High-risk teens not being tested for HIV
January 12th 2012Most sexually active US high school students have not been tested for human immunodeficiency virus, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other organizations calling for routine testing. Find out why health care providers must play a central role in increasing the number of teens being tested.
Contemporary Pediatrics, Digital Edition, January 2012
January 1st 2012The rapidly growing field of Minimal Access Surgery : Benefits for infants and children Dermcase : Itchy, red rash plagues teenager Puzzler : Liberian immigrant girl with difficult breathing and altered mental status Updates : Chronic kidney disease, OCD cues in children, Lyme Meningitis, FDA on Rapid Influenza Test, CVD risk factors in overweight children, ADHD
Ivacaftor improves lung function in cystic fibrosis
January 1st 2012A randomized trial of ivacaftor, a potentiator of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein, in patients with CF demonstrated that its use is not only associated with improvements in lung function but also with improvements in the risk of pulmonary exacerbations, respiratory symptoms, weight, and concentration of sweat chloride.
Heart-assist device for kids approved
January 1st 2012Keeping critically ill children with weakened hearts alive until a donor heart can be found appears more hopeful with US Food and Drug Administration approval of a cardiac-assist device specifically designed for children from newborns to adolescents.
Study finds no cardiovascular effects of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs
January 1st 2012An analysis of the cardiovascular safety of drugs used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a population of more than 1.2 million children and young adults from 4 geographically diverse health plans with more than 2.5 million person years of follow-up found no evidence that these drugs increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
Waiver granted for rapid flu test system
January 1st 2012The first rapid influenza testing system that provides a digital readout of test results for 7 strains of influenza A and B has been given 501(k) clearance and a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments waiver by the US Food and Drug Administration.
An Infected Finger: Child Abuse – or Mimic?
December 2nd 2011A 3-year-old child was brought to her primary caregiver by her maternal grandmother who was concerned about the infected lesion shown here. The child was at the center of a heated custody dispute and abuse was strongly suspected. But could the lesion’s origin be something else?
Contemporary Pediatrics, Digital Edition, December 2011
December 1st 2011Disordered eating in boys : Beyond the 3 classifications in the DSM-IV Our Picks : Best new tech products Dermcase : Circular, scabby lesions in infant Puzzler : Agitation, seizures spell trouble for preteen boy Updates : Pneumococcal Vaccine, Oral Antiepileptics, Cholesterol Screening, Origins of Autism, Recurrent PID
Mortality from necrotizing enterocolitis reduced by change in transfusion practices
December 1st 2011Premature infants with the AB blood type who develop necrotizing enterocolitis are nearly 3 times more likely to die from it as preemies with other blood types, according to a recent study. A straightforward change in blood transfusion practice can reduce mortality, however. What do the researchers recommend?
Score one for warm-ups: Leg injuries reduced in teenage girls
December 1st 2011Here’s a way to help your female teenagers avoid athletic injuries: During their sports physicals, tell them and their parents that coach-led neuromuscular warm-ups have been shown to reduce anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and other leg injuries in teen girls who play soccer and basketball. Find out what a dramatic difference warm-ups made and how cost-effective they are.
Possible child abuse underreported because of lack of confidence, information
December 1st 2011Is lack of confidence keeping you from reporting possible child abuse? A new study suggests that could be the case. What other factors prevented pediatricians and other PCPs from reporting suspected child abuse?
HbA1c test misses many cases of pediatric diabetes
December 1st 2011Using a simple, nonfasting blood test to screen children for diabetes may be too good to be true. A new study found that hemoglobin A1c is not very effective for diagnosing diabetes in children and misses as many as 2 out of 3 cases. What tests did the researchers recommend instead?
Daily corticosteroids may not be best for intermittent wheezing
December 1st 2011Although current clinical guidelines call for daily low-dose inhaled corticosteroid treatment for preschoolers who have recurrent wheezing and are at risk for developing asthma, that may not be the best course of action. You might be surprised at how few times a year treatment was necessary for respiratory symptoms that had caused wheezing in the past.