Pediatric News articles from October 2004

Pediatric News archives from October 2004

Kids' mental health care goes primary.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(collaborative pediatric mental health program)
October 1, 2004... "Go where the kids are." That's the rationale behind a novel collaborative care approach that aims to increase access to mental health care for children and adolescents through enhanced primary care services, Dr. John V. Campo said. "Most...

Pediatric residents graduating from ACGME-accredited specialty programs.(Vital Signs)(Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... Pediatric Residents Graduating From ACGME-Accredited Specialty Programs Women Men 1999 63% 37% 2000 65% 35% 2001 65% 35% Note: Based on a survey of 7,040 program directors who confirmed the status...

FDA panels back black box for antidepressants: support for strongest warning is based on a 'reasonably consistent signal for risk.'.(News)
October 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- A black box warning alerting prescribers to the risk of suicidal behavior and ideation with antidepressants in pediatric patients will likely be added to the labels of antidepressants, as recommended by the majority of the...

Meningococcal vaccine gets advisory panel nod: unanimous endorsement for Menactra.(News)
October 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- A new conjugate meningococcal vaccine was unanimously endorsed at a joint meeting of the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. If approved by the FDA as expected,...

Physicians continue to back clinical trials registry.(News)(pharmaceutical industry's web-based clinical trials database)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The pharmaceutical industry's new Web-based database on U.S. clinical drug trial results doesn't eliminate the need for required trial registration, physician groups claim. On Oct. 1, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and...

FDA slow to act on drugs' suicide risk.(News)(suicide risk for youth taking antidepressants)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration has been slow to inform physicians and parents about the risk of suicidality for children and adolescents who are taking antidepressants, members of Congress said at a hearing of the House Energy...

Infants still need flu vaccine despite shortage.(News)(analyzying populations at risk for influenza)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Physicians must work hard to ensure that only high-risk patients receive doses of the nation's now limited influenza vaccine supply, federal officials said at a press briefing. During a hastily called meeting sparked by news...

Studies of morbidity underscore value of influenza vaccine for young children.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Data compiled from several studies conducted between 1973 and 1993 show the value of immunizing young children for influenza, Dr. Georges Peter said at a meeting on clinical pediatrics sponsored by the University of California,...

HHS orders 2 million avian influenza vaccine doses.(News)
October 1, 2004... The federal government has awarded Aventis Pasteur a $13 million contract to produce and store 2 million doses of avian influenza H5N1 vaccine, which would be used to vaccinate medical and lab workers in the event of an avian flu pandemic. ...

Flu pandemic road map stops short of solutions.(News)
October 1, 2004... The United States should prepare now for the next influenza pandemic, which may be caused by a mutation of the avian flu viruses that now appear endemic in some parts of Asia and Europe, federal officials have said. Before the next...

Flu vaccine may cause oculorespiratory syndrome.(Infectious Diseases)(U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System)
October 1, 2004... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Oculorespiratory syndrome is a newly recognized but apparently not new--adverse event after influenza immunization, Dr. Nooshin Ahmadipour said at the National Immunization Conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease...

Separation anxiety fact sheet available.(Infectious Diseases)(Children Who Won't Go to School)
October 1, 2004... The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's "Facts for Families" program is featuring a fact sheet on separation anxiety and school. "Children Who Won't Go to School" offers tips to parents on how to recognize signs of separation...

Palivizumab cuts RSV readmissions.(Infectious Diseases)(respiratory syncytial virus)
October 1, 2004... TAMPERE, FINLAND -- Rehospitalizations in premature infants decline with adequate prophylaxis with palivizumab, according to the results of an Austrian study presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious...

Cutaneous tuberculosis closely tied to HIV.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2004... ROME -- Although cutaneous tuberculosis represents only a small percentage of new pediatric skin cases each year, it is a growing concern, especially in countries with a high rate of human immunodeficiency virus. "Cutaneous TB may in fact...

PCV reduces pneumonia, otitis.(Clinical Capsules)(pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The addition of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to childhood vaccination schedules appeared to reduce pneumonia and otitis media among children younger than 2 years in regions of New York and Tennessee during 2001-2002. In a...

Two flu vaccines yield best results.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two doses of influenza vaccine--one dose of current vaccine plus a primer--are needed for optimal protection against disease, according to data from a retrospective cohort study of 5,139 children aged 6-23 months (MMWR 53[31]:707-10, 2004). The...

MRSA, MSSA outcomes similar.(Clinical Capsules)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A total of 31 children with musculoskeletal infections from community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had significantly more febrile days and days in the hospital, compared with 28 children whose infections were...

Vaccine reduces need for tubes.(Clinical Capsules)(tympanostomy tube)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Use of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in infancy was associated with a reduced need for tympanostomy tube placement for age 2-5 years, but not at age 2-24 months, according to data from a follow-up study of 756 children by Dr. Arto A.I....

Recalled probes linked to infections.(Clinical Capsules)(SLS-1 Sublingual Sensor of the Nellcor CapnoProbe system)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Nellcor Puritan Bennett has recalled its SLS-1 Sublingual Sensor, part of the Nellcor CapnoProbe sublingual system, because of reports of positive cultures of Burkholderia cepacia among 13 intensive care patients, 11 of whom were children, at...

Resume normal Prevnar vaccination regimen: CDC issues catch-up immunization schedule after manufacturer's resolution of supply problems.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2004... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the resumption of the full four-dose routine schedule of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, marketed as Prevnar. The CDC made the decision in conjunction with the...

HPV vaccination plan hindered by STD stigma, ignorance.(Infectious Diseases)(human papillomavirus)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Without a thorough public education program, ignorance and stigma could stymie any future attempts to vaccinate Americans against human papillomavirus. "Having a vaccine available doesn't necessarily mean the public will...

Guidelines still matter in febrile infants.(ID Consult)(Pediatric Research in Office Settings survey)
October 1, 2004... When it comes to the managment of young febrile infants, evidence-based guidelines should still be followed in clinical practice. The risk of serious bacterial infection is about 1%-2% of all infants aged 0-3 months with temperatures above...

Polio seroprevalence stays up in urban areas.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2004... ARLINGTON, Va. -- The introduction of the inactivated poliovirus vaccine hasn't adversely affected poliovirus seroprevalence levels among young children in urban areas, Rebecca Prevots, Ph.D., said at a conference on vaccine research sponsored...

Antimicrobials lifesaving for some GI illnesses.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2004... ASPEN, COLO. -- Antimicrobials can be lifesaving in cases of bacteremia and some gastrointestinal illnesses, but the agents should generally be avoided in the treatment of Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Dr. John Ogle said at a conference on...

Avoiding medication confusion.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2004... Two new patient safety publications are available from the United States Pharmacopeia: "Quality Review No. 78: Too Much Similarity" and "Quality Review No. 79: Use Caution--Avoid Confusion." To download the documents, go to the Web site...

Fatally late.(Letters From Maine)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Timing may not be everything, but it's head and shoulders above whatever you think might be second. If I'm lucky enough to be the physician at the other end of the stethoscope when a patient with pneumonia masquerading as abdominal pain...

The Kerry proposal presented.(Health care 2004: you decide)(John F. Kerry political aspects)
October 1, 2004... John Kerry understands that our health care system faces important challenges and it will require national leadership to meet them. The number of people who do not have health care coverage is going up, overall health care costs are going...

The Bush proposal presented.(Health care 2004: you decide)
October 1, 2004... Americans can take pride that we have the best health care in the world--committed doctors and nurses, state-of-the-art medical devices, and life-saving prescription drugs. Despite our successes, there are still too many gaps in quality, too...

CBT may beat medications in childhood OCD.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Cognitive therapy improves obsessive-compulsive disorder)
October 1, 2004... HONOLULU -- Cognitive therapy and training improve obsessive-compulsive disorder in children as much as medication and may he beneficial for a greater number of them, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American...

Combo therapy lifted mood in teens.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2004... Depressed adolescents respond best to a combination of fluoxetine and cognitive-behavioral therapy, said Dr. John S. March of Duke University, Durham, N.C., and his colleagues on the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study. In a...

Risk factors tip scale from diet to eating disorder.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2004... HONOLULU -- There are four factors that can help distinguish a girl who has an eating disorder from one who simply diets, Catherine M. Shisslak, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. More than 50% of...

Fast food looks good to parents with the blues.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(child obesity)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HONOLULU -- Researchers who have found it difficult to substantiate the popular belief that many obese children come from depressed families may need to include fast food as a variable in their research, Melvin Davis, Ph.D., said at the annual...

School-based intervention quells aggressiveness.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2004... BERLIN -- School-based preventive interventions can positively affect children's antisocial behavior at the time of transition to middle school, and the gains can be maintained for at least a year after the intervention ends. Elementary...

Dad's mental health tempers ill mom's effect.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(parent-child mental health)
October 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Good mental health in a father can buffer the impact of a mentally ill mother on a child, Dr. Robert S. Kahn said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. In a study of 822 children aged 3-12 years...

Software program evaluates autism symptoms.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2004... Assessment of children with autism spectrum disorders is going hightech. The Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview, known as 3di, is a computerized program that analyzes autistic symptoms in clinical and normal populations,...

Autism and GI anomaly link suggested.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(gastrointestinal )
October 1, 2004... SALT LAKE CITY -- Congenital gastrointestinal anomalies were significantly more common in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, compared with healthy controls, Megan L. Wier said at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Assessing high achievers.(Behavioral Consult)(child behaviour)
October 1, 2004... A lot of good in the world comes from the drive of highly self-pressured individuals: the scientist who rarely sleeps, the world leader who devours four books a week, the athlete who shoots 100 free throws every night, even when dusk makes the...

Needle anxiety may hinder diabetes management.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, Colo. -- Needle anxiety is a common unrecognized problem affecting diabetes management in children and adolescents, Rita Temple-Trujillo said at a conference on management of diabetes in youth. Patients don't present as having...

Tune in patients to hypoglycemia awareness.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Hypoglycemia unawareness is a common problem constituting a major risk factor for severe hypoglycemic episodes involving seizures or coma, Dr. Georgeanna Klingensmith said at a conference on management of diabetes in youth...

Intermittent intensive insulin may be possible for diabetes.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- The concept of "metabolic memory" is receiving intense interest among diabetologists, Dr. Satish K. Garg said at a conference on management of diabetes in youth. The metabolic memory hypothesis holds that an imprinting...

Sleep found surprisingly inadequate in children.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... BETHESDA. MD. -- American children aren't getting enough sleep. Children in every age group "don't even meet the low end of the range recommended by experts" for sleep in a 24-hour period, according to a national survey, Mary A. Carskadon,...

Sleep problems.(Beyond Chicken Soup)
October 1, 2004... Recently I saw a new mother and her week-old infant. The mother looked exhausted and had ark circles under her eyes. When I asked her why she seemed so fatigued, she told me that someone had advised her to wake the baby up every 2 hours for a...

Synagis, Clarinex Syrup.(New & Approved)(drug approval)
October 1, 2004... Synagis (palivizumab, Medlmmune Inc.) The Food and Drug Administration approved a new liquid formulation of Synagis (palivizumab). The new premixed formulation for injection does not require reconstitution, which was necessary with the...

Depression tied to non-GI ills in abdominal pain.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PARIS -- Depressed children with persistent abdominal pain were significantly more likely than their nondepressed peers to report additional problems such as dizziness, weakness, and heart palpitations, Dr. Cheryl Little said in a poster...

Hypermobility, limb pain shouldn't limit activity.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... SANTA MONICA, CALIF. -- Reassurance may be the best therapy for patients with hypermobility syndrome or limb pains of childhood, Dr. Bram Bernstein said at a symposium sponsored by the American College of Rheumatology. These two common...

ePocrates essentials, pocketRadio.(Digital Assistance)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2004... Featured App: ePocrates Essentials Dedicated fans of Digital Assistance will recall our review of the ePocrates Rx drug reference in the Nov. 1, 2002, edition of INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWS. Although we make a conscious effort to present...

Stress fractures stem from fatigue, overuse.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... MONTEREY, CALIF. -- Pain relief and injury prevention should guide the management of stress fractures, Dr. Daniel Kraft said at a meeting on pediatric and adolescent sports medicine sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Unlike...

Isotretinoin is acne Tx option if scarring likely.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... ROME -- Isotretinoin can be a safe, effective treatment for acne in prepubertal and young pubertal children who are unresponsive to topical therapy or systemic antibiotics, and who have a risk of severe scarring or a family history of severe...

Tacrolimus bests pimecrolimus in atopic dermatitis therapy.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Tacrolimus proved to be more efficacious and no more irritating than pimecrolimus in the first large head to-head comparison of the two topical immunomodulators in patients with atopic dermatitis, Dr. Alan B. Fleischer Jr. said at...

Bush, Kerry differ sharply on health care plans.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Sen. John Kerry are offering the public vastly different approaches to reforming health care and covering the uninsured, according to an analysis from the American Enterprise Institute. Sen. Kerry's...

Ethics body endorses Rx study in healthy children.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD -- The newly created ethics subcommittee of the Food and Drug Administration's pediatric advisory panel recommended approval, with modifications, of a proposed trial designed to study the effects of a psychoactive agent on healthy...

Suggested trial modifications.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The FDA's pediatric ethics subcommittee recommended the following changes to NIH trial protocol, and the parent permission / child assent documents: * Narrow the age range to either 9-12 years or 13-18 years, to offset the variability in...

Online physician prescribers targeted by feds.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2004... Federal investigators are targeting physicians who help Internet sites sell drugs to buyers without legitimate prescriptions. "The Internet has brought drug dealers from the back alleys directly into every American home wired for e-mail and...

New MPH program targets health disparities.(Practice Trends)(master's degree in public health )
October 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- A new Howard University program offering a master's degree in public health aims to train leaders who will help eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. The degree program is the first to focus on health disparities...

Survey identifies barriers to medical home access: pediatricians cite inadequate reimbursement policies and lack of time and resources as obstacles to treatment.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- A medical home is only as good as the materials used to build it, and for families of children with special health care needs, coordinated care to address developmental problems provides fundamental support. Unfortunately, many...

Election 2004: open letter.(Policy & Practice)(State Children's Health Insurance Program )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... One month shy of Election Day, 36 prominent pediatricians in an "open letter" criticized the Bush administration on children's health care. The letter noted that 27 million children were without health insurance at some point in 2002-2003, and...

Reducing fraud and abuse.(Policy & Practice)(Medicare and Medicaid fraud)
October 1, 2004... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a proposed regulation is calling on states to report improper payments in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program to the Department of Health and Human Services. States would...

SCHIP allotments for 2005.(Policy & Practice)(State Children's Health Insurance Program )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Some states are getting a bigger slice of the SCHIP pie than others. In fiscal year 2005, California is eligible for $667 million in federal funding, the single largest allocation available to any state. The second largest is $450 million for...

Health care access improving.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... More low-income children in the United States are getting access to needed medical care, a study from the Center for Studying Health System Change indicated. The percentage of low-income children with unmet medical needs declined by more than...

Declines in private coverage.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Another HSC study that examined 25 years of children's health care coverage indicates that rising health insurance costs are the likely culprit for a decline in the number of American children with private health coverage. The report, which...

Importance of primary care.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Primary care physicians are most often the source of preventive care for patients, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. Americans made an estimated 890 million physician visits in 2002. Six out of every ten of...

Boomers, Gen X physicians differ in their work priorities, lifestyles.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2004... When it comes to balancing work with personal priorities, older and younger physicians just can't seem to agree. This generational disconnect was revealed when a group of veteran physicians were polled on the state of the profession and...

How dual-physician marriages thrive.(The Rest Of Your Life)
October 1, 2004... For Dr. Tamir Keshen and Dr. Roberta Sengelmann, it's the little things that help keep their marriage intact, such as maintaining the same sleep schedule and spending the first hour or two of nearly every morning together working out. ...

Diagnostic dilemma.
October 1, 2004... A 2-month-old girl was brought in by her mother because of vomiting and constipation. The mother said the child's urine output was normal, but she noticed that the child's voice had become hoarse. The child had no fever and no prior medical...

Pediatric Cardiology for Primary Care.(Products)(Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offering "Pediatric Cardiology for the Primary Care Physician" CD-ROM)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Heart Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is offering the interactive CD-ROM "Pediatric Cardiology for the Primary Care Physician." The CD-ROM offers opportunities to earn CME credit. To receive a copy, call...

New exam lamp.(Products)(www.sunnexonline.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Solo Spot Exam Light provides up to 6,000 foot-candles of illumination in a 3.25-inch-diameter spot pattern at 15 inches. The 35-watt halogen light is available as a c-clamp/table or universal mount model or a 36-inch high floor model. For...

Instrument cart.(Products)(all metal furniture)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Anthro all-metal instrument cart has two shelves which can hold 50 pounds each. Its legs have wide channels to conceal cables. For more information, contact Anthro Corp., 800-325-3841, FAX 800-325-0045.

Vinyl document protectors.(Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... These 8.5-by-11-inch vinyl record protectors are designed to hold and protect medical records, stock medication lists, and other documents. The protectors are adhesive on one side, for mounting on smooth surfaces. For more information, contact...

OTC cough spray.(Products)(Ornithine transcarbamylase)(Cough Mist)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Zicam Concentrated Cough Mist is indicated for the relief of coughs associated with colds. Both the cough mist and cough mist plus decongestant come in cherry-flavored children's formulas. For more information, visit www.zicam.com or call...

Natural head lice prevention.(Products)(Rosemary Repel)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Rosemary Repel line of children's hair care products (including shampoo, conditioner, and styling gel) contain organic oils to help avoid head lice. For more information, contact Fairy Tales Hair Care for Children, 888-244-1990,...

Medical records service.(Products)(Mobile Medical Information Services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Mobile Medical Information Services allows patients to compile all of their medical records in one place for easy access. With patient authorization, physicians can have access to a patient's complete medical history. For more information,...