Automated telephone reminders improve asthma medication compliance
June 1st 2015Combining speech-recognition software with electronic health records in computerized telephone conversations to remind parents of asthmatic children about prescribed corticosteroids significantly improves adherence to medication, a recent study showed.
Suicides rise sharply among black children
May 27th 2015Suicides among black children aged 5 to 11 years have increased significantly over the past 2 decades while suicide rates among white children have decreased significantly, a new study shows. Both trends have been masked by an overall stable suicide rate among elementary school-aged children.
New guidelines for hospital discharge of newborns
May 21st 2015The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement updating guidelines for releasing healthy term newborns from the hospital. The new guidelines aim to ensure that both baby and mother are ready to go home based on their unique situation.
When rash and fever become an emergency
May 1st 2015Rashes and fevers are among the most common complaints seen in the pediatrician’s office. The differential diagnosis is often large and ranges from entities the pediatrician sees commonly such as erythema infectiosum to the less common diseases such as Kawasaki syndrome, to more potentially serious conditions such as vaccine preventable illnesses and everything in between.
Wilderness medicine: Your guide to treating illness or injury in the great outdoors
May 1st 2015As a pediatrician accompanying friends, family, or youth groups, or because of coincidental proximity to accidents, we may be looked on to provide initial medical care for injured or sick children (or adults) in a wilderness setting far from our usual practice, and far from our usual comfort zone.