Pediatric News articles from May 2004

Pediatric News archives from May 2004

EMRs keep quality of care on track: maintaining pace of increases workload.(News)(electronic medical record)
May 1, 2004... Today Dr. Jeffrey A. Cooper sees almost three times as many patients as he did in 1995, and the quality of care he gives patients has improved. He gives a share of the credit to his electronic medical record system. Since he implemented...

More than 40% got hepatitis B vaccine birth dose: during the first half of 2003: preliminary data offer 'good news' after declining neonatal HBV immunization.(News)
May 1, 2004... MCLEAN, VA. -- More than 40% of newborns received a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccination during the first half of last year. The preliminary data from the 2003 National Immunization Survey offer "good news" after a period of declining...

Teens gaining weight at twice the rate of parents: parents, offspring compared at same age cholesterol, BP have closer link to obesity.(News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Today's teens are not only heavier than their parents, they're also gaining weight at more than twice the rate of their parents. These were the findings presented in a poster by Dr. Patricia H. Davis at a conference on...

Diagnostic dilemma.(News)
May 1, 2004... A 17-year-old African American male presents with a fever of 105.5[degrees] F, rigors, night sweats, cough and dyspnea, fatigue, and a 17-pound weight loss since the onset of symptoms 2 weeks earlier. Symptoms began as a fever of...

Early dexamethasone hurts cognition: lower IQ, neuromotor function.(News)
May 1, 2004... Early postnatal dexamethasone therapy should not be used routinely to prevent or treat chronic lung disease because of its significant adverse effects on cognitive and neuromotor function at school age, reported Dr. Tsu F. Yeh, a pediatrician...

CDC plans to stockpile pediatric flu vaccine: details still being worked out.(News)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
May 1, 2004... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to stockpile the pediatric influenza vaccine this year, to head off another shortage. However, the particulars of the plan are still being worked out with the vaccine manufacturers...

Combo, 3 vaccines give similar immunogenicity: pentacel vs. DTAP + IPV + HIB.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- The levels of antibody titers were similar in infants immunized with a combination vaccine to those given three separate vaccines, Dr. Mark Blatter reported at the 11th International Congress on Infectious Disease. Known...

Preventive strategies key to UTI management for neurogenic bladder: discriminatory use of antibiotics.(Infectious Diseases)(Urinary Tract Infection)
May 1, 2004... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Antimicrobial prophylaxis significantly increases drug-resistant bacteria in children with neurogenic bladders without reducing symptomatic urinary tract infections, said Dr. Jo Ann Harris of Franciscan Children's Hospital...

Clean-catch urine samples aren't that much cleaner: one specimen, two tests.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Perineal cleansing doesn't appear to reduce vaginal flora contamination in urine samples, raising the possibility that two sequential uncleansed samples from the same void could be used to test for both bacterial urinary tract...

Allergic sensitivity to DT vaccine can wane: can resume immunization.(Infectious Diseases)(diphtheria-tetanus)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Some children who have an allergic reaction to diphtheria-tetanus vaccination lose their sensitivity over time and can resume vaccination, Dr. Marie-Noel Primeau said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,...

Measles virus ups atopic dermatitis risk: Danish study.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Both the measles, mumps, rubella vaccination and a natural measles infection increase a child's risk for developing atopic dermatitis, and they do so to a comparable degree, according to Dr. Anne Braae Olesen of the University Hospital of...

MRSA osteomyelitis incidence, severity rising: anecdotal accounts.(Infectious Diseases)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A rising number of children with osteomyelitis appear to be infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, although the num hers remain elusive and the evidence is anecdotal, Dr. William Warner Jr. said at the...

Cell phones, ECG leads may transmit nosocomial infections: Israeli hospital bans staff cellular use.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Cell phones and reusable ECG leads have come under scrutiny as reservoirs for multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens that may potentially play an important role in serious nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients. New...

Human metapneumovirus may have been transmitted in hospital ICU: small study.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Five cases have been identified in which children may have been infected with human metapneumovirus while being treated in a hospital intensive care unit. "This is very significant from the standpoint of infection...

Measles in overseas adoptees.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Six confirmed and three suspected cases of measles were identified in toddlers who arrived in the United States after being adopted from China, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nine cases occurred...

Middle school menace.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A total of 113 cases of pertussis were reported in elementary, middle, and high school students in Yavapai County, Arizona, between September 2002 and February 2003, according to a report from the CDC (MMWR 53[10]:216-19, 2004). Overall, 485...

Priorix vs. MMR II.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Infants aged 12 months showed significantly less pain based on a visual analog scale (VAS) when they received the Priorix vaccine compared with the MMR II vaccine, said Dr. Moshe Ipp of the University of Toronto, and associates. GlaxoSmithKline...

HMPV respiratory illness.(Clinical Capsules)(human metapneumovirus)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Infection with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is often associated with severe respiratory illnesses in hospitalized children, said Dr. James A. Mullins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his colleagues. Hospitalized children...

Group a strep pharyngitis guidelines compared: reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... Guidelines that call for selective use of throat cultures--and that base antibiotic treatment for pharyngitis only on positive rapid test or throat culture results--are the most likely to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics, according to Dr....

Allergic reactions to penicillins drop dramatically: over the last decade.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Allergic reactions to penicillins appear to have declined dramatically in recent years, perhaps due to less use of injectable penicillin, Dr. Barbara C. Jost said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,...

Infection tied to neonatal white matter injury: cerebral palsy precursor.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS - Culture-positive neonatal infection is associated with development of white matter injury, which is a major precursor of neurologic impairment and cerebral palsy, Dr. Cynthia Holcroft said at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Teen pertussis booster could curb susceptibility: cost-effective strategy.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- An adolescent pertussis booster could reduce the number of young people susceptible to the disease to as low as 7%, Dr. Lawrence D'Angelo said at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. "Even if we are...

Over-the-counter nasal spray tainted with Burkholderia cepacia: dangerous for cystic fibrosis patients.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Patients with underlying lung disease should be alerted to reports of Burkholderia cepacia contamination of an over-the-counter nasal spray distributed as "Major Twice-A-Day 12 Hour Nasal Spray," according to a warning issued by the Centers for...

Pertussis vaccine boosters for teens.(ID Consult)
May 1, 2004... This could be the year the medical community finally begins to tackle the ongoing problem of pertussis. In 2004, both Aventis Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline are expected to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for licensure of DTaP...

Teens often overestimate sex partner's monogamy: increased risk of STDs.(Infectious Diseases)(sexually transmitted diseases)
May 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Adolescents have very little grasp of whether or not their sexual partners have concurrent sexual relationships, a misunderstanding that could leave them at an increased risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease. ...

Perception counters reality of STD prevalence: assume role of educator.(Infectious Diseases)(sexually transmitted diseases)
May 1, 2004... COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Examinations and discussions of sexually transmitted diseases too often fall by the wayside in the doctor's office, even though STDs continue to be a major health problem in the United States, Dr. Ted Rosen said at the annual...

Urinary, not vaginal, symptoms predict gonorrhea, chlamydia: trichomonas detected by vaginal test.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Urinary symptoms are much more highly predictive of gonococcus and chlamydia infections than are vaginal symptoms, Dr. Jill Huppert reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. ...

Tuberculosis in kids: less common, more deadly: miliary, meningitis.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2004... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Although only about 6% of tuberculosis in the United States occurs in children, these patients are at a much greater risk than adults for the life-threatening complications of miliary tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis,...

Reconsider fluid needs in respiratory infections: potential risks.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Patients with respiratory infections are often advised to increase fluid intake, but a systematic review of evidence for this recommendation suggests it may do more harm than good. Most of the evidence reviewed involved children. The...

Review targets West Nile virus in blood supply: transfusions a problem.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Six confirmed or probable cases of transfusion-associated West Nile virus transmission occurred in 2003, and probably will lead to changes in the blood-screening strategy this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

A chill wind.(Letters From Maine)
May 1, 2004... If I were going to have a tombstone (which I'm not), the inscription might read, "He knew which way the wind was blowing." This epitaph would primarily acknowledge my long association with bicycles, small boats, and underpowered compact cars....

The second varicella shot--soon.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... Preliminary results from ongoing studies suggest that children stand to benefit from a second varicella vaccine as early as 3 months after their first immunization up to when they are ready to start school--around 5 or 6 years of age. ...

Fitting healthy kids in research.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... Pediatric research is necessary and important, but the decision to use children--especially healthy children--in research is a complex one, fraught with tension. The tension lies in the fact that children are a vulnerable population deserving...

Talk back online.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Do you think that the "no antibiotics" initial management option for acute otitis media in selected children is a good recommendation? (April 2003, p. 4) YES 86% NO 14% Note: Table made from pie chart. To Talk Back, visit...

Heavy TV viewing portends attentional problems: early childhood exposure.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
May 1, 2004... Early childhood exposure to television is linked to attentional problems a few years later, Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis and colleagues reported. The relationship was clinically significant and dose dependent. For every hour spent watching...

Extended-release methylphenidate: ADHD teens drive better: compared with thrice-daily medication.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
May 1, 2004... Adolescents with ADHD drive much more erratically when they take three daily doses of immediate-acting methylphenidate than when they take a single dose of the long-acting formulation of the drug. This was the finding of Daniel J. Cox,...

Childhood antidepressant use swings upward: almost twice the use in those under 18.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
May 1, 2004... Antidepressant use doubled among preschool girls and increased by 64% among preschool boys between 1998 and 2002, based on a national sample of prescriptions for commercially insured children. Overall antidepressant use in children aged 18...

Antidepressant warnings: what to do?(Behavioral Consult)
May 1, 2004... Pediatricians are understandably concerned with the issuance of new warnings by the Food and Drug Administration about 10 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs--warnings of possible links to worsening depression, suicidality, and the...

Easy availability driving dextromethorphan abuse: hallucinations, dystonia.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Attracted by easy availability and admiring Internet sites, teenagers and young adults are increasingly abusing dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in Robitussin DM and other over-the-counter cough syrups, Dr. Alexander E....

Adolescents may start smoking to lose weight: national study data.(Behavior Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Adolescents who want to lose weight may be at a significantly increased risk of initiating smoking, Dr. Eric Chesley reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Chesley...

Cipro.(New & Approved)
May 1, 2004... (ciprofloxacin, Bayer Pharmaceuticals) The Food and Drug Administration approved ciprofloxacin for patients aged 1-17 years to treat complicated urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis caused by Escherichia coli (not as first-line...

Chewable Zyrtec Tablets.(New & Approved)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... (cetirizine HCI, Pfizer Inc./UCB Pharma) The FDA approved a new chewable formulation of Zyrtec to treat children 2 years and older with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis as well as chronic idiopathic urticaria. * Recommended...

Ask the right questions to gauge asthma severity: nocturnal symptoms often overlooked.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Many physicians do not ask about their patients' nighttime symptoms of asthma and, consequently, may underestimate disease severity, Dr. Janice H. Howell said at a conference on care of the sick child sponsored by the Nemours...

Asthma exacerbations tied to acute, instead of daily, ICS use: guidelines not followed.(Clinical Rounds)(inhaled corticosteroids)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Only 29.2% of children with mild to moderate asthma having exacerbations were using inhaled corticosteroids at the time of the event, and only 37.8% refilled an inhaled corticosteroid prescription within 30 days after the...

Steroid fear may sway parents against corticosteroid therapy: more education needed.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Physicians need to do more to allay parents' fears about the side effects of anti-inflammatory medicines for asthma, Dr. Anne Gordon and Dr. Katherine O' Conner advised at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric...

BMI beats height, weight in detecting overweight: challenge is getting physicians to use it.(Clinical Rounds)(body mass index)
May 1, 2004... Plotting body mass index better identifies overweight children than traditional height-and-weight charts, but many pediatricians do not calculate BMI during routine visits, according to a study by investigators at the University of North...

High glycemic load feeds the obesity epidemic: increased fast-food consumption.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The rise in child and adolescent obesity is due in part to the increase of high-glycemic load diets, said Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D., of Children's Hospital, Boston. This may be linked to the steep rise in the rate at which...

Duragesic patch lots are recalled: potential leak.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Janssen Pharmaceutica is recalling five lots of Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) 75-[micro]g/hr patches. The affected lot numbers are 0327192, 0327193, 0327294, 0327295, and 0330362. The patches have the potential for a leak in...

Kids' skin care products contain food allergens: milk, tree nuts, wheat, peanut oil.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- More than a quarter of over-the-counter skin care products for children contain commonly allergenic foods, Dr. Kelly K. Newhall reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma,...

Resolved peanut allergy may recur in children: infrequent ingestion link.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children whose peanut allergy has resolved appear to have just a 4% risk of recurrence, and children who eat peanut products infrequently or in limited amounts may be at special risk, Dr. David M. Fleischer reported in a poster...

2003 marked by findings on obesity, celiac disease: top articles reviewed.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... BELLEVUE, WASH. -- The big news in pediatrics this past year involved the underdiagnosis of celiac disease, the finding that delaying placement of tympanostomy tubes does not affect language development, and the fact that lead continues to be a...

Use brief exam to assess eye trauma in children: mnemonic device: I-ARM.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A simple 30-second evaluation of a child with ocular trauma can help you determine if the patient needs a referral or just reassurance that there's no serious harm, Dr. Kenneth W. Wright said at a pediatric update sponsored...

In utero MRI improves prenatal diagnostic accuracy by 48%: compared with ultrasound.(Clinical Rounds)(Magnetic resonance imaging)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- In utero magnetic resonance imaging results in a 48% improvement in diagnostic accuracy over ultrasound in cases where brain abnormalities are suspected, Dr. Paul D. Griffiths reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological...

Nausea.(Beyond Chicken Soup)
May 1, 2004... >From years ago, I remember a 4-year-old boy who looked up with pleading eyes and told me that "goldfishies" were swimming in his stomach. His vivid description remains in my mind as the best way to capture the uncomfortable wavy, queasy...

Clinical judgment still key to appendicitis DX: eight variables.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... LOS CABOS, MEXICO -- Physicians still need clinical acumen to not miss appendicitis in the many cases of belly pain that come to the clinic or emergency department, despite emerging technology, Dr. Antonio Munoz said at a pediatric conference...

MedRules, PDA backup cards.(Digital Assistane)(Personal digital assistants)
May 1, 2004... Featured App: MedRules (ver. 3.3) Clinical Prediction Rules Clinical prediction aids and decision support tools have been a part of medicine for many years. Application of guidelines and algorithms in daily practice has facilitated our...

Series of casts straightens ligaments: correcting clubfoot without surgery.(Clinical Rounds)(Ponseti method)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Babies born with clubfoot can be treated safely and effectively by the Ponseti method, which usually avoids the need for surgery by using a series of casts to correct the twisted feet, Dr. Jose A. Morcuende said at the annual...

Congenital heart defects linked to SGA status: small-for-gestational-age infants.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Infants with congenital heart defects are more likely to be small for gestational age than those born with a normal heart, Dr. Sadia Ghaffar said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. They...

Change system to improve developmental services: allow time for creativity.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- There are proven methods for providing better developmental services for pediatric patients, Dr. Peter Margolis said at a meeting of Community Access to Child Health. The key is changing the system of care, said Dr....

Care coordination: allocating dollars could make sense: may spawn CPT codes.(Practice Trends)(Child Protection Team)
May 1, 2004... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A "medical home" environment in a pediatric practice isn't necessarily cost prohibitive, Dr. Rich Antonelli said at a meeting of Community Access to Child Health. But it does take valuable time, which if quantified,...

AAP CATCH program promotes 'medical home' concept: funding available.(Practice Trends)(American Academy of Pediatrics)(Community Access to Child Health program)
May 1, 2004... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The "medical home" concept promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics" Community Access to Child Health program for more than a decade continues to gain momentum, Dr. Tom Badgett said at a meeting of CATCH. The...

Holisim finds niche in life-threatening illness treatment: medical and emotional needs.(Practice Trends)(Holistic medicine)
May 1, 2004... A Connecticut family physician has found a holistic alternative for helping children who face a life-threatening illness. To address the specific medical and emotional needs of these children, Dr. Roy Zagieboylo, along with the Connecticut...

Research on children.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Research on the effects of drugs on children is hard to come by, and the federal government ought to change that by extending rules covering clinical research ethics to all public and private pediatric research, according to a new Institute of...

Monitoring malpractice.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... South Dakota Gov M. Michael Rounds is proposing the state step up its monitoring of medical malpractice, including hiring independent investigators to look into complaints against physicians, posting disciplinary actions online, and adding more...

Liability impact.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The rising cost of malpractice insurance premiums is hurting patient access to care, according the results of survey from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Medical group practices are facing an average premium increase of about...

No ATVs for kids.(Policy & Practice)(All-terrain vehicles)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) should be prohibited for everyone under age 16, investigators from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, said. They compared ATV-related trauma admissions in...

Tell your children.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Parents who conceive with the use of donor gametes should eventually tell their children about it, according to the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. While the decision to disclose the use of donated eggs or...

Restricting TV ads for children.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Television advertising should be restricted for children under age 8 years because these children are unable to critically comprehend the messages and are prone to accept them as truthful, accurate, and unbiased, according to a task force...

Health care reform not likely in election year: association plans possible.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... Hoping for substantive health care reform this year? Think again. Health care reform doesn't usually happen in years where presidential elections loom large, according to several experts. "Reforming health care, holding down health care...

Sen. Frist continues to push liability legislation: incremental approach.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has vowed to bring some version of medical liability reform legislation up for a vote every other month until he gets it passed. "What I'm giving [physicians] is a platform every 2...

Risks of foreign drugs.(FYI)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Maryland Pharmacists Association and the Food and Drug Administration have launched "Looks Can Be Deceiving," a public awareness campaign to alert consumers to the risks associated with buying drugs from other countries. Download at...

Hairpieces for disadvantaged.(FYI)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Locks of Love program provides custom-made hairpieces to disadvantaged children suffering from long-term or permanent medical hair loss. For more information on this program, contact Locks of Love, 561-963-1677, www.locksoflove.org.

tType 2 diabetes tips.(FYI)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The "Tips for Kids With Type 2 Diabetes" series from the National Diabetes Education Program provides children with basic information about the disease and how to live with it. Series topics include "Be Active," and "Stay at a Healthy Weight."...