Pediatric News articles from September 2007

Pediatric News archives from September 2007

Fighting needle fear in diabetes.(News)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Needle fear can complicate many doctor-patient relationships, but in the case of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, fear of needles can become a serious barrier to compliance. Studies show that up to...

Tighter rule may knock children out of SCHIP program: senator chides Bush on unilateral change.(News)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
September 1, 2007... The true impact isn't known yet, but an administrative change by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to rules governing the State Children's Health Insurance Program--made on a Friday night during Congress' August recess--may have...

ADHD medication errors: many, but rarely harmful.(News)(Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Outpatient medication errors in the treatment of pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are numerous, but few appear to result in patient harm, Dr. David Bundy reported. An analysis of a national error-reporting...

Primary care average base recruitment salaries offered in 2006-2007.(VITAL SIGNS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Pediatrics $159,000 Family practice with ob. $159,000 Family practice $161,000 Intrernal medicine $174,000 Ob.gyn. $247,000 Note: Table made from bar graph. Note: Based on...

Hypertension often is underdiagnosed in both children and adolescents.(News)(Report)
September 1, 2007... Hypertension is often underdiagnosed in children and adolescents, results from a large, long-term study demonstrated. The problem could be related to two factors: a "lack of knowledge of normal blood pressure ranges" and a "lack of...

Overall incidence of diabetes tops 24 per 100,000 in children.(News)(Report)
September 1, 2007... The overall incidence of diabetes in American children and adolescents is 24.3 per 100,000 per year, reported Dr. Dana Dabelea and associates in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Most of the new cases of diabetes in the pediatric...

One value for overall glycemia will guide care.(News)
September 1, 2007... If all goes as expected, the number of ways in which a diabetes patient's overall glucose control is expressed will soon increase to three but essentially boil down to just one concept: average glucose. New joint guidelines from the American...

NIH sets trial of pediatric seizure medications.(News)(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Officials at the National Institutes of Health are launching a large-scale national trial designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of two common seizure medications in the treatment of children with status epilepticus in the emergency...

Serogroup 22 is developing as a meningitis threat.(Infectious Diseases)(Report)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Serogroup 22 is emerging as an important cause of pediatric meningitis, Dr. Carrie L. Byington and her associates reported in a poster at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting. Serogroup 22 appears to have a greater...

High procalcitonin, CRP predict severe bacteremia in infants.(Infectious Diseases)(C-reactive protein)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Elevated procalcitonin and C-reactive protein are highly predictive of a severe bacterial infection in infants and young children admitted to the emergency department with fever without a source, investigators reported. With their optimal...

Watch for recurrent otitis media in children who snore.(Infectious Diseases)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- Children with frequent, loud snoring are significantly more likely to develop recurrent otitis media and to require tympanostomy tubes than are children who don't snore, based on data from more than 16,000 children aged 5-7...

Amoxicillin failure in strep throat.(ID Consult)
September 1, 2007... A pair of newly detected actions of Group A streptococci may offer clues as to why penicillin and amoxicillin of ten fail to eradicate streptococcal pharyngitis in children and adults, and why cephalosporins or macrolides may be better...

Merck updates vaccine supply delays, shortages.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2007... Merck &: Co. has issued an update on the status of its vaccine delays and shortages in a letter to physicians. Merck announced that ProQuad (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella virus vaccine five) will be unavailable for ordering through the...

Take precautions for young international travelers.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- Foreign travel can pose particular dangers to infants and children. If it is important that young children travel internationally, specific precautions can reduce the risk of infectious complications and increase the likelihood...

Dexamethasone fails to benefit in bronchiolitis.(Infectious Diseases)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Dexamethasone neither prevented hospital admission nor improved the respiratory status of babies aged 2-12 months who presented to the emergency department with moderate to severe bronchiolitis, reported Dr. Howard M. Corneli of the University...

Analysis refutes hepatitis B vaccine, RA link.(Infectious Diseases)(rheumatoid arthritis)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... BALTIMORE -- The hepatitis B vaccine does not appear to be associated with an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Roger R Baxter and his associates reported at a vaccine research conference sponsored by the National Foundation for...

Seizures may point to cat-scratch encephalopathy.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2007... ASPEN, COLO. -- Consider the possibility of cat-scratch disease encephalopathy in anyone with new-onset seizures-especially status epilepticus--and no alternative diagnosis, Dr. Karen Dahl urged attendees at a conference on pediatric infectious...

Fever of unknown origin? Ask about house pets.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- "Ask about pets in every febrile patient you see" was one of the take-home messages from Dr. Jay M. Lieberman as he discussed infections you can get from your pets. And in particular, he said, "Consider catscratch disease in...

Fever plus abdominal pain may indicate CSD complication.(Infectious Diseases)(cat-scratch disease)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Aspen, COLO. -- Hepatosplenic cat-scratch disease is a diagnostic possibility worth bearing in mind in a child with fever of unknown origin and prominent abdominal pain, Dr. Karen Dahl said a conference on pediatric infectious diseases...

Progressive histoplasmosis is must-make diagnosis.(Infectious Diseases)(Disease/Disorder overview)
September 1, 2007... Aspen, COLO. -- Pediatric progressive disseminated histoplasmosis is a disease that can be deadly if undiagnosed, Dr. Matthew Zahn said at a conference on pediatric infectious diseases sponsored by Children's Hospital, Denver, and the...

Think histoplasmosis-related pericarditis in endemic areas.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... ASPEN, COLO. -- Think of histoplasmosis pericarditis when encountering pericarditis in a patient who has been in an endemic area, Dr. Matthew Zahn said a conference on pediatric infectious diseases sponsored by Children's Hospital, Denver, and...

Case history: boy's postvaricella optic neuritis heals sans steroids.(Infectious Diseases)(Case study)
September 1, 2007... A 6-year-old boy developed unilateral optic neuritis following a varicella infection, but the neuritis improved spontaneously with only symptomatic relief provided. Some clinicians advocate the early use of steroids for optic neuritis, but...

Running on empty: the busy family.(Behavioral Consult)
September 1, 2007... AS pediatricians, we are on the front line of the pressure cooker that the American family has become. Compared with times past, expectations today are higher for every member of the family; yet, quite obviously, there has been no change in the...

Over time, medication no better than other ADHD therapies.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(atention deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Using medication to treat children with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder offers no long-term advantage over other treatment methods, according to a follow-up study. Dr. Peter S. Jensen and his colleagues at Columbia University, New...

Religiosity may stem risky sexual behavior in girls.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Report)
September 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Religious practices and beliefs play an important role in the sexual behavior of adolescent girls, Melanie Gold, D.O., said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology In a study...

'Ages and stages' screen improves referral rates.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2007... SHARON WORCESTER Southeast Bureau Incorporating a parent-completed developmental screening tool into 12- and 24-month well-child office visits in a busy pediatric practice increased referrals for further evaluation by 224% in a recent study....

Online bullying often carries over to real world.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Young people who harass their peers via the Internet are significantly more likely to suffer from behavioral and psychosocial problems than youths who don't harass others online, based on data from interviews with 1,500 children and adolescents...

Apnea, acting out linked in children aged 5-7 years.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- Poor sleep caused by obstructive sleep apnea has a subtle but measurable impact on problem behavior in 5- to 7-year-olds, according to data from a community-based study of 747 children. Obstructive sleep apnea was...

Coping profiles may help treat abdominal pain.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2007... MILWAUKEE -- Six clinically meaningful profiles of pain-coping strategies emerged in a cross-sectional study of children with chronic abdominal pain. The findings may have implications for understanding differences in psychosocial...

Recurrent abdominal pain may be part of an anxiety disorder.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... BETHESDA, MD. -- Recurrent abdominal pain appears to be part of a larger syndrome of somatization and anxiety, Lynette Dufton reported at a meeting sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium. Physiologic factors may...

Preteen alcohol use predicts suicidal behavior, study finds.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Adolescents who first drank alcohol before 13 years of age were significantly more likely to exhibit suicidal behavior than their peers who didn't drink alcohol, based on results from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 13,639 U.S. students...

Early aricept results hint at autism improvement.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- A preliminary analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of donepezil suggests that the Alzheimer's drug may slightly improve some neuropsychologic functions in children with autism, Dr. Antonio Hardan...

Delusional ICU memories affect some children.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(intensive care unit)(Report)
September 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- Nearly two-thirds of children who spent time in a pediatric intensive care unit recalled factual memories of their time there, and one-third experienced delusional memories, according to a study presented at the annual congress of...

Study reveals impact of childhood facial burns.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Report)
September 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Children who sustain facial burn injuries have poorer psychosocial adjustment during recovery compared with children who sustain non-facial burn injuries, results from a multicenter analysis demonstrated. Over the last 5...

Early intervention urged in teen substance use.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2007... MIAMI -- Adolescent substance abuse can be addressed by reducing risk factors, early intervention, and optimizing protective factors, according to a presentation at the annual conference of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. ...

Federal researcher: marijuana use prevention should start at age 8.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2007... MIAMI -- Intervene to prevent marijuana use in children as young as 8 years, a National Institute on Drug Abuse researcher suggested at the annual conference of the American Society for Addiction Medicine. "Addiction is a developmental...

Methamphetamine abuse rises despite recent precursor laws.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
September 1, 2007... The abuse of methamphetamine remains a national epidemic--despite the recent enactment of federal laws that sharply limit access to products containing the ingredients needed for illegal manufacture of the drug, a new survey has found. A...

A shot of confidence.(Letters From Maine)
September 1, 2007... I've written about it several times, and we have all experienced it. The inevitable erosion of technical skills starts the month you leave your hospital-based, high-acuity residency programs and begin practicing outpatient primary care. You've...

Reality vs. academic practice.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... The recent article about chlamydia screenhag exemplifies the difference between academic practice and clinical practice ("Chlamydia Screening Especially Lacking for Teens," June 2007, p. 8). In my private practice, the primary reason chlamydia...

TV exposure numbers understated.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... The figure of 40% of kids being exposed to TVs, DVDs, or videos by 3 months of age is a gross underestimate ("Many U.S. Kids Watch TV Before They Walk," June 2007, p. 25). Given the U.S. lifestyle and the ubiquity of the electronic media,...

Correction.(Letters)(Correction notice)
September 1, 2007... The story entitled "AAN Weighs In on Anticonvulsants" (PEDIATRIC NEWS, May 2007, p. 2) incorrectly stated the position of the American Academy of Neurology on generic antiepileptic drugs. In its November 2006 position statement on...

Newborn hearing abnormalities may signal SIDS.(Clinical Rounds)(sudden infant death syndrome)
September 1, 2007... Sudden infant death syndrome is associated with hearing abnormalities that are detectable on a standard newborn hearing test, according to a preliminary study that has discovered a specific hearing abnormality in a cohort of infants who later...

Atralin Gel, Allegra ODT.(New & Approved)(Drug overview)
September 1, 2007... Atralin Gel (tretinoin gel, 0.05%, Coria Laboratories Ltd.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Atralin (tretinoin) Gel, 0.05%, for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients aged 10 years and older. * Recommended Dosage:...

FDA-proposed rule adds UVA info to sunscreens.(Clinical Rounds)(Food and Drug Administration)(ultraviolet A)
September 1, 2007... A rating system that would use stars on the label of a sunscreen to indicate the degree of ultraviolet A protection provided by the product is among the main elements of a long-awaited Food and Drug Administration-proposed regulation on...

Multifaceted strategy is needed to improve sun protection.(Clinical Rounds)(Report)
September 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- It takes a village not only to raise a child, but to keep that child from getting sunburned, according to the results of a randomized trial of sun protection strategies. An intervention group of children in 6th to 8th...

Early therapy in Down syndrome.(Special Needs: Realizing Potential)
September 1, 2007... When facing the birth of a child with disabilities, parents will naturally have questions about the likely severity of their child's delay. As a result of such logical questions, parents tend to focus on the rate of their child's gross motor...

Functional disorders, GERD spur abdominal pain.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Functional gastrointestinal disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease represented the diagnoses in nearly half of 100 consecutive children with chronic abdominal pain who were referred to the pediatric gastroenterology...

Blood pressure measurement urged at earlier ages.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- Taking blood pressure measurements as part of routine checkups for very young children can help reveal underlying problems early, said Dr. Carl M. Grushkin, head of the division of nephrology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles....

Cardiac, pulmonary disease seldom explain chest pain in ED.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Only 4.8% of otherwise healthy, atraumatic pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain had pulmonary disease, and 1.2% had cardiac disease, according to a retrospective study presented in poster format...

ICDs effective in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.(Clinical Rounds)(implantable cardioverter defibrillators)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... Implantable cardioverter defibrillators were reliable and highly effective at correcting life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in a large study of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, researchers said. Over a relatively short...

Young women in survey lack IUD knowledge.(Clinical Rounds)(Survey)
September 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Knowledge of intrauterine devices among adolescent and young adult women is limited, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. In a...

Don't undertreat pain associated with fractures.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Pediatricians can handle many orthopedic emergencies in the office, but not unless they are prepared to manage the substantial pain associated with fractures, Dr. Bernard W. Dannenberg said at a recent pediatric update...

Worry about the nail base, not the fracture, in car door injuries.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Think of tuft fractures, which commonly occur when a child's finger is crushed in a car door, like toe fractures, advised Dr. Bernard W. Dannenberg at a recent pediatric update sponsored by Stanford University. "You can...

Nitrous oxide found safe for pediatric sedation, analgesia.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- High-concentration continuous-flow nitrous oxide was found to be a safe agent for pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia, even in children aged 1-3 years, Dr. Franz Babl reported in the largest prospective emergency department...

Adiponectin marks atherosclerosis in obese kids.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... A low adiponectin level is a better predictor of carotid intima-media thickness in obese children than are conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) is considered to be an early marker of...

Obesity does not increase airway adverse events.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Obesity did not increase the risk of adverse airway events associated with procedural sedation and analgesia in the emergency department in one large study. The study of 1,112 patients between the ages of 0 and 21 years, 15% of...

National asthma guidelines focus on control.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2007... A panel of U.S. asthma experts hopes the first major overhaul of asthma diagnosis and management guidelines in a decade will leave more patients breathing easier. An emphasis on prevention of exacerbations via asthma control is the key...

Daily budesonide, formoterol works for asthma.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Used once daily, a single pressurized metered-dose inhaler containing both budesonide and formoterol provided good asthma control in patients with mild to moderate persistent asthma, according to a series of poster...

PPIs had little effect on supraesophageal reflux.(Clinic Rounds)(proton pump inhibitors)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Proton pump inhibitors do not improve most symptoms of supraesophageal reflux, according to a community-based study presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week meeting. The study's aim was to determine which symptoms...

Making clinical practice decisions.(On the Learning Curve)
September 1, 2007... It seems as if every week I open my e-mail or look in my mailbox and find an alert about a policy statement, a change in immunization recommendations, or a new expert panel finding that may affect my clinical practice. Considering implementing...

Evolution of an 'ownership society'.(Healthy Policy: The Fine Line)
September 1, 2007... My daughter was hospitalized recently. She has insurance through her employer under a new Health Savings Account plan. During her stay, you visited her several times, which I thought was great. However, we are now being billed for office visit...

Mass. considers retail clinic rules.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Massachusetts' Public Health Council is considering rules that would limit the scope of retail medical clinics in the state. The proposal is in response to a request by CVS Corp. to open 20-30 of its MinuteClinics in the Boston area beginning...

Publix to offer free antibiotics.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Publix Super Markets will offer 14-day prescriptions of seven oral antibiotics free of charge at its 684 pharmacy locations, the Lakeland, Fla.--based store chain announced. The antibiotics included in the program--amoxicillin, cephalexin,...

Initial breast-feeding rates rise.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... More women are initiating breast-feeding, but the percentage of those who breast-feed exclusively at 3 months is below the national goal of 60%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from 2004 (the most current...

Counseling lowers cholesterol.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Regularly counseling families and children about diets low in saturated fats reduces blood cholesterol levels in children up to age 14 years without affecting normal physical development, according to a study in the August issue of Circulation....

Panel to meet on cough medicines.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee will meet Oct. 18-19 to consider additional warnings on the use of over-the-counter cold and cough medicines in children. In August, the FDA warned about the use of...

Bill urged on food allergies.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Back-to-school time is particularly worrisome for the 2.2 million school-aged children with food allergies, along with their parents, according to proponents of legislation that would call on the federal government to establish voluntary...

Telemedicine aids pediatric care in rural EDs.(Practice Trends)(emergency departments)(Report)
September 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- About 40% of emergency departments lack 24/7 access to pediatricians, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Telemedicine provides one possible means of closing this gap, and now a study comparing...

Care coordination improves special needs therapy.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- A designated care coordinator can significantly improve the management of children and youth with special health care needs, Mary Krauthoefer said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. "Complex, medically...

Strategies offered to address physician shortage.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... COLORADO SPRINGS -- America's physician shortage--still barely noticeable in much of the country--is here to stay and will grow much worse, panelists agreed at the annual meeting of the American Surgical Association. "Because of our...

Self-infusion kit for hemophilia.(Products)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Self-Infusion Training Kit allows young hemophilia patients and their families to practice techniques for administering treatment. The kit is available at no cost to health care professionals at U.S. hemophilia treatment centers. Besides...

Cornstarch-based bug spray.(Products)(Off! FamilyCare Smooth & Dry)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Off! FamilyCare Smooth & Dry is a cornstarch-based insect repellant designed to dry quickly and feel comfortable on the skin. The aerosol spray contains 15% DEET to help protect against mosquitoes as well as gnats, ticks, biting flies,...

Lost Child Identification Kit.(Products)(Lost & Found Child Identification Kit)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Lost & Found Child Identification Kit is available for parents to collect and store identifying information about their children. The information can be used to help police recover a missing child. The kit contains a photo ID card,...

Hospital-grade hand-sanitizing gel.(Products)(CareMates)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... CareMates hand-sanitizing gel provides general consumers as well as clinicians the opportunity to buy a hospital-grade infection control product. The antiseptic gel kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria commonly associated with diseases, is...

Disposable insulin pen.(Products)(Lantus SoloStar)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Lantus SoloStar, a disposable pen prefilled with insulin glargine recombinant (Lantus), which is indicated for the treatment of hyperglycemia in adults with type 2 diabetes or adults and...

Creating the 'perfect mesh'.(Efficient Pediatrician Practices)
September 1, 2007... putting together, and then maintaining, a cohesive workforce within a medical specialty office is an important goal. But, it often is easier to set that standard than to achieve it. Nonetheless, each of us depends on--and needs to develop--that...