Nicholas S. Abend, MD, MSCE
Areas of expertise: Pediatric epilepsy, Video EEG monitoring, Identification and management of seizures in critically ill children and neonates, Management of status epilepticus
Locations: Main Building, Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
About Nicholas S. Abend, MD, MSCE
Titles
Attending Physician
Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, a Pediatric Neurologist in the Division of Neurology, the Senior Medical Director for the Neuroscience Center, and the Medical Director of the Neurophysiology Lab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Certifications
Child Neurology – American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Epilepsy – American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Awards and Honors
2017, Cosimo Ajmone-Marson Award, Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
2012, Award for Resident Teaching, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
2008, Fellow’s Clinical Research Award, Research Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2007, Samuel Zeritsky Award for Excellence in Research, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
2007, Meg Barkman Humanism in Medicine Award, Neurology Division, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
International
2019-present, International League Against Epilepsy
- Neonatal Seizure Task Force Co-Chair 2022-present
2008-present, Critical Care EEG Monitoring Research Consortium
- Secretary 2011-2015, Chair 2015-2017, Past-Chair 2017-2019
2010-present, Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group
National
2007-present, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (Fellow)
- Secretary 2021-2023, Vice President 2024-present
2013-present, American Neurological Association
2006-present, American Epilepsy Society (Fellow)
2004-present, Child Neurology Society
2004-present, American Academy of Neurology (Fellow)
Other Memberships
2019-present, Epic Electronic Health Record
- 2019-present, Neurodiagnostics Subcommittee
- 2020-present, Pediatric Neurology Steering Board
2019-present, Epilepsy Learning Health System, Council Member and Site PI
2018-present, National Professional Advisory Board, Epilepsy Foundation
Editorial and Academic Positions
Editorial Positions
2020-present, Editorial Board Member, Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
2013-2020, Editorial Board Member, Epilepsia
2012-present, Editorial Board Member, Seizure
Institutional and Academic Committees
2022-present, Committee on Appointments, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
2020-present, Neurocritical Care Fellowship Committee, Division of Neurology, CHOP
2015-present, Safety and Quality Committee, Division of Neurology, CHOP
2015-present, Education Committee, Division of Neurology, CHOP
2015-present, Recruitment Committee, Division of Neurology, CHOP
2015-present, Clinical Affairs Committee, Department of Pediatrics, CHOP
2012-present, Executive Committee, Division of Neurology, CHOP
Research Interests
EEG monitoring and seizure management in critically ill children and neonates Status epilepticus management
Education & training
Graduate Degree
Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) - Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Medical Degree
MD - University of Chicago School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Internship
Pediatrics - University of Chicago Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
Residency
Pediatrics - University of Chicago Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship
Child Neurology - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Additional Training
Certificate of Development in Leadership - Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Publications
Publications
2022
Mehta N, Shellhaas RA, McCuloch CE, Chang T, Wusthoff CJ, Abend NS, Lemmon ME, Chu CJ, Massey SL, Franck LS, Thoas C, Soul JS, Rogers E, Numis A, Glass HC. Seizure Burden, EEG Background, and Outcome in Neonates with Acute Intracranial Infections: A Prospective Multicenter Study. Pediatric Neurology. 137 54-61 2022.
Jacobwitz M, Mulvihill C, Kaufman MC, Gonzalez AK, Resendiz K, MacDonald JM, Francoeur C, Helbig I, Topjian AA, Abend NS. Ketamine for Management of Neonatal and Pediatric Refractory Status Epilepticus. Neurology. 99(12) e1227-1238 2022.
Prelack M, Fridinger S, Gonzalez AK, Kaufman MC, Xian J, Galer PD, Craig S, Rametta SC, Sharif U, Szperka C, Chadehumbe M, Fitzgerald MP, Chuo J, Melamed SE, Malcolm MP, Kessler SK, Banwell BL, Stephenson D, Abend NS, Helbig I. Visits of concern in child neurology telemedicine. Dev Med Child Neuro. 64(11) 1351-1358 2022.
Herzberg E, Glass HC, Shellhaas RA, Wusthoff CJ, Chang T, Abend NS, Chu CJ, Cilio R, Bonifacio SL, Massey SL, McCulloch CE, Soul JS. Seizure severity and treatment response in term and preterm neonates with seizures attributed to intracranial hemorrhage. Journal of Pediatrics. 242 63-73 2022.
Keene JC, Morgan JA, Abend N, Bates S, Huang SL, Chang T, Chu CJ, Glass HC, Massey S, Ostrander B, Pardo AC, Press C, Soul J, Shellhaas R, Thomas C, Natarajan N. Treatment of Neonatal seizures: Comparison of Treatment Pathways from 11 Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Pediatric Neurology. 128 67-74 2022.
Massey SL, Glass HC, Shellhaas RA, Bonifacio S, Chang T, Chu C, Cilio MR, Lemmon ME, McCulloch CE, Soul JS, Thomas C, Wusthoff CJ, Xiao R, Abend NS. Characteristics of Neonates with Cardiopulmonary Diseases who Experience Seizures: A Multi-Center Study. Journal of Pediatrics. 242 63-73 2022.
DiGiovine MP, Massey SL, LaFalce D, Vala L, Allen-Napoli L, Banwell BL, Abend NS. Video Ambulatory EEG in Children – A Quality Improvement Study. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 39 271-275 2022.
Hutchinson M, Nash K, Abend N, Moharir M, Wells E, Messer R, Palaganas J, Helbig I, Wietstock S, Suslovic W, Gonzalez A, Kaufman M, Press C, Piantino J. Multicenter Study of the Impact of COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place on Tertiary Hospital-Based Care for Pediatric Neurologic Disease. Neurohospitalist. 12(2) 218-226 2022.
2021
Frank LS, Shellhaas RA, Lemmon ME, Sturza J, Barnes M, Brogi T, Hill E, Moline K, Soul JS, Chang T, Wusthoff CJ, Chu CJ, Massey SL, Abend NS, Thomas C, Rogers EE, McCulloch CE, Glass HC. Parent mental health and family coping over two years after birth of a child with acute neonatal seizures. Children. 9(1) 2021.
Lemmon ME, Glass HC, Shellhaas RA, Barks MC, Bansal S, Annis D, Guerrero JL, Pilon B, Wusthoff CJ, Change T, Soul JS, Chu CJ, Thomas C, Massey SL, Abend NS, Rou S, Rogers EE, Franck LS. Family-centered Care for Children and Families Impacted by Neonatal Seizures: Advice from Parents. Pediatric Neurology. 124 26-32 2021.
Fung FW, Parikh DS, Massey S, Fitzgerald M, Vala L, Donnelly M, Jacobwitz M, Kessler S, Topjian AA, Abend NS. Periodic and Rhythmic Patterns in Critically Ill Children: Incidence, Inter-Rater Agreement, and Seizures. Epilepsia. 62 (12) 2955-2967 2021.
Vasquez A, Farias-Moeller R, Sánchez Fernández I, Abend NS, Anderson A, Arya R, Brenton JN, Carpenter JL, Clark J, Gaillard WD, Glauser T, Goldstein JL, Goodkin HP Guerriero RM, Lai YC, McDonough TL, Mikati MA, Morgan LA, Novotny EJ, Ostendorf AP, Payne ET, Peariso K, Piantino J, Riviello J, Sands TT, Sannagowdara K, Tasker RC, Tchapyjnikov D, Topjian A, Wainwright MS, Wilfong A, Williams K, Loddenkemper T. Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus in Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. 22 (12) e613-e625 2021.
Topjian AA, Zhang B, Xiao R, Fung FW, Berg RA, Graham K, Abend NS. Multimodal Models Including Early EEG Improve Stratification of Brain Injury Severity after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest. Resuscitation. 167 282-288 2021.
Wusthoff CJ, Sundaram V, Abend NS, Massey SL, Lemmon ME, Cameron T, McCulloch CE, Chang T, Soul JS, Chu CJ, Rogers EE, Bonifacio SL, Cilio MR, Glass HC, Shellhaas RA. Seizure Control in Neonates Undergoing Screening Versus Confirmatory EEG Monitoring. Neurology. 97 (6) e587-e596 2021.
Shellhaas RA, Wusthoff CW, Numis A, Chu CJ, Massey SL, Abend NS, Soul JS, Chang T, Lemmon ME, Thomas C, McNamara NA, Guillet R, Franck L, Sturza J, McCullouch C, Glass HC. Early-life epilepsy after acute symptomatic neonatal seizures: a prospective multicenter study. Epilepsia. 62 (8) 1871-1882 2021.
Fitzgerald MP, Kaufman MC, Masset SL, Fridinger S, Prelack M, Ellis C, Ortiz-Gonzalez X, Fried LE, DiGiovine MP, Melamed S, Malcolm M, Banwell B, Stephenson D, Witzman S, Gonzalez A, Dlugos D, Kessler S, Goldberg EM, Abend NS, Helbig I. Assessing seizure burden in pediatric epilepsy using a medical record based tool through a common data element approach. Epilepsia. 62 (7) 1617-1628 2021.
Vakorin VA, Dragos NA, Payne ET, McBain KL, Frndova H, Go C, Ribary U, Abend NS, Gallentine WB, Nash KB, Hutchinson JS, Parshuram CS, Snear OC, Van Straaten IECW, Stam CJ, Doesburg SM, Hahn DC. Alterations in coordinated electroencephalographic activity precede the development of seizures among comatose children. Clinical Neurophysiology. 132 (7) 1505-1514 2021.
Glass HC, Soul JS, Change T, Wusthoff C, Chu CJ, Massey SL, Abend NS, Lemmon M, Thomas C, Numis AL, Guillet R, Sturza J, McNamara NA, Rogers EE, Franck LS, McCulloch CE, Shellhaas RA. Safety of early discontinuation of anti-seizure medication after acute symptomatic neonatal seizures: a prospective, multi-center comparative effectiveness study. JAMA Neurology. 78 (7) 817-825 2021.
Sheehan T, Amengual-Gual M, Vasquez A, Abend NS, Anderson A, Appavu B, Arya R, Aguilar CB, Brenton JN, Carpenter JL, Chapman K, Clark J, Farrias-Moeller R, Gaillard WD, Gainza-Lein M, Glauser TA, Goodkin HP, Guerriero RM, Huh L, Jackson M, Kapur K, Kahoud R, Lai YC, McDonough TL, Mikati MA, Morgan L, Novotny EJ, Ostendorf AP, Payne ET, Peariso K, Piantino J, Reece L, Riviello JJ, Sandsa TT, Sannagowdara K, Shellhaas R, Smith G, Tasker RC, Tchapyjnikov D, Topjian AA, Wainwright MS, Wilfong A, Williams K, Zhang B, Loddenkemper T, on behalf of the Pediatric Status Epilepticus Research Group (pSERG). Benzodiazepine administration patterns before escalation to second-line medications in pediatric refractory convulsive status epilepticus. Epilepsia. 62 (11) 2766-2777 2021.
Donahue MA, Herman ST, Dass D, Farrell K, Kukla A, Abend NS, Moura LMVR, Buchhalter JR, Fureman BE. Establishing a learning healthcare system to improve health outcomes for people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behavior. 117 2021.
Lang SS, Ploof J, Atkin NJ, Tran-Du K, Kanuga B, Storm PB, Heuer G, Yuan I, Abend NS, Kirschen MP, Topjian AA, Lei Y, Waanders AJ, Huh JW. Decadron, Diamox, and Zantac (DDZ): A Novel Combination for Ventricular Shunt Failure in Pediatric Neurosurgical Patients. Pediatric Emergency Care. 37 (12) e1444-e1450 2021.
Fitzgerald MP, Massey SL, Fung FW, Puopolo KM, Posencheg M, Allen-Napoli L, Malcolm M, Abend NS. Expanding Access to Continuous EEG Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Units Using a Remote EEG Monitoring Program. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 38 (6) 525-529 2021.
Fung FW, Wang Z, Parikh DS, Jacobwitz M, Vala L, Donnelly M, Topjian AA, Xiao R, Abend NS. Electrographic Seizures and Outcome in Critically Ill Children. Neurology. 92 (22) 2749-60 2021.
Hu J, Fung FW, Jacobwitz M, Parikh DS, Vala L, Donnelly M, Topjian AA, Abend NS, Xiao R. Machine Learning Models to Predict Electroencephalographic Seizures in Critically Ill Children. Seizure. 87 61-68 2021.
Naim MY, Putt M, Abend NS, Mastropietro CW, Frank DU, Chen JM, Fuller S, Gangemi JJ, Gaynor JW, Heinan K, Licht DJ, Mascio CE, Massey S, Roeser ME, Smith CJ, Kimmel SE. Development and validation of a seizure prediction model in neonates following cardiac surgery. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 111 (6) 2041-2048 2021.
Thibault C, Massey SL, Abend NS, Naim MY, Zoraian A, Zuppa AF. Population pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital in neonates and infants on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and the influence of concomitant renal replacement therapy. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 61(3) 378-387 2021.
Aguilar CB, Amengual-Gual M, Fernandez IS, Abend NS, Anderson A, Appavu B, Arya R, Brenton JN, Carpenter JL, Chapman KE, Clark J, Farias-Mouller R, Gaillard WD, Gainza-Lein M, Glauser TA, Goldstein JK, Goodkin HP, Guerriero RM, Huh L, Lai YC, Lai YC, McDonough TL, Mikati MA, Morgan LA, Novotny EJ, Ostendorf AP, Payne ET, Peariso K, Piantino J, Riviello JJ, Sannagowdara K, Sheehan T, Sands TT, Tasker RC, Tchapyjnikov D, Topjian AA, Vasquez A, Wainwright MS, Wilfong AA, Williams K, Loddenkemper T. Time to Treatment in Pediatric Convulsive Refractory Status Epilepticus: The Weekend Effect. Pediatric Neurology 120 71-79 2021.
Grinspan ZM, Patel AD, Shellhaas RA, Berg AT, Axeen ET, Bolton J, Clarke D, Coryell J, Gaillard WD, Goodkin HP, Koh S, Kukla A, Mbwana J, Morgan LA, Singhal NS, Storey MM, Yozawitz EG, Abend NS, Fitzgerald MP, Fridinger SE, Helbig I, Massey SL, Prelack MS, Buchhalter J. Design and Implementation of Electronic Health Record Common Data Elements for Pediatric Epilepsy: Foundations for a Learning Healthcare System. Epilepsia 62 198-216 2021.
Hirsch LJ, Fong MFK, Leitinger M, LaRoche SM, Beniczky S, Abend NS, Lee LW, Wusthoff CJ, Hahn CD, Westover MB, Gerard EE, Herman ST, Haider HA, Osman G, Rodriguez-Ruiz A, Maciel CB, Gilmore EJ, Fernandez A, Rosenthal ES, Claassen J, Husain AM, Yoo JY, So E, Kaplan PW, Juwer MR, van Putten M, Sutter R, Drislane FW, Trinka E, Gaspard N. American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s Standardized Critical Care EEG Terminology: 2021 Version. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 38 1-29 2021.