Pediatric News articles from March 2002

Pediatric News archives from March 2002

Flu vaccine for infants encouraged. (6- to 23-Month-Olds).
March 1, 2002... ATLANTA -- New influenza vaccine guidelines "encourage" vaccine use in infants aged 6-23 months of age, with an eye toward a stronger universal recommendation in 1-3 years. The decision was made at a meeting of the Centers for Disease...

MMR, varicella vaccine shortages elicit interim plans: Delay varicella vaccine in all children, delay MMR only when supplies are low. (Overall Vaccine Supply Issue is Troubling).
March 1, 2002... ATLANTA -- Shortages of varicella and measles-mumps-rubella vaccines have triggered new interim recommendations for their use. Until further notice, all physicians are being asked to delay routine varicella vaccination in all children until...

Immunoassay best tests rotavirus season diarrhea: Initial screen for those under age 6 years. (Prior to Stool Cultures).
March 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- A rotavirus enzyme immunoassay should be the initial screen--prior to stool cultures--in all children under 6 years of age with diarrheal illness during rotavirus season. Dr. Roy F. Chemaly made this recommendation in a poster...

Practice revenue: Where the money goes (*). (Vital Signs).
March 1, 2002... VITAL SIGNS Practice Revenue: Where the Money Goes (*) Net Income 51.8% Nonphysician Employees 16.7% Office Expenses 12.4% Medical Equipment And Supplies 6.0% Malpractice Premiums...

Epivir HBV has limited promise in chronic HBV. (Resistant Mutation Common).(hepatitis B virus)
March 1, 2002... MONTREAL -- Physicians who are weighing whether to subject children to the rigors of treatment for their hepatitis B infection or to postpone treatment in the hopes of spontaneous remission now must include the potential benefits of lamivudine...

Diagnostic dilemma.(acute lymphoblastic leukemia)
March 1, 2002... A well 2-month-old male infant presents to your office for a routine checkup. With this fourth child, the experienced reliable mother whom you have known for years expresses no concerns. The baby has been breast-feeding every 4 hours with...

AAP policy supports adoption by gay couples. ('No Data have Pointed to Any Risk').(American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health)
March 1, 2002... Pediatricians should advocate for coparent or second-parent adoptions of children by same-sex partners. That's what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends in a new policy supporting gay adoption, which was authored by the AAP's...

Bacteria slowly winning against antibiotic foes. (Resistant S. Pneumoniae, S. Aureus).
March 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Once again, bacteria grew a little smarter last year and inched forward in the antibiotic arms race. During the 2000-2001 respiratory infection season, the prevalence of drug-resistant isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae grew to...

Anthrax vaccine now is approved for routine distribution. (Arsenal Against Bioterrorism).
March 1, 2002... The anthrax vaccine is now approved for routine distribution. BioPort Corp., the only licensed manufacturer of the vaccine, was granted the license supplements necessary to distribute the vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration on Jan....

Grants to strengthen families. (Pediatric Briefs).(The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001)
March 1, 2002... A grant program that supports family preservation and adoption services has been strengthened under a bill that was signed by President George W. Bush this year. The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001 (P.L. 107-133) calls for...

Wrong restraints. (Pediatric Briefs).(overview of incorrect usage of automobile child safety restraints in)
March 1, 2002... One-third of parents are restraining their kids incorrectly in motor vehicles, while 14% of children are riding completely unbuckled, the National Safe Kids Campaign found in an observational survey of 9,332 children traveling in 6,297 vehicles...

Physician training threatened. (Pediatric Briefs).
March 1, 2002... President George W. Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget request threatens to eliminate physician training in primary care, including general pediatrics. The AAP and other medical groups are outraged that health professions programs under Titles VII...

Perinatal HIV prevention. (Pediatric Briefs).
March 1, 2002... Opportunities for prevention of perinatal HIV transmission are still being missed in Michigan despite compliance with state laws requiring testing of pregnant women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said (MMWR 51[5]:94-97, 2002)....

Low-birth-weight rise. (Pediatric Briefs).
March 1, 2002... Low-birth-weight infants and infants born prematurely have increased slightly in the last decade, according to a new report from Child Trends and Kids Count. Low-birth-weight infants increased from 7% to 7.6% nationwide during the 1990s, while...

Sex and substances. (Pediatric Briefs).
March 1, 2002... Almost one-quarter of 1,200 sexually active teenagers and young adults aged 15-24 years reported having unprotected sex because they were drinking or using drugs at the time, a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found. Among other...

Fetuses and headphones. (Pediatric Briefs).
March 1, 2002... Pregnant women should play it safe musically which means away from their bellies. Maternal-fetal medicine specialist Stanley Graven has seen two children with hearing problems whose mothers reported leaving music-playing headphones on their...

GlucoWatch set to be released in a few months. (Under Expedited FDA Review for Children).(GlucoWatch Biographer)
March 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO -- The GlucoWatch Biographer, an automated, noninvasive, glucose monitoring device that's worn like a wristwatch, will be available for sale in the United States within the next several months, said Michael Mitchell of Cygnus...

Vaccines don't raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. (Case-Control Study of CDC Data).
March 1, 2002... There was no increased risk of type 1 diabetes associated with any of the routinely recommended childhood vaccines, reported Dr. Frank DeStefano of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and his associates. Timing of...

Late flu season complicates next year's vaccine picks. (Early Shortages are a Possibility).
March 1, 2002... BETHESDA, MD. -- Members of a government advisory committee charged with helping to select next year's flu vaccine voted to retain the two current influenza A vaccine components and to wait and gather more data on emerging influenza B pathogens...

Prophylaxis reduces household flu spread. (Oseltamivir).
March 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Prophylaxis with an antiviral drug safely prevented the household spread of influenza, Dr. Robert B. Belshe reported at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy sponsored by the American Society for...

Letters plus automated phone calls boost flu shots in asthmatic children. (High-Tech Reminders).
March 1, 2002... Flu immunizations in a population of asthmatic children increased significantly when letters reminding parents to bring them in for flu shots were followed by a phone message, said Dr. Manjusha Gaglani of Scott and White Hospital and Clinic in...

Omaha sees early rise in RSV cases this season. (Almost Triple the Cases Seen Last Year).(respiratory syncytial virus)
March 1, 2002... January was respiratory syncytial virus month at Children's Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children during the first 3 weeks of January 2002 were approximately two to three times the number...

Southern U.S. saw first RSV cases of 2000-2001 Season. (Outbreak Lasted 24 Weeks).(respiratory syncytial virus)
March 1, 2002... The first outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus activity occurred in the South during the 2000-200 1 season, which began Nov. 11, 2000, and lasted 24 weeks until April 21, 2001, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...

Four factors rule out serious bacterial infections. (Febrile Infants Under 3 Months).
March 1, 2002... Meningitis and bacteremia can be ruled out in a febrile infant less than 3 months old with 99% certainty using four simple factors, reported Dr. Richard G. Bachur and Dr. Marvin B. Harper of Children's Hospital, Boston. Although there are...

Quick flu Dx in infants reduces tests, antibiotics. (Elisa Test).(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
March 1, 2002... Early confirmation of influenza in infants in an emergency setting can reduce the need for additional tests and antibiotics, said Dr. Vidya Sharma and associates at Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay...

Universal flu vaccine for young children feasible but not easy. (Intranasal Vaccine would Help).
March 1, 2002... ATLANTA - Universal immunization of young children against influenza is feasible, although it would be easier if the intranasal vaccine were available, Marika Iwane, Ph.D. said at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory...

No causal relationship between vaccines, immune dysfunction. (Third 10M Vaccine Safety Report).
March 1, 2002... ATLANTA - Epidemilogic evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between multiple immunizations and increased risk of infections and for type 1 diabetes. Evidence regarding risk for allergic disease, particularly asthma, is...

Urea breath test an alternative for Helicobacter pylori detection. (Use When Gastritis is Suspected).
March 1, 2002... FARMINGTON, PA. - Urea breath testing is a reasonable alternative to endoscopy for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in young patients, Dr. William Balistreri said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by the Children's Hospital Medical...

DTaP fifth-dose injection site reaction common. (A Few have Extensive Swelling).
March 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Injection site reactions appear to be more common after diphtheriatetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine as the fifth dose in the series, but most are self-limited, Dr. Lisa A. Jackson said at the Annual Interscience Conference on...

Don't be afraid to use cephalosporins in penicillin-allergic children. (ID Consult).
March 1, 2002... Most children who are truly penicillin allergic can be safely treated with cephalosporins. The likelihood of cross sensitivity has been greatly exaggerated. Unless a child previously had a true anaphylactic or severe reaction to a...

PCR virus detection is now easier, cheaper, and faster. (More Sensitive than Culture).(polymerase chain reaction)
March 1, 2002... LAS VEGAS -- Detecting viruses in tissue and fluid samples has just become better, cheaper, and faster with a system that uses polymerase chain reaction technology, Dr. Thomas F. Smith said at a dermatology seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease...

Fluoroquinolones headed for pediatric labeling. (Gatifloxacin on Track for First Approval).
March 1, 2002... Sometime during the next few years, pediatricians will probably be able to prescribe a systemic fluoroquinolone antibiotic for a Food and Drug Administration--approved indication. When that day comes, it will be the first time that children...

One week of triple Tx clears 75% of H. pylori. (In Children with Gastritis).
March 1, 2002... One week of triple therapy combining omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin results in successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori in nearly 75% of children with gastritis. The findings confirm those of large randomized trials in...

Shift strategy in community-acquired MRSA. (Critically Ill Children).(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
March 1, 2002... The emergence of community-acquired, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of common infections may require a change in the initial selection of antibiotics to ensure appropriate coverage in critically ill children, reported...

Dental exam for pediatricians: Will you pass? (The Questions Parents will Ask).
March 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO -- "When does the first baby tooth erupt?" The audience responds with faint murmurs. "Six months, that's right," responds Dr. Martha Ann Keels as she begins a short course in the basics of pediatric dentistry at the annual...

Remember to record etiology of diaper rash for prognosis, follow-up. (Psoriasis, Streptococcal Infection).
March 1, 2002... CANCUN, MEXICO -- The diagnosis of diaper dermatitis ought to be hyphenated in the medical record, with some statement of putative etiology, because many common dermatologic conditions first appear in the diaper area, Dr. Samuel Weinberg said...

Rare Langerhans' cell histiocytosis presents differently at different ages in children. (But Pathology is the Same).
March 1, 2002... BALTIMORE -- Children with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis are rare in pediatric practice, but half of the cases of this condition occur in children 15 years or younger. "It's not a public health menace by any stretch of the imagination,...

Supplemented formula appears best for preemies. (Regular Formula Ok for Term Infants).
March 1, 2002... Separate studies that support the use of regular infant formula in term infants and supplemented formula in preterm infants have been reported by investigators at Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio. Among 294...

Less total fluid corrects ketoacidosis faster. (Retrospective Study).
March 1, 2002... A protocol designed to correct diabetic ketoacidosis in children with less total fluid, fewer calculations, and fewer changes of intravenous fluid results in the more rapid correction of acidosis, reported Dr. Eric I. Felner and Dr. Perrin C....

Steroid reduces tonsillectomy morbidity. (one-Dose Dexamethasone).
March 1, 2002... Single-dose dexamethasone given during tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy causes a statistically significant reduction in postoperative morbidity, according to results of a metaanalysis. In particular, children who were given a single...

It's time to get tough in the fight against obesity. (Take an Aggressive Approach).
March 1, 2002... STANFORD, CALIF. -- It's time to take off the kid gloves in the fight against childhood obesity, Dr. Robert M. Suskind said at a conference on perinatal and pediatric nutrition jointly sponsored by Symposia Medicus and Stanford University. ...

Continuous urinary dribbling in girls likely due to ectopic ureter. (Diagnosis Often Delayed).
March 1, 2002... MIAMI BEACH -- The girl appears normal and healthy, except for one problem: She has had continuous dribbling of urine every day and every night for as long as anyone can remember, despite successful toilet training. There's a very good...

Acute asthma: Dexamethasone allows lesser dose. (Compared with Prednisone/Prednisolone).
March 1, 2002... Fewer doses of dexamethasone are required to treat children with acute asthma, compared with oral prednisone/prednisolone, said Dr. Faiqa Qureshi of the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk, Va., and colleagues. A 2-day...

Inhaled budesonide suspension gives safe asthma relief. (Ages 6 Months to 8 Years).
March 1, 2002... Children aged 6 months to 8 years who took budesonide as an inhaled suspension had greater asthma relief than did those using placebo, said Dr. Maryanne B. Scott, a pediatric allergist in Norwalk, Conn., and her associates. A retrospective...

Supplement to breast-feeding may prevent rickets. (African American Infants at High Risk).
March 1, 2002... FARMINGTON, PA. -- Human milk may be a "nutritionally complete" food for infants, but this does not mean that supplementation is unnecessary. This semantic confusion may be obstructing efforts to prevent rickets, in the face of a small but...

Bisphosphonate therapy improves recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis. (Cut Pain, Bone Masses in Three Cases).
March 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO -- Bisphosphonate therapy markedly reduced pain and bone masses in three children with recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, Dr. Jonathan D. Akikusa reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. This...

International adoptees' behavioral baggage. (Counsel Parents to Anticipate and Cope).
March 1, 2002... FARMINGTON, PA. -- Developmental and behavioral difficulties frequently complicate international adoption, and parents should be counseled to anticipate and deal with them appropriately, Dr. Mary Staat said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by...

Soothing the aggressive preschooler. (Behavioral Consult).
March 1, 2002... Ten years ago, parents rarely came to me frantic with worry about an overly aggressive preschool child. If I mentioned my own concern about a child's hyperaggressive behavior, parents tended to dismiss it, saying, "He's all boy!" or "She'll...

School-associated violent death rate declined overall. (More-than-One-Victim Crimes Spiked).
March 1, 2002... Although school-associated violent deaths represent a small fraction of all suicides and homicides among school-aged children, the rate of school-associated homicides involving more than one victim rose significantly from the 1992-1993 to...

Data back SSRIs against pediatric depression. (Fluoxetine Maintains Recovery).(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
March 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- New data confirm the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treating major depression in children and adolescents, Dr. Graham J. Emslie said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent...

Trigger questions help identify suicidal teens. (Complaints of Vague Symptoms).
March 1, 2002... COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Half of all teenagers who attempt suicide have visited their primary care physician in the 2 weeks to 1 month before their attempt, Dr. Jonathan Klein said at a pediatric conference sponsored by the University of Missouri. ...

School struggles + ADHD = Learning disorders. (Test for Processing Problems).(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
March 1, 2002... HONOLULU -- Albert Einstein's third cousin was flunking fourth grade with an IQ of 148 when he was brought to Dr. Deborah R. Simkin for an evaluation. "This kid could go upstairs on the computer and come down with 60 pages on gene transfer...

The sad state of otoscopy. (Letters from Maine).
March 1, 2002... It's a question I've heard hundreds of times over the last 30 years: "Dr. Wilkoff, what's that tube for? I've never seen anybody use one before." It is usually asked by parents who are new to our practice or visiting from out of town. I...

Letters.(Resistant to Resistance?)(BMI the Easy Way)(Dying to Get Out of Hospital?)(Home Is Where the Education Is)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2002... Resistant to Resistance? I've always heard that overuse of macrolides frequently results in relatively rapid resistance ("FDA Panel Okays 1-Day and 3-Day Azithromycin," December 2001, p. 1). Since otitis media is such a frequently...

Protecting food-allergic children. (Guest Editorial).
March 1, 2002... One hundred to two hundred of the more than 1,000 cases of severe food-induced anaphylaxis that occur in the United States each year are deadly. To be sure, there has been much confusion surrounding the recognition and management of...

Teens need private time with their physicians. (Allay Fears about Lack of Confidentiality).
March 1, 2002... COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Studies show that nearly half of all teenagers have never spoken with their doctor privately, and among those who have, fears about lack of confidentiality are a big barrier, Dr. Jonathan Klein said at a pediatric conference...

Pediatric hospitalist movement gradually growing. (AAP to Survey Model).
March 1, 2002... Pediatric hospitalist practices are growing steadily in academic and private arenas, surprising those who predicted their demise just a few years ago. Dr. Lance Cordoni did rounds on six to eight patients a day when he and a fellow...

Don't sweat day care colds. (Journal Scan).
March 1, 2002... Large day care centers can be training grounds for children's immune systems, said Dr. Thomas M. Ball and his colleagues at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Fifty-two percent of 60 children who attended large day care centers had frequent...

Contraception varies with race. (Journal Scan).
March 1, 2002... In a culturally diverse study of 604 adolescent girls, black girls were more likely to use condoms than oral contraceptives for birth control, compared with girls of other races, said Dr. Tina Raine and her colleagues at the University of...

Esophageal pH unreliable. (Journal Scan).(esophagitis diagnosis)
March 1, 2002... A pH monitoring test identified esophagitis in only 28% of the 32 cases of esophagitis in a study of 125 infants with persistent distress and symptoms suggestive of esophageal reflux or esophagitis, said Dr. Raif G. Heine and his colleagues at...

Disposable diapers safe for boys. (Journal Scan).
March 1, 2002... A study of 296 men with testicular cancer and 287 controls found no connection between the use of disposable diapers in infancy and testicular cancer in adulthood, said Dr. Henrik Moller of King's College, London. The use of disposable diapers...

Weight problems in children. (FYI).
March 1, 2002... "Your Child's Weight" is a free brochure that outlines common causes of weight problems in children and offers suggestions about how to deal with weight issues as a family It also provides strategies for success. The brochure is offered by...

Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. (FYI).
March 1, 2002... The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners Inc. is offering a free brochure about pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) called "The PNP Advantage." The brochure, which describes the financial and clinical benefits a...

Teaching the Visually Impaired. (FYI).
March 1, 2002... "Teaching Ideas That Can Help Your Visually Impaired Child" is a brochure that provides suggestions aimed at encouraging early learning in blind or visually impaired children. Some ideas include identifying sounds inside and outside the home,...