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Pediatric procedures
4to.
367 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Walter T. Hughes Jr.
16 books1 followerAs a pioneer in his field, Walter Hughes, MD, helped position St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a world leader in pediatric infectious diseases during a remarkable career that deeply influenced countless lives in Memphis and beyond.
He joined St. Jude in 1969 and was one of the first physicians to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases. Hughes helped establish the hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and served as the department’s chair from 1969–77 and again from 1981–95.
Hughes initiated pediatric AIDS research at St. Jude and held the Arthur Ashe Chair in Pediatric AIDS Research from 1993–98. He became an emeritus faculty member in 1998. In addition, Hughes was the co-founder and first elected president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Hughes played a pivotal role in cancer treatment early into his career with St. Jude. As the Total Therapy studies in the early 1970s increased survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, preventing and treating infection became the next obstacle to tackle. After the intense cancer therapy, more patients with weakened immune system began to die of infection rather than cancer. In 1973, Hughes led work that identified Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) as a life-threatening infection in pediatric cancer patients. He and his colleagues found that 20% of pediatric cancer patients contracted the fungus.
“Almost single-handedly, Walter used an animal model to develop a therapy that was then applied in St. Jude patients in a classic clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Within a short time, the incidence of PCP in St. Jude patients dropped to zero, allowing a significant improvement in cure rate for pediatric ALL,” said Charles Sherr, MD, PhD, Tumor Cell Biology chair.
The research showed that the drug combination trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was highly effective for PCP prevention and treatment. In 1981, PCP was the first opportunistic infection identified in patients with HIV/AIDS. The drug combination remains the most commonly used drug to prevent or treat PCP in patients with AIDS.
Hughes authored more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals and medical textbooks. He also published seven books, including On Hallowed Ground: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in which he discussed the hospital’s origins and growth.
He joined St. Jude in 1969 and was one of the first physicians to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases. Hughes helped establish the hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and served as the department’s chair from 1969–77 and again from 1981–95.
Hughes initiated pediatric AIDS research at St. Jude and held the Arthur Ashe Chair in Pediatric AIDS Research from 1993–98. He became an emeritus faculty member in 1998. In addition, Hughes was the co-founder and first elected president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Hughes played a pivotal role in cancer treatment early into his career with St. Jude. As the Total Therapy studies in the early 1970s increased survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, preventing and treating infection became the next obstacle to tackle. After the intense cancer therapy, more patients with weakened immune system began to die of infection rather than cancer. In 1973, Hughes led work that identified Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) as a life-threatening infection in pediatric cancer patients. He and his colleagues found that 20% of pediatric cancer patients contracted the fungus.
“Almost single-handedly, Walter used an animal model to develop a therapy that was then applied in St. Jude patients in a classic clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Within a short time, the incidence of PCP in St. Jude patients dropped to zero, allowing a significant improvement in cure rate for pediatric ALL,” said Charles Sherr, MD, PhD, Tumor Cell Biology chair.
The research showed that the drug combination trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was highly effective for PCP prevention and treatment. In 1981, PCP was the first opportunistic infection identified in patients with HIV/AIDS. The drug combination remains the most commonly used drug to prevent or treat PCP in patients with AIDS.
Hughes authored more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals and medical textbooks. He also published seven books, including On Hallowed Ground: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in which he discussed the hospital’s origins and growth.
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