Infectious Diseases

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A 4-month-old boy was transferred to our center from a community care hospital because of persistent fever (temperature up to 39.4°C [103°F]) of 5 days’ duration. He also had decreased activity, increased irritability, occasional vomiting after feedings, and a few episodes of loose stool.

In my exam room hangs a poster of diseases that have been significantly reduced through vaccination (eg, chicken pox, measles, polio)...

The federal government is changing the recommendations for vaccinations: what should the new ones be, and how will the changes affect your practice?

The infant rate of influenza was reduced 63% among vaccined mothers.

A 13-year-old boy was brought to the emergency department (ED) with a generalized itchy rash of 2 days' duration. For the past 3 days, he had dry, itchy eyes with a purulent discharge (Figure 1) and nonbilious emesis 2 or 3 times per day, with some blood streaks in the vomitus on the third day of illness.

Novartis Vaccines, along with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), has announced a public health initiative supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s recent flu recommendation to vaccinate all children ages six months to 18 years.

Various government groups work to safeguard the future of vaccines.

Vaccinating new mothers and other family members against influenza before newborns go home may be an effective way to protect infants against the virus, according to Duke Children's Hospital researchers.

Aaron Friedman, MD, reviewed maintenance and rehydration fluid therapy in the pediatric setting, as well as treatment management scenarios for common electrolyte abnormalities, at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2008 National Conference and Exhibition in Boston.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used to diagnose influenza, including the H5N1 flu virus.

Study: Should herpes simplex virus be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal fever and hypothermia?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expanded their recommendation for flu vaccination coverage to include all patients ages 6 months through 18 years.

A number of factors are associated with recurrent croup, notably laryngopharyngeal reflux and subglottic stenosis, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting and OTO EXPO held from Sept. 21 to 24 in Chicago.

The use of influenza vaccine in pregnant women can decrease the risk of influenza in their infants up to six months of age and offer protection against febrile respiratory illness in both mothers and infants, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

According to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, bacterial infections such as Staphylococcus aureus may be a possible cause of suddent infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Children of older fathers may have a higher risk of bipolar disorder, and family-focused therapy along with medication is effective in treating bipolar-related depression in adolescents, according to the results of two studies published in the September issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Bacteria or fungi in a mother's amniotic fluid may play a larger role in premature birth than previously believed, according to the August 26 PLoS One.

Moderate-to-severe ear infections in children may damage a taste-sensing serve that could pave the way for overeating and adult obesity, reported researchers at the American Chemical Society Fall 2008 meeting.

Infants who are given antibiotics in the first three months of life may wheeze at 15 months, likely due to the presence of chest infections, as reported in the Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six influenza vaccines for the 2008-2009 season.

A discussion of influenza vaccines, inactivated and live cold adapted attenuated virus; influenza virus and the immune response in children; and the differences in immune response elicited by both types of vaccine.

Continuous antibiotic prophylaxis in children with vesicoureteral reflux may be ineffective.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) report News and Numbers, children ages 4 and younger were hospitalized more than 34,000 times in 2006 due to skin infections, a 150% increase since 2000.

A gene linked to obesity may also have a hand in influencing appetite in children, according to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Prophylactic antibiotics administered to children an hour or less before spinal surgery may reduce the subsequent risk of infections, according to the online Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

Five new changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) yearly recommendations to fight the flu call for more and earlier immunizations.

A discussion of the problems associated with the new CDC recommendations for immunizing children with the flu vaccine.

Infections during the first year of life may increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis later in life, according to new findings.

Two doses of a whole-virus vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza produced on Vero cell cultures induced neutralizing antibodies against multiple H5N1 strains, indicating its usefulness against this virus with pandemic potential, according to research published in the June 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.