Pediatric News articles from October 2005

Pediatric News archives from October 2005

Telemedicine takes doctors to day care.(News)
October 1, 2005... You have a big presentation to give to your staff, but your 4-year-old wakes up complaining of an earache. Looks like the drop-off at day care is out of the question--or is it? In Rochester, N.Y., the answer is "not necessarily." Several...

MMRV approval may up varicella immunization rate: the second-shot debate could be obviated.(News)
October 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of the first combination vaccine designed to protect children against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella is raising expectations of improved immunization rates, but is also eliciting some...

Coming attraction: a safe, effective rotavirus vaccine.(News)
October 1, 2005... WARSAW -- The half-million pediatric deaths, 2 million hospitalizations, and 25 million outpatient visits caused by rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis may soon be preventable with the advent of new vaccines that have demonstrated safety and...

Third-trimester alcohol exposure linked to school-age kids' attention problems.(News)
October 1, 2005... SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- Prenatal alcohol exposure is most likely to affect children's attention problems when it occurs during the third trimester, a prospective study of 492 children determined. There is a high degree of correlation...

Heart groups affirm utility of metabolic syndrome diagnosis.(News)
October 1, 2005... Less than a month after two major diabetes organizations called metabolic syndrome a poorly defined and misleading diagnosis, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute issued a joint statement reaffirming...

Children enrolled in JIA trial of new biologic Tx.(News)
October 1, 2005... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A novel biologic therapy, recently recommended for approval in adults with rheumatoid arthritis, will be studied in pediatric patients, according to Bristol-Myers Squibb. At a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration's...

Plan B decision delayed as FDA seeks shortened comment period.(News)
October 1, 2005... Citing difficult and novel regulatory issues, the Food and Drug Administration has delayed its decision on over-the-counter marketing status for the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel), to seek public comment. "The agency is...

Pediatric influenza information.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has information available about maximizing pediatric influenza vaccination in your practice, including coding tips. There are also educational materials for parents available in English and...

Target growth hormone doses to IGF-1 levels.(News)(insulin-like growth factor 1)
October 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Short children grew far taller when their growth hormone doses were adjusted according to their insulin-like growth factor 1 levels rather than to their weight, according to randomized study results. "IGF-1 levels do matter,"...

AAP report advises how to respond to disasters, terrorism.(News)(American Academy of Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... Pediatricians play a key role in caring for the young victims of Hurricane Katrina and educating their patients on the importance of community response, the author of a new clinical report on the aftereffects of disasters from the American...

Antibiotics still key to survival in cystic fibrosis.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Antibiotic use needs to be aggressive in cystic fibrosis, even if it is not exactly clear which antibiotics to use and when to use them in any particular case, Peggy Radford, M.D., said at a pediatric pulmonology...

Child transmits MSSA infection to doctor.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... A 4-month-old boy with fatal pneumonia transmitted Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus to a physician who had attempted to resuscitate him. This case represents the first reported incident of Panton-Valentine...

Disrupted ecology may protect La. from West Nile.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... A mosquito-eradication program is underway in storm-ravaged Gulf coast states, and federal officials hope that effort, combined with the hurricane's impact on the vector cycle, will prevent a surge in West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne...

New virus found to infect lower respiratory tract.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... A newly identified parvovirus appears to cause lower respiratory tract infections in children, a team of scientists in Sweden and Singapore reported. They detected the virus--provisionally named human bocavirus (HBoV)--through a rapid new...

Use prednisolone when IVIG fails in Kawasaki.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... A 3-day course of prednisolone appears effective in Kawasaki disease patients who are unresponsive to multiple infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin, Seiichiro Takeshita, M.D., and colleagues reported. Their success in treating...

CDC urges: physician, vaccinate thyself.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Doctors, get your flu shots. Get vaccinated for your patients, do it for yourselves, "do it in droves, just do it," William Schaffner, M.D., of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said at a press conference. ...

HPV vaccine is weapon against cervical Ca.(ID Consult)
October 1, 2005... We may soon be able to prevent cervical cancer in women by vaccinating preteens against human papillomavirus. Two candidate HPV vaccines--GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix and Merck's Gardasil--are expected to be licensed for use in the United...

Testing needed for suspected Lyme borreliosis.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... WARSAW -- While erythema migrans is the presenting manifestation of Lyme borreliosis in the majority of cases, nonspecific symptoms predominate in many infected children. Thus, serologic testing should be considered for these children who...

Eastern Equine Encephalitis hits New England.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... Four cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis were confirmed in Massachusetts as of late September, and two--including one in a 5-year-old child--have been fatal, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Five cases four...

Prevnar use results in big dip in IPD.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Routine use of seven-valent pneumooccal conjugate vaccine in young children has dramatically reduced the incidence of vaccine-type and overall invasive pneumococcal disease in children and adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

When good tympanostomy tubes go bad.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... Some tympanostomy tubes are going to cause trouble, for reasons that include water precaution issues, otorrhea, blocked tubes, development of granulation tissue, and extrusion problems. In the first place, the tubes serve as pressure...

Tympanostomy tubes: no advantage to early insertion.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... Early insertion of tympanostomy tubes during the first 3 years of life did not significantly improve the majority of developmental outcomes at age 6, compared with later insertion, in children with persistent otitis media with effusion, said...

Pain relievers.(Infectious Diseases)(Cartoon)
October 1, 2005... "I want my son vaccinated against whooping cough, measles, mumps, disobedience, laziness, disrespect, sloppiness...." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Cryptosporidiosis fading in N.Y. water park area.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... Although a health department investigation was continuing at press time, new cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to exposure at a New York water park appeared to be leveling off, officials said. As of this writing, 4,000 reports of...

Immunogenic surprises limit combo vaccines.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... WARSAW -- Efforts to develop combination vaccines that would streamline immunization schedules have hit some surprising snags, including unpredictable immunogenicity, Jim R Buttery, M.B., said at an international congress of the World Society...

Stool cultures rarely useful in managing diarrhea.(Infectious Diseases)
October 1, 2005... ASPEN, COLO. -- Stool cultures cost millions of dollars annually, but rarely turn up meaningful information for physicians managing diarrhea in the United States, according to Ann-Christine Nyquist, M.D. Physicians should only order...

Hurricane health care threat.(Clinical Capsules)
October 1, 2005... Missing pediatric vaccinations is one of the health challenges the country faces from Hurricane Katrina, Anthony Fauci, M.D., said at a press briefing sponsored by the Association of Health Care Journalists. "One of the problems with...

STI vaccination acceptance.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Ninety-three percent of 320 parents and 89% of their 320 adolescents endorsed a vaccine against HIV, said Gregory D. Zimet, Ph.D, and his associates at Indiana University, Indianapolis. Eighty-five percent of parents and 87% of adolescents said...

MRSA joins football team.(Clinical Capsules)
October 1, 2005... An outbreak of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CAMRSA) occurred among 13 players on a high school football team in Pennsylvania, said Jeffrey A. Rihn, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh and his colleagues...

Uncircumcised at greater UTI risk.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Being uncircumcised and having a fever greater than 39[degrees]C were significant risk factors for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a study of 1,025 infants aged 1-60 days, said Joseph J. Zorc, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania,...

Too many 'raveled sleaves'.(Letters From Maine)
October 1, 2005... Since we first met when I was in high school, Will Shakespeare and I have never been what you would call close. From time to time, though, I bump into an observation of his that suits my mood. One such passage, I'm told, comes from Macbeth: ...

After Katrina: musings by a displaced academic cardiologist.(Guest Editorial)
October 1, 2005... My entire professional career, except for 2 years in the U.S. Army, has been centered in New Orleans--at Tulane Medical School, the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and for the past decade on the faculty of Louisiana State University....

More than 4 million had ADHD Dx in 2003.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
October 1, 2005... About 4.4 million children aged 4-17 years in the United States had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in 2003, and more than half of those were taking medication for it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Teens' anxiety disorders can burden families.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- A significant burden is placed on the family members of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, regardless of the age of the child, Catherine Mancini, M.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American...

Learn to recognize gender identity disorder.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... Most adolescents wrestle with some form of angst as they develop a personal identity separate from their family and gain a sense of belonging with their peers. But wrestling with gender identity and being an adolescent can be % double...

Photo project proves even sick kids are still kids.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... When Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D., gave cameras to a group of sick children, she expected pictures describing their battle against debilitating illness. What she got were pictures of kids being kids--and that, she said, was even more powerful....

In Katrina's wake.(Behavioral Consult)
October 1, 2005... When we con template disasters and their impact on children, we tend to think about relatively brief and isolated exposures: television coverage of the events of 9/11 or a family trauma, such as an accident in which a relative is injured or...

Preschool environment predicts grade school bullying.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Children who receive cognitive stimulation and emotional support from their parents when they are 4 years old are less likely to become bullies, but early television watching promotes bullying, reported Frederick J. Zimmerman, Ph.D., and his...

Ethnicity appears to play a role in eating disorders.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... Culture appears to play a role in disordered eating. Black and Caribbean girls had the lowest rates of disordered eating, probably because African American culture sends teens the message that physically attractiveness isn't completely tied...

Knee rebuilding safe in children, teens, MD says.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Growing adolescents can undergo anterior cruciate ligament repair safely, and perhaps should have the surgery to avoid the possibility of later knee problems, George A. Paletta Jr., M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Strep possibly a rare cause of anorexia nervosa.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
October 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Streptococcal pharyngitis may be a very occasional trigger for anorexia nervosa and other neuropsychiatric conditions and should be investigated in patients with sudden onset of psychiatric symptoms, Mae S. Sokol, M.D., said at an...

Type 1 and 2 diabetes can overlap in children.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... For most pediatric patients with high blood sugar, the distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is straightforward. However, there can be an overlap and patients can fit criteria for both conditions, making diagnosis and management more...

Many physicians aren't discussing overweight status with children.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... Less than half of overweight children in the United States are told that they are overweight by their physicians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The percentage of children and teens aged 6-19 years who are...

Doubt cast on CPR's value after severe injuries.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... PHOENIX -- Outcomes of 66 cases in which children received cardiopulmonary resuscitation prior to admission to a level I trauma center suggest that the emergency procedure is rarely warranted after traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest in pediatric...

Overall improvement in child dental health: decay rates are down over last 10 years, but there are still disparities by race and income.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... The dental health of U.S. children as a whole has improved over the past 10 years, but disparities still exist by race and income, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. A comparison of data from the National Health and...

Special health issues can be a barrier to needed dental care.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... The dental needs of many children with special health care requirements are frequently unmet, although having a regular doctor or nurse is a significant protective factor against this unmet need, according to data from the National Survey of...

Check 'usual allergy suspects' in persistent GERD.(Clinical Rounds)(gastro-esophageal reflux disease)
October 1, 2005... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Children or adults whose symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease continue despite treatment may have allergic eosinophilic esophagitis, John A. Kerner Jr., M.D., said at a conference on perinatal and pediatric...

Reticulocyte Hb may be better test of infants' iron.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... Reticulocyte hemoglobin content appears to be a better marker of iron deficiency than erythrocyte hemoglobin in healthy infants aged 9-12 months, and may even be a useful tool for predicting later anemia, Christina Ullrich, M.D., and her...

Gradual privileges put teens safely in driver's seat: young drivers "usually will comply if they know the parent will take away the keys' for infractions.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... Picture a 17-year-old behind the wheel of a car, with a cell phone glued to her ear, and music blaring from the stereo speakers. Dangerous? You bet. But a more innocuous scenario confers even greater danger--a teenager trying to eat or...

Teens benefit from roux-en-y gastric bypass.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... PHOENIX -- Benefits and complications resulting from Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures are similar for both adolescents and adults, according to data presented by Mike K. Chen, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Surgical...

Cool cat: cartoons, music calm kids in CT suite.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... A new pediatric imaging suite reduces patient anxiety and improves compliance by giving children the power to control their environment with intriguing animation, soothing music, and lights during a scan. Instead of an intimidating, angular...

Pediatric sedation service boosts diagnostic imaging results.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Adding a dedicated pediatric sedation service reduced the number of incomplete or canceled diagnostic procedures due to sedation problems without increasing the complication rate at a tertiary pediatric facility, reported Wendalyn...

What teens want to know about sex: encouraging trusting relationship for parents and kids can also help teens feel free to talk with their physician.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... YOSEMITE, CALIF. -- Be ready to provide an opportunity for adolescent patients to ask questions about a sensitive topic like sex, Richard G. MacKenzie, M.D., advised at a pediatric conference sponsored by Symposia Medicus. "Sometimes kids...

Teens' experience with PMS mirrors adults.'.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Premenstrual syndrome is common in adolescents, and symptoms are similar to those reported by women, a study suggests. The findings debunk the "commonly accepted belief that adolescents suffer mostly from dysmenorrhea, and...

Increlex, Singulair.(New & Approved)
October 1, 2005... Increlex (mecasermin [rDNA origin] injection, Tercica Inc.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Increlex for long-term treatment of growth failure in children 2 years or older with severe primary insulinlike growth factor-1...

Know skin-related signs of dermatomyositis, SLE.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Some telltale signs of dermatomyositis appear on the skin, so it's important to be familiar with them, Ilona S. Szer, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. A malar rash that travels down...

In 2 trials, combination gel speeds acne relief.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- A combined formulation of clindamycin (1%) and tretinoin (0.025%) in an aqueous hydrogel improved acne vulgaris significantly faster than did either drug alone or vehicle, James Leyden, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at...

Preparing for a pandemic.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Department of Health and Human Services is taking steps to avoid a flu pandemic this year, purchasing additional vaccine and antiviral medications that will be placed in the nation's Strategic National Stockpile. Sanofi Pasteur received a...

Most likely to be uninsured.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The proportion and number of uninsured children did not change in 2004, remaining at 11.2% or 8.3 million, the Census Bureau reported in its annual survey on income, poverty, and health insurance. With the 2004 uninsured rate at 19%, children...

Greater folic acid fortification.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Officials at the March of Dimes are calling on the U.S. government to require higher levels of folic acid fortification in grain foods. The request, which reflects a long-held policy of the March of Dimes, comes on the heels of research showing...

Reporting neonatal herpes.(Policy & Practice)
October 1, 2005... A group of experts in obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to request reporting of cases of neonatal herpes from all states and U.S. territories. The call to action, which was...

Obesity in California.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... California's children seem to have a weight problem, especially in the largest cities, a study from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy reported. Using data from the California Physical Fitness Test, which is administered in public...

Preparing for your golden years.(The Rest of Your Life)
October 1, 2005... At age 51, Marguerite R Barnett, M.D., considers herself % bit young to retire," but the thought crosses her mind. "I'm in a medical malpractice state and sometimes I think strongly about [retiring] because of stressors," said Dr. Barnett,...

Patient care: older doctors want out.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... In 2004, a national survey of 436 physicians aged 50-65 years by the physician recruitment firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates found 8% plan to retire in the next 1-3 years. However, 51% of respondents indicated they plan to make changes in...

Disaster prevention requires backup systems.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2005... The recent disaster in New Orleans may be a wake-up call for all physicians to establish some kind of emergency backup system for their businesses. "Physicians don't always think of themselves as running a business, but they're going to...

Follow FEMA's flood-proof tips.(Practice Trends)(Federal Emergency Management Agency)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Here are some general tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on flood and hurricane preparation for businesses: Ask your local emergency management office whether your facility is located in a flood plain. Find out the history of...

Medical schools are making do.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Medical schools affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath scrambled to find alternate locations and resources. At press time, most students from Tulane University in New Orleans were being housed 180 miles away at Jackson State...

First responder shares his story of Katrina's aftermath.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2005... While television relentlessly conveyed Hurricane Katrina's destructive impact on property, the catastrophe's human costs emerged most powerfully in the clarity of individual voices. In the following e-mail, one physician shared his experiences....

Documentation: the best defense.(Efficient Pediatrician Practices)
October 1, 2005... As important as it is to communicate, communicate, communicate, it also is important to document, document, document. It simply isn't enough to record "normal for all" or to list only positive findings on a patient's records. I have...

Katrina puts proposed medicaid cuts on hold.(Practice Trends)
October 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Hurricane Katrina has put many things on hold, including the fate of $10 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program that were proposed by a federally appointed commission. The Medicaid Commission, which was called for by the...