Key points
Early recognition helps improve and tailor care so people with muscular dystrophy (MD) can live to their full potential. This page contains MD tools for health professionals.
Screening and diagnosis
Early screening and identification can reduce the “diagnostic odyssey” that families of children with motor delays may face. Without early screening, families can spend years visiting different doctors and undergoing many tests to reach a correct diagnosis. Early screening enables a faster referral to a specialist. Early identification can mean quicker access to care, early intervention programs, or special education resources.
This web-based tool may help primary care clinicians, therapists, and other specialists diagnose child muscle weakness. The purpose of this tool is to decrease the time between initial signs and diagnosis, enabling earlier access to care.
Patient management for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
CDC funded development of updated care considerations for people living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). As science and medicine are advancing, people with DMD are living longer; therefore, their care throughout life is evolving as well. These care considerations, funded by the CDC, are intended to
- Raise the standards of care
- Help clinicians provide the best possible care to people with DMD
- Give families and caregivers the necessary information to manage care
The updated care considerations for DMD are contained in a set of three articles published in Lancet Neurology. They offer the latest clinical considerations to improve care and quality of life for people living with DMD. Clinicians who specialize in treating people with DMD developed these care considerations. They are based on current evidence for optimal care reported in the literature and the clinicians' own clinical experiences.
DMD updated care considerations
- Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1
- Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 2
- Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 3
Pediatrics supplement for subspecialty care
The Pediatrics supplement is a set of 13 articles expanding on the clinical care for subspecialties in the Lancet Neurology articles. The supplement provides resources, including a toolkit to help individuals with DMD transition into adult medical care. These articles and resources can help families and providers manage DMD care. Also included is an article on key elements of care considerations that clinics can measure.
Patient management for other types of muscular dystrophy
CDC funded the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) to develop treatment and care guidelines for other types of muscular dystrophy. These include limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and congenital muscular dystrophy. The AAN developed these guidelines using evidence from existing medical studies and expert opinion. These guidelines were published for healthcare professionals who treat individuals with muscular dystrophy.
Resources
- CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics' Clinical Report on Motor Delay.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics' Bright Futures.