Pediatric News articles from September 2004

Pediatric News archives from September 2004

Medical Home model thrives at UCLA.(News)
September 1, 2004... * Who Comes to the Home? * A Home Apart * The Resident Factor * Coordinating Care * Filling In the Gaps It's helping to keep young families together, inciting residents to take on extra work, and providing long-term...

ADA's proposed Hb[A.sub.1c] goals for kids draw fire: many diabetologists say the new numbers are 'going to set families up for failure.'.(News)
September 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Proposed new American Diabetes Association glycosylated hemoglobin goals for children have come under strong criticism from some prominent pediatric endocrinologists. This is the first time that the ADA has set...

FDA panel positive on OTC status for defibrillator: questions remain on pediatric indication.(News)
September 1, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- Members of a federal advisory panel were generally positive about making one particular automated external defibrillator available without a prescription, although they had several concerns, including the potential for...

Diagnostic dilemma.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A 16-year-old high school football player went down on the field when he was clipped from behind while attempting a tackle. He hyperextended his neck when he was pushed into an opposing player's knee. The player lay on his back,...

Psychiatric polypharmacy prevalent; antidepressants most common.(News)
September 1, 2004... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Four out of five children and adolescents under psychiatric treatment were receiving pharmacotherapy in a recent study, and slightly more than half of these got more than one psychiatric medication, Joyce C. West, Ph.D., said...

Rofecoxib approved as rheumatoid arthritis Tx.(News)
September 1, 2004... Rofecoxib is now indicated for the treatment of pain associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, making it the first COX-2 inhibitor approved for use in children. "This is an important step forward," said Dr. Thomas J.A. Lehman, chief...

Report urges limiting consumption of certain fish.(News)
September 1, 2004... More than half of all freshwater fish samples in a recent Environmental Protection Agency study contained mercury levels that exceed the limit considered safe in women of childbearing age, and more than three-quarters had levels exceeding the...

Candidates for intensive insulin therapy defined: consider intensive therapy even for children with limited competence in diabetes self-management.(News)
September 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Children and adolescents with type 1diabetes shouldn't be denied access to intensive insulin therapy on the basis of limited family competence in diabetes self-management, Tim Wysocki, Ph.D., said at a conference on...

Needle-free insulin injection effective but unpopular.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CT. -- A needle-free system for injecting insulin proved as effective as a traditional syringe but was rejected by most pediatric patients in a small, randomized trial presented at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric...

AOM treatment in the PCV7 era.(ID Cconsult)
September 1, 2004... Treatment of acute otitis media in 2004 should target Haemophilus influenzae, especially in the case of antibiotic failures. Contrary to predictions that the 7-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) would have a minimal impact on...

Varicella immunization up after 1996.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Varicella immunization rates are high among children born after the 1996 universal recommendation, but a substantial proportion of older children and adolescents remain unprotected, Dr. Mark H. Sawyer said at the National...

Varicella vaccine victories.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... * H. pylori Rises in Michigan * Vaccine: No Link to Neonatal Death * Respiratory Bugs Do Battle * Montelukast Clears Ears Varicella Vaccine Victories The varicella vaccine was nearly 80% effective against all varicella...

H. pylori rises in Michigan.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The incidence of Helicobacter pylori at Children's Hospital of Michigan rose steadily between Jan. 1, 1999, and Dec. 31, 2002, despite recent reports of a decrease in the incidence of the disease across North America, Dr. Vasundhara Toila said...

Vaccine: no link to neonatal death.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) was not a factor in neonatal death in a study of 1,363 children, said Eileen M Eriksen of the University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Vaccine Research, Torrance, Calif., and her associates. The...

Respiratory bugs do battle.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Streptococcus pneumoniae was inversely associated with the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in a cross-sectional study of nasal flora, said Dr. Gill Regev-Yochay of Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel, and colleagues. Of 790 children aged...

Montelukast clears ears.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Children with otitis media who were treated with montelukast sodium had significantly less effusion in their ears at 4 weeks' followup, compared with children who received a placebo, said Dr. Jerome T. Combs of the University of Connecticut,...

Keep clinical suspicion high for possible bacterial meningitis.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... * Meningitis-Causing Bacteria PALM BEACH, FLA. -- Clinical suspicion of bacterial meningitis is critical, especially when patients present with fever, nuchal rigidity, headache, and/or altered mental status, Dr. Richard J. Duma said at a...

Meningococcal meningitis: an all-ages pass to acute illness.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- Meningococcal meningitis is relatively rare in the United States, but at least two things are clear: It occurs in all age groups, and the older you get, the more expensive and lethal it is. Those were among the findings of...

WBC count unreliable in meningitis diagnosis.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... ASPEN, COLO. -- Although a relatively small number of physicians find themselves actually treating bacterial meningitis, oftentimes they must rule out the disease, which means making the difficult decision of whether to perform a spinal tap....

New rotavirus vaccines moving closer to market.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... ASPEN, COLO. -- As the medical community grapples with pressing needs for various vaccines, one candidate that stands out as having the potential to benefit public health is a new rotavirus vaccine, Dr. Myron Levin said at a conference on...

RotaTeq vaccine prevented acute gastroenteritis: none of the infants in the pentavalent vaccine group had a case of severe rotavirus acute gastroenteritis.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... TAMPERE, FINLAND -- A new vaccine for acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus shows some promise for protecting infants of a wide age range, especially in severe cases of the disease, Dr. Timo Vesikari said at the annual meeting of the...

Needless barriers block child flu immunization.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... Despite widespread recognition in the medical community of the importance of influenza vaccination, barriers still exist to ensuring the widespread immunization of all target groups, according to Dr. Timothy Murphy, chief of infectious diseases...

Judgment day in the land of milk and honey.(Letters From Maine)
September 1, 2004... In new-millennium speak it's "coaching." Ten years ago it was "offering constructive criticism," and when my mother did it to my father it was called "nagging." Regardless of what term you prefer, I rely on my wife's unsolicited...

Pediatricians need to adapt.(Letters)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Dr. William G. Wilkoff has brought to the table a real problem for the pediatric community and the children we serve ("A Chill Wind," Letters From Maine, May 2004, p. 18). Pediatricians are not involved in the delivery room, nursery, or...

Liability reform.(Letters)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Caps for noneconomic damages and tort reform will never work ("Liability Reform Hinges on Noneconomic Caps," August 2004, p. 42). The only way to end the malpractice nightmare in this country is to limit awards to trial lawyers. (Reimbursement...

The dreaded 'onesie'.(Letters)
September 1, 2004... Not being one for fan mail, I hesitated writing this letter, but I want to let Dr. Wilkoff know how much I enjoyed his column, "The Naked Truth" (Letters From Maine, June 2004, p. 28). Only someone practicing in the trenches (I've been...

Iron deficiency still goes unnoticed in toddlers.(Guest Editorial)
September 1, 2004... The current "screen and treat" recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for iron deficiency anemia in toddlers have been largely unsuccessful. These recommendations, as stated in the 5th edition of the Pediatric Nutrition Handbook,...

Should preimplantation genetic diagnosis be used to produce suitable donors for stem cell transplants?(Pro & Con)
September 1, 2004... * Yes * No Yes Top of Pa More than 10 years ago, an ethical debate erupted within the medical community when a California couple decided to have a second child in the hope of creating a bone marrow donor for their daughter,...

Mental retardation challenges.(Behavioral Consult)
September 1, 2004... Mental retardation is defined as a significant deviation from normal in mental plus adaptive functioning. I think it's important to focus on that definition, since it both includes and excludes certain children seen in pediatric practice. One...

Risperidone may quell disruption, aggressiveness.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Children aged 5-12 years with severe disruptive disorders and below-average IQ scores showed significant improvements in behavior with a dose of up to 0.06 mg/kg per day of risperidone (Risperdal), said Dr. Robert L. Findling of Case Western...

Eating disorders in males often go undetected.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2004... The 15-year-old swimmer who came into Dr. Joel Jahraus's office recently could hardly be accused of not eating much--after all, he was consuming up to 4,000 calories daily. Unfortunately, even that many calories weren't enough to keep up with...

Food restrictions, parental weight affect girls' eating.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Data from an ongoing longitudinal study suggest that both individual factors and family environment play an important role in the development of maladaptive eating, Leann L. Birch, Ph.D., said at an international conference...

Study addresses concerns about ADHD treatment.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2004... HONOLULU -- Only half of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are being treated with medication, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study, which used data from the National Health...

Seizures linked with inattentive-type ADHD.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Children younger than 16 years who experienced unprovoked seizures were 2.5 times more likely to have a parent-reported history of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, compared with controls, said Dale C. Hesdorffer, Ph.D., of Columbia...

Nonstimulant atomoxetine tames severe ADHD: in randomized trials, the drug provided relief of symptoms without worsening comorbid tic disorders.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Atomoxetine, the first nonstimulant therapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults, appeared to be an effective way to treat children with severe ADHD symptoms and for those with comorbid tic disorder, speakers said...

Many disorders in kids tied to Sept. 11 aftermath.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Children experience disasters differently from adults, and future postdisaster mental health interventions should take this into consideration, Dr. Ezra S. Susser said at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association....

Taking simple steps to prevent sudden death.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA.--Adding a few simple steps to a sports physical exam can help pediatricians identify possible conditions warranting further evaluation before letting the child play, Dr. William B. Strong said at a conference on care of the sick...

Good sports exam means good history.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... BELLEVUE, WASH. -- Most of the key information you need to obtain during a sports examination is going to come from the history, Dr. Michael C. Koester said at a conference sponsored by the North Pacific Pediatric Society. While the...

Shelter at-risk children from severe air pollution: a better understanding of the Air Quality Index might enhance protection of vulnerable people.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Families with sensitive children or adolescents--such as those with asthma or chronic lung disease--should be counseled to monitor the Air Quality Index and curtail outdoor activities accordingly, Dr. W. Gerald Teague said at a...

Age-appropriate education can encourage use of inhalers.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Teaching a parent and child to use an inhalation device is one thing; getting them to keep on using it is another. "The most important aspect is not the device itself, not the anatomy; it is what goes on in the patient's...

Children's chest pain often, not always, benign: five patient cases tell how to discern the likelihood of cardiac dysfunction and which tests are needed.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Most instances of chest pain in children are benign and are seldom associated with serious pathology, as illustrated by five patient cases presented at a pediatric pulmonology meeting sponsored by the American College of Chest...

Autologous grafts repair congenital heart defects.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... TORONTO -- For the first time, cardiovascular grafts made from tissue engineered from autologous cells performed well in a clinical trial of 42 pediatric patients--opening the door to new possibilities for the development of viable vascular...

Lifestyle dictates type 2 diabetes onset in teens.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Comorbid conditions including psychiatric illness make the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adolescents different from that of adults with the disease, Dr. Phil Zeitler said at a conference on management of diabetes in youth....

OC cut pain in adolescent dysmenorrhea.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A low-dose oral contraceptive was effective for relieving dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls in a controlled study with 76 patients. "This is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a modern, low-dose...

CodeMeister, PDA chargers.(Digital Assistance)
September 1, 2004... Featured App: CodeMeister As if our days weren't already busy enough with patient encounters, most of us must also make time for a variety of administrative and correspondence tasks. In the "business of medicine" it's now not enough just...

Poisoning can mimic other common illnesses.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... Children's ingestion of aspirin, antihistamines, and alcohol often produce symptoms similar to other conditions. Dr. Angela C. Anderson urged physicians to keep toxicology in mind when evaluating pediatric patients. "If you don't think...

Topical diaper rash Rx may be on the horizon.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... ROME -- After almost 20 years of rejection by the Food and Drug Administration, a topical treatment for Candida-associated diaper dermatitis may be on the horizon, Dr. Mary Spraker said at the 10th World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology. ...

Diaper rash: common, yet poorly understood.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... ROME -- Although diaper dermatitis is exceedingly common, its etiology is only partially understood, and treatment options in the United States remain limited, Dr. Linda De Raeve said at the 10th World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology. ...

Head lice and dandruff.(Beyond Chicken Soup)
September 1, 2004... * Head Lice * Dandruff Head lice and dandruff are easy conditions for parents to confuse. Both cause scalp irritation, making children scratch their heads. Both conditions produce tiny white spots in the hair close to the scalp....

Alinia tablets, Prevacid.(New & Approved)
September 1, 2004... * Alinia Tablets (nitazoxanide Romark Laboratories) * Prevacid (lansoprazole, TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.) Alinia Tablets (nitazoxanide, Romark Laboratories) The Food and Drug Administration approved nitazoxanide tablets for...

Infant hypoglycemia risk factors named.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SALT LAKE CITY -- Significant risk factors for prolonged hypoglycemia in infants include gestational age, 1-minute Apgar scores, male sex, and weight in the lowest quartile. Prolonged hypoglycemia was present in 55 of 594 (9%)...

Rehabilitation is best response to medical mistakes.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Punishing physicians for their medical mistakes will not lead to safer health care, Dr. Lucian Leape said at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. More productive alternatives include performance...

Medical advice in public settings.(The Rest of Your Life)
September 1, 2004... * Organ Recital Etiquette The next time someone approaches you for medical advice outside of a clinical setting--whether it's at the mall, at the grocery store, or at a party--think twice before offering any. Dr. Sylvia Cruess, an...

Ten questions to ask before buying an EMR system.(Practice Trends)(electronic medical record system)
September 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Carefully assess your needs before you select an electronic medical record system, Dr. Jijo James said at the annual National Managed Health Care Congress. "We've been talking about EMRs for 15 years now in various shapes and...

Legal aid for the poor may improve child health.(Practice Trends)(identifying needs of poor children)
September 1, 2004... * How to Make the Best Referrals CHICAGO -- Many nonbiologic causes of poor health could be avoided or mitigated if low-income, high-risk families had easier access to the free or reduced-fee legal aid services available in their...

Fast growth in Medicaid fees seen in past 5 years.(Practice Trends)(physician fees)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... After growing slowly for most of the 1990s, Medicaid physician fees grew about 27.4% from 1998 to 2003, a study has indicated. Primary care fees grew the most during this 5-year period, and states with the lowest relative fees in 1998 saw the...

Vaccination at record levels.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Childhood immunization rates are at record high levels, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. From 2002 to 2003, national coverage for the varicella vaccine increased from 81% to 85%, and coverage for three or more doses of...

Coverage for children.(Policy & Practice)(Medicaid and State Children's Health insurance Program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... People under age 65 years enrolled in the Medicaid and State Children's Health insurance Program increased from 9% to 12% between 2001 and 2003, a report from the Center for Studying Health System Change said. Low-income children--those living...

Uninsured miss checkups.(Policy & Practice)(health insurance coverage for poor children)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Medicaid and SCHIP may be covering more children, but an analysis of CDC data by the Urban Institute claims that millions of low-income children remain uninsured and are missing out on medical treatments they could receive if enrolled in these...

Scant statehouse support.(Policy & Practice)(state child health policy)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Child health issues aren't getting a lot of attention at the state level. In a study of more than 9,800 bills introduced in three states over a 2-year period, researchers from the University of Michigan Health System found that only 65 bills...

Parents' HIV fears.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Parents are more concerned about their children contracting HIV than becoming infected themselves, an Associated Press poll found. While half of the respondents surveyed said they weren't at all concerned about contracting the virus, 51% were...

Mental illness tops violence.(Policy & Practice)(survey of high schools)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Depression and substance abuse are bigger problems in the nation's high schools than bullying, fighting, or use of weapons, according to a recent survey of more than 1,400 public school mental health professionals conducted by the Annenberg...

Laws against youth tanning can be successful.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Tanning salons in states that have longstanding regulations against youth tanning regularly comply with such laws, suggesting that regulating youths' access to tanning salons in most states could be successful, Dr. Eric...

Medical-legal partnership helps poor children.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Assessment of a family's legal needs can be conducted effectively in pediatric primary care settings, often in as little as 10 minutes. These assessments can facilitate referrals to assistance programs for families facing legal...

Exercise for disabled children, teens.(Practice Trends)(I Can Do It, You Can Do It)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services has launched an initiative to encourage children and adolescents with disabilities to improve their physical fitness. For more information about the "I Can Do It, You Can Do It" initiative, visit...

Medical identification device.(Products)(MyVoice ID by Support Systems Product Development Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The MyVoice ID is a pager-sized recorder that allows parents or caregivers to record a child's medical information, which then can be retrieved by emergency response personnel. The device sells for $29.95 plus $4.95 for shipping and handling....

Videos address puberty and sex.(Products)(Just Between Us--A Chat About Puberty for Mothers and Daughters)(The Birds and the Bees With Ease)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The "Just Between Us--A Chat About Puberty for Mothers and Daughters" video ($24.95) is intended to help introduce girls aged 9-11 to puberty. A second video, "The Birds and the Bees With Ease" ($19.95), helps prepare parents for giving their...

Pediatric defibrillation pads.(Products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Pediatric defibrillation pads are now available for the Lifeline and Reviver automated external defibrillators. The pads are designed for use on children younger than age 8. For more information, contact Defibtech, 866-333-4248, or email them...

Scope helps find neonate veins.(Products)(Ventroscope Neonatal Transilluminator)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Neonatal Transilluminator helps locate hard-to-find veins in newborns and infants for intravenous therapy and blood draws. For more information, contact Venoscope LLC, www.venoscope.com, 800-284-7655.

Game table for waiting room.(Products)(Playscapes Wondergear game table)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Wondergear magnetic game table designed for physician waiting rooms is large enough to allow several children to play at one time. The play table stands 21 inches high and is 22 inches square. For more information on the game table, contact...

Lower-dose epinephrine injector.(Products)(Twinject auto-injector)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Twinject (epinephrine) auto-injector has Food and Drug Administration approval for sale in a lower dose of 0.15 mL epinephrine for patients who weigh 15-30 kg (approximately 33-66 pounds) for the emergency treatment of severe allergic...

Diagnostic dilemma.(diagnosing concussion in a football player)
September 1, 2004... * Short Differential Diagnosis * Work-Up * Final Diagnosis * Treatment A 16-year-old high school football player went down on the field when he was clipped from behind while attempting a tackle. He hyperextended his neck when...

Exercise alleviates sadness, depression.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Physical activity reduced feelings of sadness and suicidality in a cohort of 1,870 Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adolescents in Nueces County, Tx., reported Jennifer Brosnahan of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and her associates....