title: Referral and diagnostic trends in pediatric electromyography in the molecular era.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major advances in genetic analysis and neuroimaging have modified the traditional diagnostic approach for neuromuscular disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of electromyography (EMG) in the molecular era.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively surveyed reports of all EMG studies performed at Boston Children's Hospital from 2001 through 2011. Data were collected on study numbers, patient ages, referring provider subspecialty, study indication, electrophysiological diagnosis, and study utility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2100 studies were performed. The volume increased from ~160 to ~250 studies/year. There was a trend toward studying older children. Neurologists, including neuromuscular specialists, constituted the major referral pool, whereas referrals from orthopedics increased steadily. Polyneuropathies followed by mononeuropathies were the most common indications and diagnoses. Fifty-seven percent of studies were normal. EMG provided meaningful information in 94% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EMG continues to play a cardinal role in the diagnosis of pediatric neuromuscular disorders, although its practice paradigm is evolving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karakis
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: Basil T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Darras
authors.forename: H Royden
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010372:Pediatrics; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: EMG; clinical neurophysiology; pediatric EMG; pediatric neuromuscular disorders; practice of electromyography