Equipping APRNs in how to recognize, diagnose and treat PANDAS/PANS, featuring Amy Cross, APRN, CNP, PMHNP-BC, and Sarah Lemley, MPA; HA
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) are post-infectious neuroinflammatory disorders impacting as many as 1 in 200 children.
Participants will learn how PANDAS/PANS are often mistaken for a psychiatric illness, tic disorder, eating disorder, or a behavioral health problem. Patients are often treated symptomatically with psychotropic medications which, in addition to often causing troubling side effects, do little or nothing to relieve the symptoms.
We’ll explore how treatment involving the administration of antimicrobials and often anti-inflammatory treatments require careful medical observation and ongoing evaluation. Patients with moderate-severe presentation may require immunomodulatory, which can be financially devastating to families due to the lack of insurance coverage.
PANDAS/PANS are clinical diagnoses in which formalized diagnostic and treatment guidelines have been established by leading experts who make up the PANS consortium and were published in the Journal of Adolescent Psychopharmacology. We’ll review these guidelines as well as common barriers to screening for these disorders.
Session objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the basic biological processes involved in pediatric neuropsychiatric illnesses such as PANDAS and PANS.
- Recognize major and minor symptoms required in order to make this clinical diagnosis.
- Demonstrate an understanding of first-line treatment options and differentiating levels of symptom severity.
- Identify barriers to care as well as local resources to support both the patient and family.
Amy Cross, APRN, CNP, PMHNP-BC
Amy is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with more than 40 years of psychiatric nursing experience. She has been the Medical Relations manager for Moleculera Biosciences since 2014 focused on helping providers of all types understand, recognize, and treat patients who have infection triggered autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders. Amy also maintains a private practice, Lakeside Counseling, serving patients of all ages in Oklahoma with a wide variety of mental and behavioral health issues.
Amy holds a BS in Psychology from Fairmont State University and an MS in Community Health Education from West Virginia University, as well as a BSN and MSN from Purdue University.
Sarah Lemley, MPA; HA
Sarah is the co-founder and executive director of the Northwest PANDAS/PANS Network, a 501c3 nonprofit serving Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. She hosted the first Northwest PANDAS/PANS Provider roundtable, coordinated five Grand Rounds, and worked to pass legislation in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. She has also coordinated four Awareness Day Walks and supported over 1,500 families in the Northwest.
Sarah is a lifelong advocate, with many years serving victims of rape and domestic violence with the District Attorney’s office in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Lane counties. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration; Health Administration from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon.