News
Consultations & Comments: One More Cause of Poliosis
June 1st 2006The April issue of Consultant For Pediatricians included a case of a 12-year-old girl with poliosis. The author, Bhagwan Das Bang, MD, noted that poliosis is associated with ocular chronic staphylococcal blepharitis, Waardenburg syndrome, Marfan syndrome, vitiligo, and Vogt-Koyanagi syndrome.
Photoclinic: Granuloma Annulare
June 1st 2006Several asymptomatic, erythematous papules and plaques had appeared on the hands of an otherwise healthy 11-year-old girl. The personal and family medical histories were noncontributory. A punch biopsy from the largest lesion on the palm confirmed the clinical diagnosis of localized granuloma annulare, a self-limited inflammation of the dermis
Diaper Dermatitis: From "A" to "Pee"
June 1st 2006The "A" in the title stands for acrodermatitis enteropathica, an uncommon underlying cause of diaper dermatitis (DD). The "Pee," the colloquial term for urine, is probably the most common irritant (along with feces) that contributes to the breakdown of skin in the diaper area.
Case in Point: Child With Dysphagia, Fever, and Weight Loss
June 1st 2006A 5-year-old African girl, whose family lived in France, was brought to the emergency department of our hospital during a family visit to the United States. The child had a 1-week history of difficulty in swallowing, a temperature of up to 38.3°C (101°F), and rhinorrhea. She had lost 4 lb during the week. According to her mother, the patient had no history of cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or sick contacts.
Action! Smoking on the big screen gets some pediatricians all firedup
May 17th 2006Pediatricians are getting fed up with how much they still seecharacters smoking in motion pictures, reports Stanton A. Glantz,PhD, professor of medicine at the University of San Francisco.Speaking at a podium session at the Pediatric Academic Societies2006 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, on April 29, Dr. Glanz wenton to call smoking in films "a continuing danger to today'syouth."
FDA says "Yes" to Nexium for short-term tx of GERD in12-to-17-year-olds
May 17th 2006AstraZeneca announced earlier this month that the FDA hasapproved the use of esomeprazole magnesium (sold as Nexium)delayed-release capsules for short-term treatment ofgastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in children 12 to 17 yearsof age.
Time has arrived for the personal health record, or PHR—Isyour practice ready?
May 17th 2006The era of the personal health record has arrived, and its usewill only grow, so you should learn now what a PHR is, what it isnot, and what impact it will have on your practice. That was theprescription offered by Kathy Giannagelo, RHIA, CCS, of theAmerican Health Information Management Association in Chicago in atalk given at the American College of Physicians Annual Session inPhiladelphia, April 6-8.
No harm to health from dental amalgam that contains mercury, studyshows
May 17th 2006Two studies—one in Europe, one in the UnitedStates—have independently reached the conclusion that childrenwhose cavities are filled with dental amalgam aren't at risk ofrelated adverse health effects. The news comes from scientists whoreported their findings, in the April 19 issue of the Journal ofthe American Medical Association, on the first randomized clinicaltrials to evaluate the safety of placing amalgam fillings thatcontain mercury in the teeth of children. The research wassupported by the National Institute of Dental and CraniofacialResearch (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Making the most of the adolescent male health visit
May 1st 2006A structured psychosocial interview allows you to assess if, and how, a male teenager’s lifestyle or home and school environment pose a risk to his mental and physical health. The authors show you the right questions to ask and how to ask them – the keys to getting your patient to open up.
Mandatory newborn HIV testing a contentious call
May 1st 2006There are no easy answers when it comes to mandatory testing ofnewborns for HIV. In a year when about 250 US infants are expectedto be born HIV positive with no advance warning or maternaltesting, ethics, politics, and costs are colliding in an explosionof argument, opinion, and data.
Atlanta: Old and new, sassy and sedate, Atlanta's attractions please every taste
May 1st 2006Welcome to "Hotlanta"! Don't let the nickname fool you. With an average temperature of 73° F, October is one of the most beautiful months in Atlanta. The balmy days are perfect for strolling through Centennial Olympic Park on a lunch break or heading over to the world's largest aquarium. There is something for everyone here, from history buffs to nature lovers. Use this list to guide your explorations of this southern metropolis.
Vaccines: Questions Doctors Ask (PDF)
May 1st 2006Since the middle of the 20th century, childhood immunization has saved millions of lives. Thanks to the polio vaccine, children in the United States no longer face death and disability from this crippling disease. As of the 1970s, vaccination had wiped out smallpox—a disease that earlier in the century killed 300 million people worldwide. Many other serious infections, including meningitis and measles, are now rare in America's children because of the vaccines they get.
