Pediatric News articles from July 2006

Pediatric News archives from July 2006

Specialist seeks the 'write' diagnosis.(Graphomotor dysfunction diagnosis)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Graphomotor dysfunction a disconnect between a child's thoughts and his or her ability to write them down--is becoming increasingly common in elementary school children, Dr. Melvin D. Levine said at a conference sponsored by...

Vital signs.(Statistical data)
July 1, 2006... Top 10 Diagnosis by Pediatricians in 2005 Routine child care exam 18.2% Otitis media 9.1% Acute upper respiratory infection 8.2% Asthma 4.4% Acute...

ACIP recommends HPV vaccination at preteen visit: Gardasil added to vaccines for children.(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices)(human papillomavirus vaccine)
July 1, 2006... ATLANTA -- The quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine should be given to all girls at age 11-12, and to all females aged 13-26 who have not been previously vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on...

Study: type 2 diabetes may be hybrid in 18% of obese.(News)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- A preliminary look at the children referred for participation in a large treatment trial of type 2 diabetes in overweight and obese youth shows that the children not only have a high prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia,...

Black box cuts antidepressant sales.(News)
July 1, 2006... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- The black box warning of potential increased suicidality among pediatric patients treated with antidepressants spurred an overall 10% decrease in prescriptions in the ensuing year, according to a study of a large managed...

Neurodevelopmental functions underlie school problems.(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- A child arrives at school every day carrying not just a backpack and a lunch, but also an individual neurodevelopmental profile that will influence his or her success in achieving each task of the day. It's a...

Early action key to halting avian flu.(News)
July 1, 2006... PARIS -- To avert a worldwide pandemic of avian influenza, public health officials will need to begin containment efforts before the disease has spread to 50 humans and treat new cases within 2 days of infection, according to an expert who has...

Device reduces transfusions in premature babies.(blood sampling device which saves blood)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- A new bedside blood sampling device called the ErythroSave significantly reduced the need for blood transfusions in premature infants during a small pilot study presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic...

Autism test highly predictive of diagnosis at age 3.(News)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Eighteen-month-old children who scored above the threshold for autism spectrum disorders on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule were more than six times as likely to have a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder...

Youths' risky behaviors vary by race, ethnicity: a survey of almost 14,000 students finds disparities in smoking, drinking, drug use, and sexual activity.(News)(Survey)
July 1, 2006... Overall, today's high school students are engaging in less risky behavior than did their counterparts in the 1990s, according to new survey data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the survey also found...

Depression linked to high-risk sexual behavior in adolescents.(News)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... BOSTON -- Adolescent boys and girls with symptoms of depression are more likely than their nondepressed peers to engage in high-risk sexual behavior, results of a recent study have shown. These findings fuel arguments in favor of expanding...

Nitazoxanide promising treatment for rotavirus.(Infectious Diseases)(Drug overview)
July 1, 2006... An anti-infective drug now used to treat illnesses from waterborne parasites also can shorten the course of rotavirus in children, results of a small study have shown. In a trial of 38 children treated at Cairo (Egypt) University...

Antimicrobial soaps: no need, say Canadian doctors.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Handwashing with plain soap and water--not with antibacterial soaps--is still the most important way to reduce the spread of germs, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society. The society published a position statement in an issue of...

Use antibiotics in toddlers with bilateral AOM.(Infectious Diseases)(acute otitis media)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children younger than 2 years with acute otitis media in both ears constitute the pediatric population most likely to benefit from antibiotic treatment of this common childhood infection, according to the findings of a...

Summer enteroviruses: avoid antibiotics.(Nonpolio enterovirus infection treatment)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... During the summer and early fall, we should be careful about unnecessary antibiotic use in patients who most likely have enteroviral infections. Nonpolio enterovirus (NPEV) infections are amazingly diverse in their range of clinical...

Precollege rush for Menactra drove distribution in first year.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Despite a recommendation to prioritize 11- to 12-year-olds, distribution of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine was especially high among 18-year-olds and was evenly distributed among 11- to 17-year-olds during its first year on...

Company halts enrollment in pediatric studies of telithromycin.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has determined that the antibiotic telithromycin (Ketek) may be associated with serious liver injury and liver failure, and has been linked to four deaths and one liver transplant. The drug's maker,...

Febrile children's treatment improved by rapid flu test.(Infectious Diseases)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- The rapid diagnostic test kit for influenza significantly improves the management of infants and young children who are presenting to the emergency department with fever of unknown origin, according to a poster presentation by...

Two dozen electronic health record vendors are in the certification pipeline.(Certification Commission for Health Information Technology)
July 1, 2006... More than two dozen health information technology vendors have applied to have their electronic health record systems independently certified this summer. The inspection process is underway and the Certification Commission for Health...

Concurrent FluMist, MMR, varicella vaccines effective.(Measles-mumps-rubella )
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Physicians can administer the live attenuated influenza vaccine marketed as FluMist during the same healthy infant visit in which they administer the measles-mumps-rubella and varicella vaccines, without diminishing the safety...

Physicians to be urged to extend flu-shot dates: with more high-risk groups targeted for vaccination, the CDC seeks new ways to track the available doses.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- This winter's flu season is still months away, but officials from the federal government and the American Medical Association say they will be strongly urging physicians to extend influenza vaccine administration beyond its...

U.S. child flu deaths fell last season; new vaccine formulation is ready.
July 1, 2006... There were fewer influenza-associated deaths among U.S. children during last year's season, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During last year's flu season (from Oct. 2, 2005, to June 3, 2006), 35 deaths were...

Amoxicillin and acute otitis media.(Drug overview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... A standard daily dose of 40-45 mg/kg per day amoxicillin is an appropriate first-line antibiotic for children with acute otitis media who have received at least three doses of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, if treatment is...

Antibiotics end K. kingae outbreak.(Kingella kingae infections)(Drug overview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... An outbreak of three Kingella kingae infections at a day care center was contained using prophylactic antibiotics, reported Dr. Pablo Yagupsky of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and his colleagues. The findings...

Dexamethasone eases pharyngitis.(Drug overview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Children with streptococcal pharyngitis who were treated with dexamethasone as an add-on therapy showed significant improvement in general condition and activity levels after about 1 day, compared with 2 days for those who were treated with a...

Rochester criteria modified for better sensitivity.(Infectious Diseases)(rating risk for febrile infants and bacterial infections)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Anew, large study has concluded that the Rochester criteria--for determining which febrile infants are at low risk of having a serious bacterial infection--are not as sensitive as once thought. But with a modification that...

Routine interval appendectomy unnecessary?(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Interval appendectomy may be unnecessary after a bout of medically managed appendicitis in children, Dr. Devin Puapong said at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Surgeons often...

Child care providers go easier on antibiotic use.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... ATLANTA -- Child care providers surveyed in 2004 were significantly less likely to exclude a sick child who had not received antibiotics, compared with child care providers surveyed in 2001, Shelly Feaver reported in a poster presented at the...

Toilet training? Wait until child wants to please.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The key to successful toilet training is to wait until the child shows signs that he or she is ready, Dr. Barbara J. Howard said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. There are certain physical and...

Toileting relapses may require a few tricks: it may take just bribery or 'special time' or chocolate pudding painting or the 'penis talk.'.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- It's not uncommon for children to go through a relapse period with toilet training, and the trick to management may just be for everyone to lighten up, according to one expert speaking at a meeting sponsored by the American...

Foreign adoptees quickly close development gap.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Young children adopted from foreign orphanages show initial delays in nonverbal social communication, developmental behaviors, and adaptive behaviors that resolve within 6 months to 1 year, according to two posters presented at...

Most adults think ADHD drugs are overprescribed.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Nearly two-thirds (61%) of adults think that drugs are prescribed too often to treat children under age 13 with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a poll of 2,200 adults by Wall Street Journal Online / Harris Interactive....

Easing the transition to college.(depression treatment)(Survey)
July 1, 2006... We like to think of college as a carefree place, where intellectual ideas blossom, lifetime friendships are formed, and fun rules the day once Friday afternoon rolls around. Although that's all true, there's another side to college that...

Paxil fails to aid in major depression.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
July 1, 2006... Paroxetine was no more effective than a placebo in reducing the symptoms of major depressive disorder in a population that, for the first time, included patients younger than 12 years, reported Dr. Graham J. Emslie of the University of Texas,...

Comorbidity common with autism, study finds.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Data from a large national survey document very high levels of comorbidity among children with autism, James G. Gurney, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. Compared with children aged...

Maternal depression predicts children's behavior problems.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children of mothers with chronic depression are almost four times as likely to have multiple behavior problems at the age of 3 years as are children of mothers without depression, according to a poster presentation by Dr. Diane...

No child left alone.(Letters From Maine)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I recently stumbled across a reference to the fact that several colleges have felt the need to hire security guards to keep parents out of some freshman orientation activities. In a brief and unsuccessful at tempt to rind out exactly which...

Duct tape, Bic razor work on warts.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Duct Tape, Bic Razor Work on Warts I agree with the approaches Dr. Anthony J. Mancini has taken to handle warts and Molluscum contagiosum ("Wart and Mollescum Management Made Easy," Apri1 2006, p. 48). I shall never forget the day when a...

Grandpa should not be grandfathered.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I usually read your column, but the last one was not as amusing as you intended (Letters From Maine, "Keeping Up in a Grand Manner," May 2006, p. 20). I disagree with your contention that the American Board of Pediatrics decided not to...

What is the most appropriate surgery for obese adolescents? Gastric banding.(Point / Counterpoint)
July 1, 2006... Laparoscopic placement of an adjustable gastric band is a sale and effective alternative to laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery in the obese adolescent. The vast adult experience in gastric bypass surgery has been excellent, with weight...

What is the most appropriate surgery for obese adolescents? Gastric bypass.(Point / Counterpoint)
July 1, 2006... Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is the best option for treating most obese adolescents, as is true for most adult patients. Our experience with the gastric bypass procedure goes back 25-30 years. While banding has been shown to be...

N-trainer teaches preterm neonates how to suck.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Its official name is the N-Trainer, but Steven M. Barlow, Ph.D., suggested thinking of the new device as a "motorized pacifier" that teaches preterm neonates how to suck. The N-Trainer worked so well for 10 preterm infants...

Missed type 1 diabetes likely to present in DKA.(diabetic ketoacidosis)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Ketoacidosis at the time of diabetes onset in young children is often the result of failure to recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetes during prior medical encounters, Dr. Helen Bui said at the annual scientific sessions of...

Age-appropriate restraints save lives in wrecks.(car seat safety belts for saving children during accidents)
July 1, 2006... Children in age-appropriate safety restraints such as car seats--are less likely to die or be hospitalized from motor vehicle crashes than children in seat belts, and even have some protection when the restraints are misused, according to two...

Data watch.(Clinical Rounds)(Statistical table)
July 1, 2006... Motorized Bike Injuries Highest Among 12-to-15-Year-Olds Age (in years) 4-7 1,144 8-11 5,035 12-15 10,425 16-19 7,175 Note: Annual average...

Spacers may edge nebulizers for acute asthma.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... Spacers appear to have several advantages over nebulizers for the delivery of [[beta].sub.2]-agonists in children with acute asthma, according to a Cochrane review of the literature. However, the findings should be viewed with caution,...

Chart stickers improve care by highlighting asthma severity rating.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- A small intervention had a sizable impact on documentation of asthma severity and appropriate treatment of children at an inner-city health center, according to results of a randomized controlled trial reported in a poster at...

Solodyn, Remicade.(New & Approved)(Drug overview)
July 1, 2006... Solodyn (minocycline extended release tablets, Medicis) The Food and Drug Administration approved Solodyn (minocycline) extendedrelease tablets for treatment of inflammatory nonnodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients 12...

Pediatricians often fail to screen inner-city children for lead.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2006... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- The incidence of lead poisoning has been decreasing steadily over the last decade, thanks in large measure to tougher housing regulations in many cities. But pediatricians working in inner-city communities often miss...

Gastric bypass reverses diabetes in obese teens.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Gastric bypass surgery in obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes can reverse the disease and improve lipid and hemodynamic parameters with very low rates of surgical morbidity, Dr. Thomas H. Inge said at the annual...

Check Diastat applicator before use in epileptics.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration advises patients with epilepsy and their caregivers to check the applicator tips of Diastat AcuDial (diazepam rectal gel) delivery systems for cracks that may result in patients not receiving enough medication...

Study: urban youth seldom screened for CV risk.(Clinical Rounds)(cardiovascular)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children aged 10-19 years in Boston were unlikely to be screened for cardiovascular risk factors even if they were overweight, according to a large retrospective chart review. Of 11,081 children, 33% had no family history...

Novartis recalls Triaminic Vapor Patch products.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2006... Novartis Consumer Health Inc. is recalling all Triaminic Vapor Patch products because of reports of serious adverse events associated with accidental ingestion by children. The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers who have...

Zofran reduces vomiting, aids oral rehydration.(Clinical Rounds)(Drug overview)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2006... A single oral dose of the antiemetic ondansetron significantly reduced vomiting in children treated in a pediatric emergency room for gastroenteritis and mild-to-moderate dehydration, allowing more children to be rehydrated orally rather than...

The real-world fellowship.(pediatricians practice profile)(Column)
July 1, 2006... A resident and I were talking earlier in the week, and she commented that, despite being more than halfway through her residency, she often didn't know the answers to her friends' questions about their children. She felt like she had spent lots...

IRBs lambasted for excessive red tape; 'pediatric research courts' proposed.(institutional review boards)
July 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Frustrated researchers are calling for the gutting of what they see as faltering institutional review boards now charged with the monitoring of medical research on children. At a meeting of the President's Council on...

Morphine delivery only 37% of prescribed dose in sickle cell patients.(Practice Trends)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- Children with sickle cell disease who were hospitalized for frequent recurrent painful episodes were given significantly less than the prescribed amount of morphine, Eufemia Jacob, Ph.D., reported in a poster presented at a...

New VP at AAP eyes disparity issues.(vice president)(American Academy of Pediatrics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The new vice president of the American Academy of Pediatrics intends to work with its leadership on a comprehensive national agenda for "optimal child health and development," which includes addressing ethnic and minority child health...

AMA: ensure flu vaccine supply.(American Medical Association)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Physicians at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates voiced their frustration with the uneven supply and distribution of influenza vaccine that have become commonplace in recent years. AMA delegates approved...

AAP urges ban on ATV use by kids.(American Academy of Pediatrics)(all terrain vehicle)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The American Academy of Pediatrics has criticized the Consumer Product Safety Commission for failing to propose a ban on all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use by children under 16 years of age. CPSC commissioners were briefed by agency staff in June;...

Genome project for common diseases.(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia plans for genome project)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... A major children's hospital is launching a genome project to develop treatments for asthma, obesity, diabetes, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other common childhood diseases, as well as pediatric cancer. The Children's Hospital...

E-records enhance asthma care.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Electronic medical records can enable physicians to keep in touch with asthmatic patients and may help reduce hospitalizations, according to Dr. Elmer Martin, formerly of Cincinnati Group Health Associates. Pediatricians at CGHA, a...

FDA demands approval data on carbinoxamine.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2006... As part of a wider crackdown on the marketing of unapproved drugs, the Food and Drug Administration has notified manufacturers of many unapproved carbinoxamine-containing products that they must submit safety and efficacy data by September or...

Apply now for new identifier, physicians urged.(Practice Trends)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Physicians need to apply now for a national provider identifier number in order to start using them in May 2007, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The national provider identifier (NPI) is a 10-digit number that...

Great EHR debate: 'one size for all' vs. specialties.(electronic health records)
July 1, 2006... Can one type of electronic health record fit all types of practices, or do specialists need their own? That's a question record developers and standard setters are asking. Pediatricians argue that electronic health records (EHRs) should be...

Fostering the pediatrician-oncologist partnership.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2006... BALTIMORE -- From the outside, pediatric oncology treatment may look like a puzzling maze for patients, their families, and even primary care providers. "One question that tends to come up is, 'How exactly is that black box of pediatric...

Ark. childhood obesity prevention law reaps some benefits.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- The first state effort to address childhood obesity through changes in public schools has met with some success, according to researchers who spoke at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Arkansas Act...

Deficit act gives states wide leeway on Medicaid.(Deficit Reduction Act concerns)
July 1, 2006... Changes made possible by last year's Deficit Reduction Act are raising concerns in some sectors about reductions in care and conflicts of interest in West Virginia's Medicaid program. The act also has allowed Kentucky to change its Medicaid...

Nightmares on scheduling street, Part 3.(Efficient Pediatrician Practices)(Column)
July 1, 2006... In last month's column, I talked about tag-along visits, urgent well checks for "forgotten" sports physicals, and patients allegedly scheduled with the wrong doctor or on the wrong day. This month's column deals with: * Walk-ins...