devumlnorgtc mtlmull uhlle rblovatcd renpon~c to CRY lndicntes normal pllultilry runcrlo”. Our patlcnt vovule~lon may differ uniquely in that WC arc “(ton the ftrat cunsultonta In o younsor aGo group. Socent roporta ntudyinn AN and the .Idrenol oxla aumcst the obnormslitv no” 11s nbove the Ilypothnis.us.

_.. ‘Wm. the rcrcbanl atrophy noted in 831: .f o;r patients may ho

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-8 Dmm NY *wEzwTmm - a.RisCile no, fw.mbroe HO. K.Durliwhan MD. E.Y.Commi”(l mu), F.Gottried. HD. p. Zirlng HO, Di”. of Adolescent Servicea. Dept. ol vsdiatrics, n”rri8t”wn “cmorlal Hollpltal, *ortistovn.NJ.

Suicide Is second leading eaooo of death in adolescents and dttemvto ate wt‘oatad to bo at least 10 times that oC co!nvlet‘ans. Zt was decided ho study the number of suic‘de ottowts seen in the ER of a suburban teaching hoapit.,l with D population prodominantly white-middle and “pvcr middle cld~a ovoc o 6-month period. since nanaganant of .3tt*mptors LB for f)‘Onl uniform from lnntitutian to institution or own I” tha Base inatituttona. ” study of dlspoaitioo Ior thesc Patienta woo made. The ntudy includad 42 patienta aqed la-20 yoaro. 601 lsmalo and 81% white, 521 older than 16 year.,. A11 of those uers adnitted to the hospital. 13 vaticnts .“.sl”atod primarily by ,“antaL health profesoionrle. with psychiatric =oosoIt.tio,,s. were admitted to our hospital or psychiatric facilities: 7 patienta wrc diachar9s.d to have outpatient follow-up that bad been atranged by the social worker. Further study is needed to determine whether there is a significant difference in long term outcome with different dispositions and why there was such a difference in the “umber of admissions to hospitals Strdy also investigated the dzfCerent nodes wed by suicide attempters where 76) were by drug ingestion.