News

The presence of foul or strong urine odor is often taken as an indicator of urinary tract infection (UTI) in young children. A new study finds that parent report of malodorous urine increases the likelihood of infection among patients being evaluated for suspected UTI, but is the association strong enough to confirm a diagnosis?

Abnormal childhood aggression : When systems are unbalanced Mastering the language : Communicating with parents who have low health literacy Dermcase : Now where did he get that big blister? Puzzler : Chest pain in child with persistent fever Updates : Alcohol screening, FDA approves Lucinactant Medication Poisoning, Chlamydia testing, PPACA Home Health Provision

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved lucinactant, a new surfactant that prevents respiratory distress syndrome, most common in babies born 6 weeks or more before their due dates.

A study finding that tweens start out ambivalent toward cigarette and alcohol use also suggests that their negative associations with the substances are more easily weakened than their positive associations can be strengthened.

Pediatricians can still ensure quality patient care and optimal outcomes even after they realize that caretakers cannot process basic health information.

It is apparent to anyone who works with children that available US child and adolescent mental health services are woefully inadequate to meet the needs of children and their families.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual chlamydia screening for sexually active women aged 25 years and younger, data from 2006 to 2008 show that only 30% of those aged 15 to 19 years reported having had a chlamydia test within the past year.

Children who present to the emergency department (ED) with moderate to severe acute asthma symptoms and receive oral corticosteroids from ED nurses show improvement earlier, are discharged sooner, and are less likely to be admitted to the hospital than children who are not treated until after assessment by the ED physician. Find out how a medical directive allowing nurses to initiate oral corticosteroid treatment significantly improved the efficiency of a pediatric ED.

Pediatric care providers should be familiar with the warning signs and symptoms of pediatric sudden cardiac arrest and ensure that those at risk are referred to a pediatric cardiac center for evaluation, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Learn why a comprehensive family history is critical in identifying individuals at risk.

Five-year survival for acute lymphoblastic leukemia among children and adolescents treated through Children's Oncology Group clinical trials increased from 83.7% from 1990 to 1994 to 90.4% from 2000 to 2005, according to a study showing similar gains in 10-year survival. The researchers credited the advances to treatment that comes as part of rigorous clinical trials.

Although emergency contraception (EC) is safe, effective, and widely available, misinformation communicated by pharmacies to adolescents and their physicians can make it difficult for teens to obtain EC in a timely manner. Do you know how to counter the misinformation and help your patients access EC?