Infectious Diseases

Consider these helpful hints when diagnosing anemia or infections in your patients.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a practice update published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology regarding egg allergies and administration of the influenza vaccine.

Pediatricians need to stay committed to following those infants with possible exposure to Zika to understand the effects of Zika infection and ensure appropriate care and services.

A new study reviewing whether drinking water before vaccination could help dispel feelings of postvaccination dizziness found instead that anxiety before the shot may be a bigger factor.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is reporting that despite the lack of an intranasal option, there has been no substantial decline in flu vaccination among children.

A novel assay for distinguishing bacterial from viral infections significantly outperformed routine laboratory parameters and biomarkers in a study using serum remnants from children suspected to have acute infection.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a recent statement published in Pediatrics that discussed key ways to prevent and control infection in ambulatory settings.

The American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of vaccinating all children aged older than 6 months early in the season for the best flu protection.

A study of Mycoplasma pneumoniae disease during an epidemic in Norway found that preschool children infected with this bacterium had a significantly higher risk of severe disease, particularly severe pneumonia, than school-aged children.

From ear infections to croup to strep, I have found that the simplest diagnosis is often the best diagnosis.

Visually oriented social media platforms created by their peers can have a significant negative impact on adolescents’ body image.

For the first time in a decade, there are antibiotics newly approved for use in children with skin and skin structure infections that do not respond to conventional treatment.

Every pediatrician has experience with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), but there are still many cases in which these illnesses are misdiagnosed or mismanaged.

Breastfeeding is already known to offer a number of health and developmental benefits. Now, an Australian study is adding ear infection prevention to that list.

A new study detailing the impact of early infection, antibiotics, and vaccines in preterm infants also offers hope that new vaccine therapies could help decrease sepsis and long-term damage in this vulnerable population.

Results of a new study show the feasibility and efficacy of preventing otitis media (OM), and potentially treat OM recurrence, through the simple use of a Band-Aid to deliver a vaccine targeted at one of the most common pathogens responsible for OM.

Certain polymorphisms in mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and toll-like receptors (TLRs), genes that have a role in the innate immune system, promote susceptibility to or protection against respiratory and rhinovirus infections and acute otitis media (AOM), according to a study in Finnish infants.

Most children are not being adequately vaccinated against influenza, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which also just published a new report demonstrating the efficacy of the vaccine in reducing influenza-related deaths in children.

Parents often carry misperceptions about the advantages and disadvantages of antibiotic use for pediatric acute respiratory infections, according to an Australian survey in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Recent data has revealed the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the “nasal spray” vaccine, to be grossly ineffective, leading to the ACIP’s decision not to recommend its usage. As such, healthcare providers must be judicious in their choice of influenza vaccine with their patients.

With the introduction of point-of-care (POC) molecular assays, pediatricians can diagnosis influenza A and B during the office visit with sensitivity and specificity comparable to reference assays.

Flu shots given to mothers during pregnancy provided protection for their babies against three common strains of influenza for several weeks after birth, according to a new report.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara explains the latest recommendations published in Current Opinion in Pediatrics for pediatric dermatology conditions like warts, molluscum contagiosum, and soft tissue infections.

Both mode of delivery and feeding method are significantly associated with intestinal microbial community composition, according to a study in 102 full-term infants, whose gut microbiota investigators analyzed using stool samples taken at the age of 6 weeks.

The currently recommended childhood immunization schedule put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is designed to protect infants and young children from 14 harmful and potentially deadly diseases before a child’s second birthday.

Many pediatricians believe that if they pay $30 for an immunization, as long as a payer reimburses them more than $30, they’re OK, said Chip Hart. The fact is, that’s not the case, he explained during his presentation “The Business of Immunization: Protecting Kids without Destroying Your Practice.”

Parents of a 6-year-old boy bring him to your office for urgent consultation for a rash that blossomed on his trunk and extremities 2 weeks ago following an upper respiratory infection and that shows no sign of improving. What’s the diagnosis?

Staphylococcus aureus plays an important role in the pathogenesis and course of atopic dermatitis. Compared to the normal pediatric population, atopic patients are especially susceptible to colonization and recurrent infections of S aureus.

After a poor matchup to circulating viruses in the 2014-2015 season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new vaccine for this year, along with updated administration guidelines.

If there is no link between vaccines and conditions such as autism, why do pediatricians spend so much time talking about this topic with parents?