November 25th 2024
Get caught up with Contemporary Pediatrics! This list helps you navigate our top stories from last week, all in one place.
Clinical Consultations™: Managing Depressive Episodes in Patients with Bipolar Disorder Type II
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Medical Crossfire®: Understanding the Advances in Bipolar Disease Treatment—A Comprehensive Look at Treatment Selection Strategies
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'REEL’ Time Patient Counseling: The Diagnostic and Treatment Journey for Patients With Bipolar Disorder Type II – From Primary to Specialty Care
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Clinical ShowCase™: Finding the Best Path Forward for Patients with COPD
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A Tethered Approach to Type 2 Diabetes Care – Connecting Insulin Regimens with Digital Technology
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Surv.AI Says™: What Clinicians and Patients Are Saying About Glucose Management in the Technology Age
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Addressing Healthcare Inequities: Tailoring Cancer Screening Plans to Address Inequities in Care
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Cases and Conversations™: Applying Best Practices to Prevent Shingles in Your Practice
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Cystic Hygroma in an 11-Year-Old Girl
November 1st 2008An 11-year-old girl presented with a swelling on the left side of the chin of 1 month's duration; in the past 24 hours, following a bite by an unidentified insect, the swelling had rapidly enlarged and become painful (A). She was otherwise healthy and had no significant medical or family history.
Drug-Induced Urticaria in a 17-Year-Old Boy
October 1st 2008For 2 days, a 17-year-old boy had a widespread pruritic eruption that involved the trunk and extremities but spared most of the face. Many of the lesions were annular, and they would appear and resolve within 1 day. The patient denied shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and periorbital swelling.
Risky Business, Part 2: Communicating Medical Risks to Patients and Parents
October 1st 2008Practicing pediatricians commonlytalk with patients and parentsabout medical risks. Examples of suchrisks include those of a newborn havinga genetic disease, of a complication of anillness developing, and of a patient experiencingan adverse effect from a medicationor vaccine. Different ways of expressingand communicating risk mayhelp patients and parents understand themagnitude of a risk and make informed,thoughtful decisions about their medicalcare. It is important to be aware of theinfluence personal experience and concernshave on how risk is perceived andto recognize how the choice of a particularway of framing a risk may inadvertentlycommunicate a clinician's personalbiases in a situation.
Another Potential Effect of Maternal SSRI Use on Newborns
October 1st 2008In the newborn nursery, pediatricians commonly encounter infants born to mothers who were receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression during pregnancy. Earlier studies suggested a number of potential effects of maternal SSRI use on the newborn; these included jitteriness, agitation, diarrhea, hypoglycemia, vomiting, hypothermia, respiratory distress, seizures, feeding difficulties, increased or decreased tone, low birth weight, and small size for gestational age.1
Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus
October 1st 2008The cause was pilonidal sinus disease. The term pilonidal is derived from the Latin words "pilus," meaning "hair," and "nidus," meaning "nest." Pilonidal sinus disease is more common in males than in females and typically appears during adolescence. About 1% of all males and 0.1% of all females have an asymptomatic pilonidal sinus with potential for disease.1 The suspected overall incidence is about 1 in 5000. The disease seems to be most prevalent in those with stiff, dark or auburn hair, although it has been observed in all races.2
Blaschko Lines:Following "Lines of Evidence" to a Rash Diagnosis
September 1st 2008Many factors can be considered in attempting to establish the cause of a skin disorder. These include the color, morphology, and location of the lesions; associated symptoms, such as itching and fever; and exposure to drugs or to other children who have a rash. Linearity of the lesions may also suggest the diagnosis.
Two Missed Cases of Abuse: Lessons Learned
August 31st 2008A 7-month-old male infant was brought to the emergency department (ED) by his biological mother, who reported noticing dried blood on the baby's penis and in his mouth. For several hours prior, he had been in the care of her boyfriend. On physical examination, there were severe ecchymoses and petechiae on the penile glans and shaft (Figure 1), ecchymoses on the right side of the soft palate, a laceration of the lingular frenulum, and a 2-cm bruise with dried blood over the right lip.
Pediatric Vasculitic Syndromes:
August 31st 2008A 7-year-old boy presented to his primary care pediatrician with a 24-hour history of vomiting, abdominal pain, and low-grade fever. The child appeared stable. A viral illness was diagnosed. The child was sent home, and his parents were advised to give him adequate fluids as well as acetaminophen as needed for fever.
Botulism: An Unusual Cause of Lethargy and Constipation in a 3-Month-Old
August 31st 2008A 3-month-old boy was brought to the pediatrician with a 2-day history of "moaning," lethargy, and difficulty in latching on for breast-feeding. The infant had not had a wet diaper for the past 24 hours, and his last bowel movement was more than 48 hours ago.
Two Teens With Retrosternal Chest Pain and Odynophagia
August 1st 2008A previously healthy 14-year-old girl presented with retrosternal chest pain, odynophagia, and dysphagia of 10 days' duration. Her medical history was unremarkable. Results of an ECG and a chest radiograph were normal. An upper GI series revealed an abnormality at the level of the mid esophagus. She was treated with lansoprazole and sucralfate for a week; however, her symptoms persisted and perhaps worsened slightly. She lost 2.3 kg (5 lb) during her illness and was referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist.
Repeated Episodes of Abdominal Pain Followed by Emesis in a 22-Month-Old
July 30th 2008Twenty-two-month-old girl seen in the emergency department (ED) after several hours of abdominal pain associated with non-bloody, non-bilious emesis. Over past 2 months, has had 7 or 8 similar episodes of abdominal pain followed by emesis 1 to 2 hours later.