April 18th 2024
This analysis looked at the potential connection between SARS-CoV-2 test positivity and new asthma diagnoses.
5-Year-Old Boy With Acute Illness and Chest Pain
December 20th 2010A 5-year-old boy with a history of allergies and asthma presents with fever (temperature of 40°C [104°F]), headache, cough, vomiting, and diffuse pain in and around the chest area on the right side. The patient has never traveled and has no sick contacts. A chest radiograph is obtained (A).
Anxiety Disorders in Children: Common-But Often Missed
November 19th 2010The American Academy ofChild and Adolescent Psychiatry recommendsroutine screening for anxiety inchildhood, querying various sources (child,parent, teacher) about anxiety symptoms,assessing for comorbid disorders,and evaluating severity and functionalimpairment. Transient and developmentallyappropriate worries and fears need tobe distinguished from anxiety disorders.Somatic symptoms, such as headache orstomachache, often accompany anxiety.A child’s anxiety may manifest as crying,irritability, or other behaviors that maybe misunderstood by adults as disobedience.Self-report measures can helpscreen for anxiety symptoms and monitortreatment response. Psychotherapy isthe initial treatment of children withanxiety. Pharmacotherapy with selectiveserotonin reuptake inhibitors may benecessary for those with moderate tosevere anxiety. In these children, theaddition of cognitive-behavioral therapymay improve functioning better thaneither intervention alone.
Note to Return to School: Do You Sign It?
September 28th 2010School has been back in session for less than a month, and our office has already had parents come in or call for the “golden ticket” that allows a child to return to school after an illness-the doctor’s note. Often parents want us to write something to the effect that “Johnny is no longer contagious….” Can we ever truly say that about anyone?!
Eczema Herpeticum With MRSA Superinfection
September 13th 2010A 7-month-old boy with a history of severe atopic dermatitis and asthma was brought for evaluation of a generalized rash, fever, and irritability of 2 days’ duration. He had no respiratory symptoms. His medical history was significant for anorexia, without vomiting or diarrhea. He had a strong family history of allergy.
Boy With Thick Plaques on His Palms and Soles
July 6th 2010At his first well-child visit after a family move, an 8-year-old boy was noted to have bilateral erythematous plaques on the surfaces of his hands and feet. Mother reported that the condition had been present since he was 2 or 3 months old. Patient’s father and other male relatives on the paternal side (uncles, grandfather, great-grandfather) were similarly affected. No other associated symptoms, such as hyperhidrosis, reported. The child did not have a history of eczema, asthma, or food allergies; however, he did have a history of allergic rhinitis and occasional pruritus.
Sessions You Don’t Want to Miss at the AAP NCE
October 14th 2009For the discerning pediatrician, choosing which sessions to attend at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition (AAP NCE) can be a daunting task. The editors of Consultant for Pediatricians have prepared a list of “must-see” sessions to help narrow down the selection process.
Pediatric Immunization Update-2009
October 2nd 2009The expansion of the immunization schedule for 2009 has resulted in several success stories. Two rotavirus vaccines are now available. Following the introduction of immunization against rotavirus, a sharp decline in cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis was seen.
Seasonal Flu Vaccine For Asthma Patients-Potential Added Benefit but Caution Required
October 1st 2009Children with asthma who had received influenza vaccination had fewer asthma exacerbations, according to a recent study conducted in the pediatric clinics of Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston and Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
Bone Pain, Bruising, and Epistaxisin a Young Boy
October 1st 2009A 5-year-old boy was brought for evaluation of ongoing thrombocytopenia before undergoing adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea. The child had been given a diagnosis of "growing pains" after frequent evaluation for leg pain over the past 2 years.
School-Based Asthma Education: Can Pediatricians Help Ensure Its Success?
August 20th 2009Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, Institute for Health Policy Studies found that school-based asthma education does improve self-management behaviors; however, it has less consistent effects on health outcomes.
Traction Alopecia From Atopic Dermatitis
June 2nd 2009A 5-month-old Asian boy was brought for evaluation of hair loss and a red, scaly rash on the scalp and body. The rash had not responded to hydrocortisone 2.5% ointment. There was a family history of asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis. His mother had Hashimoto thyroiditis.
Managing Asthma in Children, Part 2: Achieving and Maintaining Control
June 2nd 2009Asthma exacerbations continue to cause a significant number of emergency care visits and hospitalizations among children.1 In “Managing Asthma in Children, Part 1” (CONSULTANT FOR PEDIATRICIANS, May 2009, page 168), we reviewed the epidemiology, risk factors, and diagnosis of asthma in children. We also discussed how to make an initial assessment of asthma severity. In Part 2, we review the key components of treatment.
Managing Asthma in Children, Part 1: Making the Diagnosis, Assessing Severity
May 18th 2009Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States, and most medical practitioners encounter patients with asthma on a daily basis. The goal of this 2-part article is to discuss the diagnosis and management of asthma in children younger than 12 years. In part 1, we will briefly outline the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and risk factors; then we will review, in more detail, the diagnosis of asthma and the initial evaluation of asthma severity.
Allergy Testing Benefits Children With Persistent Asthma
March 23rd 2009The most common chronic medical problem that we pediatricians treat is asthma. We do our best to manage our patients’ asthma by prescribing controller medications, providing asthma action plans, and guiding families through acute exacerbations. We often ask about possible environmental triggers, such as tobacco smoke and cockroaches, and we advise patients to reduce their exposure to those triggers.
Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery
February 1st 2009An African American baby girl was noted to have noisy breathing at birth. The infant had inspiratory stridor while awake and no audible stridor while asleep. Birth weight was 3.20 kg (7.11 lb). She had been formula fed for the first 2 weeks of life and had intermittently vomited after feedings.
Evidence of Benefits of Allergy Assessment in Patients With Asthma
December 1st 2008The most common chronic medical problem that we pediatricians treat is asthma. We do our best to manage our patients' asthma by prescribing controller medications, providing asthma action plans, and guiding families through acute exacerbations. We often ask about possible environmental triggers, such as tobacco smoke and cockroaches, and we advise patients to reduce their exposure to those triggers.