Primary care needs of children with hydrocephalus.

Nurse practitioners are frequently called on to provide primary care to children with chronic medical conditions. Some conditions are seen less often than others, and primary care providers may be hesitant or reluctant to administer care without consultation or referral to the attending specialist. However, the attending specialist often is not trained in primary care and is unfamiliar with current immunization schedules, treatments for common infectious conditions, or child care and school regulations. Consequently, these children often receive less than optimal primary health care. Children with hydrocephalus have life-long special health care needs. These needs may alter their primary care; however, a review of the condition, its current treatment, and associated problems can provide the nurse practitioner with the necessary information to provide optimal primary health care to these children and their families.