|
2000 NEWS ARTICLES |
| 2000, some ups, some downs and
some wishes for 2001 |
December 2000: Despite some negative
publicity about vaccines, vaccination of America's children is at a record
high. |
| AAP releases
recommendations for Lyme vaccine |
February 2000: Vaccination should be
based on risk assessments for high-risk individuals older than 15. |
| AAP updates
recommendations for routine use of varicella vaccine |
February 2000: Pediatricians urged to
support public health officials in development and implementation of
immunization requirements for child care and school entry. |
| ACIP modifies meningitis
vaccination recommendation for college students |
January 2000: Vaccination should be
provided or made easily available to college freshmen who wish to reduce their
risk. |
| ACIP recommends routine
use of pneumococcal vaccine for infants |
March 2000: The vaccine series should be
given in four doses at 2, 4, 6 and 12 to 15 months of age. |
| All pregnant women need HIV testing,
regardless of apparent risk |
July 2000: HIV testing should be as
commonplace as urinalysis during a woman's first prenatal office visit. |
| Amoxicillin/clavulanate
superior to azithromycin for AOM, study finds |
March 2000: The drug was shown to be
more effective at both killing the bacteria and reducing symptoms. |
| Antibiotic management
challenging for meningitis in pediatric patients |
October 2000: For pneumococcal
meningitis, vancomycin is considered standard initial treatment before knowing
the susceptibility of the organism. |
| Antibiotic treatment for E.
coli O157:H7 increases risk for HUS |
July 2000: Study shows 50% of the
children who received antibiotics for E. coli infection developed
hemolytic-uremic syndrome. |
| Asthma may result from
early immune responses that alter lung growth |
February 2000: Prevention of asthma must
be initiated in early life since developmental changes in the lungs begin
shortly after birth. |
| Athletes with HIV, HBV
and HCV should be permitted to participate in sports |
January 2000: AAP releases new policy
statement that says exposure to blood poses small risk. |
| Bacterial meningitis outcome may
be predictable within 12 hours of admission |
November 2000: Long seizure duration,
presence of coma, leukopenia and use of inotropes all point to adverse
outcomes. |
| Better follow-up needed
for infants born with sickle cell disease |
November 2000: Large discrepancies in
compliance seen with medical interventions for infants with sickle cell
disease. |
| Birth dose of hepatitis B
vaccine slow to recover after thimerosal scare |
May 2000: A delay in the receipt of the
first dose of hepatitis B vaccine is directly correlated with delayed
completion or noncompletion of vaccine series. |
| Breaching the comfort zone:
talking about sex |
September 2000 |
| CDC Lyme disease
surveillance shows incidence on the rise |
June 2000: The number of counties that
reported Lyme disease did not increase, suggesting a good portion of the rise
came from areas already known to be Lyme-endemic. |
| CDC project trying to track
unexplained, life-threatening illnesses |
December 2000: A researcher said the
number of cases with no etiology, even after extensive testing, is
astonishing. |
| Cases of Shiga
toxin-producing E. coli reported in United States |
February 2000: A study confirms that
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O111:H8 is capable of causing infection in
healthy individuals. |
| Changing standard of care
important in managing inner-city asthma |
June 2000: A focused care approach may
reduce the number of acute care visits to emergency departments and
clinics. |
| Child care center staffs
contribute to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing |
May 2000: Child care workers seem to be
misinformed about several aspects of upper respiratory infections and
antibiotic use. |
| Children may not be getting
enough liquid medicine to finish course |
September 2000: Antibiotic suspensions
as dispensed may not be enough to complete dosing regimens. |
| Children unvaccinated due
to beliefs at greater risk for contracting measles |
January 2000: Religious and
philosophical exemptions pose potential risk to community. |
| Clues offered in
diagnosing a child with fever of unknown origin |
May 2000: Consider toxicity, immune
status, fever duration, age, infection source and severity of infection. |
| Combination therapy offers better
treatment option |
December 2000: Combination medications
for asthma can simplify dosing. They also offer improved effectiveness and
better compliance. |
| Consider many factors when
determining the cause of otorrhea |
August 2000: Otorrhea is a common
complication of tympanostomy tube placement, but it has several other
causes. |
| Consider resistant
pathogens when prescribing for acute conjunctivitis |
October 2000: H. influenzae is
still the most prevalent cause. However, when S. pneumoniae is the
cause, almost one-third of cases are resistant. |
|
Corticosteroids should not be used for treating infant
RSV |
February 2000: Treatment with
prednisolone had no effect on outcome measures at initial hospital admission
for RSV infection. |
| DNA markers effective as
surrogate indicators of NICU pathogen transmission |
May 2000: DNA markers from the
cauliflower mosaic virus were effective in detecting pathways of nosocomial
pathogen transmission in a given NICU environment. |
| Day care children saw
reduction in RTIs after nine-valent pneumococcal vaccine |
June 2000: A nine-valent pneumococcal
vaccine affected morbidity and antibiotic use in the day care setting. |
|
Determining impact of new pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine |
December 2000: A new indication for
otitis media was filed with the Food and Drug Administration. |
|
Diagnosis, treatment of bacterial sinusitis clarified in
guidelines |
August 2000: The new guidelines
recommend antibiotics for children with symptoms persisting longer than 10 days
without improvement. |
| Dutch pertussis outbreak may
have been caused by antigenic changes |
October 2000: Pertussis has remained
endemic in the Netherlands with epidemic peaks, despite high vaccination
coverage. |
| E. coli outbreak involving
18 school children reported in Minnesota |
May 2000: The USDA's Food and Nutrition
Service plans to destroy all meat from the implicated lot. |
| Early predictors could improve
immunization status |
August 2000: Social cognitive variables
assessed at 3 months were predictive of immunization status and could be
targeted for later interventions to prevent delays. |
| FDA approved new treatment
for acute otitis media |
February 2000: Trimethoprim alone
appears to be efficacious in treatment of acute otitis media. |
| FDA approves
fluticasone powder for asthmatics older than 4 years |
November 2000: Because there is no need
for hand-breath coordination, this new style inhaler may be easier to use than
traditional aerosol inhalers. |
| FDA approves
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for use in infants |
March 2000: The vaccine should be
routinely administered to infants at 2, 4, 6 and 12-15 months of age. |
| Features of exanthems
helpful in diagnosing childhood disease |
May 2000: Kawasaki syndrome, fifth
disease and Gianotti Crosti syndrome are diseases associated with
exanthems. |
| Gene alterations for CF may account
for chronic sinus problems |
November 2000: Many patients who suffer
from chronic sinusitis share an altered gene, which is present in CF
patients. |
| Group A streptococcal
perineal disease is relatively common |
November 2000: Coinfection with
streptococcal pharyngitis is common. Young age and school attendance may be
risk factors. |
|
Guidelines preventing some, but not all early-onset group B
streptococcus |
August 2000: GBS cases have decreased
65% since 1993, and the gap between blacks and whites has narrowed by 75%. |
|
Health care workers on frontline facing unending
challenges |
August 2000: The newest challenges
include an often complacent or self-diagnosing public. |
| Heart failure deaths common in
pediatric HIV; HF often misdiagnosed |
November 2000: Regular echocardiograms
in children with HIV may help alter the course, stem suffering. |
| Hepatitis B virus eradication easier
than smallpox, polio |
June 2000 |
| Herpesvirus infections
most deadly in first four weeks of life |
June 2000: Forty percent to 90% of
Americans have HSV-1; 15% to 30% have HSV-2. |
| Highest ever coverage reported
for DTP, HepB and varicella vaccines |
November 2000: ACIP approves recommended
childhood immunization schedule for January through December 2001. |
| Household contacts of confirmed GAS
cases at risk for disease |
October 2000: The overall annual
incidence of invasive GAS disease is 3.8 cases per 100,000 population. |
| Hypertrophic pyloric
stenosis reported after erythromycin |
January 2000: Prophylaxis for exposure
to pertussis still important as most hospitalizations and deaths for pertussis
occur in infants. |
| IOM report says immunization
system not prepared to meet future needs |
July 2000: A new financial strategy is
aimed at bolstering immunization system infrastructure. |
| IOM report says medical
errors are a 'systemwide' problem |
January 2000: Managed care escapes harsh
criticism, but new practice requirements for medical professionals could be
coming. |
| Immunologic correlates useful
predictor of vaccine protection |
July 2000: Shorter prelicensure periods
and decreased costs associated with developing new vaccines are benefits of
using correlates of protection. |
| Increase in Hib disease
prompts CDC to investigate Amish population |
April 2000: While Hib vaccine is
recommended for all children younger than 5 years, many Pennsylvania children
remain unvaccinated. |
| Influenza season started
early and spread rapidly across country |
February 2000: While people of all ages
are affected, the very young are particularly hit hard. |
| Inhaled corticosteroid
use associated with misconceptions |
May 2000: Many myths exist among
clinicians and patients about safety and optimal benefits of inhaled
corticosteroids. |
|
Intranasal spray vaccine protects against unexpected influenza
strain |
March 2000: The first-year study results
showed an efficacy rate of 93% and the second year of this study suggested
similar results. |
| Intranasal steroids most
effective treatment for allergic rhinitis |
December 2000: More physicians are
recognizing the benefit of first-line use of intranasal steroids. |
| Is your patient
really allergic to that antibiotic? |
December 2000: Find out what type of
reaction the patient had when he or she claims to be allergic to
antibiotics. |
| Kawasaki syndrome not caused
by Chlamydia pneumoniae |
April 2000: However, an infectious
etiology is still a leading hypothesis about the cause of this problem. |
| Lack of funding forcing closure
of school-based health centers |
September 2000: School-based health
centers are often the students' sole source for health care. Closing the
centers leaves many students without access to a health care provider. |
| Lactobacillus GG with
antibiotics reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhea |
January 2000: Probiotic strain
Lactobacillus GG shown safe and effective in prevention of diarrhea in
children receiving antimicrobial treatment. |
| Laws needed for hepatitis B
vaccination compliance |
April 2000: A survey has found that in
the absence of school entry requirements, many do not receive HepB. |
| Lice remains
hard-to-treat common disease among children |
April 2000: There may be several
treatment options available, but none is 100% effective. |
| Lidocaine-prilocaine patch
does not affect antibody response to MMR |
October 2000: Patch reduces pain
associated with vaccination and causes no diminution in antibody response to
vaccine. |
| Linezolid is well tolerated in
children with CAP |
June 2000: At follow-up, 92% of study
patients on linezolid were considered cured, including six patients with
pneumococcal infections. |
| Lyme disease vaccine as
effective in children as in adults |
May 2000: A study of more than 4,000
U.S. children showed the safety profile of Lyme disease vaccine is similar to
that in adults. |
| Management of allergic
rhinitis should consist of three-part system |
April 2000: Symptom management should be
approached with avoidance, pharmacologic therapy and allergen immunotherapy.
|
| Many issues to consider when
initiating systemic steroid therapy |
July 2000: Clinicians should advise
parents on issues including weight gain and behavioral changes while their
child is on steroid therapy for a dermatologic condition. |
| Meningococcal vaccine guidelines
for students published |
August 2000: The CDC is encouraging
college students, particularly freshmen living in dormitories, to be
vaccinated. |
| Neonatal dermatology
presents unique problems |
May 2000: Premature skin needs special
precautions. Consider biopsy and maternal history when making diagnosis. |
|
Neuraminidase inhibitors effective for treating flu |
December 2000: Studies have shown that
they are effective against both influenza A and B, and they have demonstrated
better ability to reduce complications. |
| Nevirapine reduces HIV vertical
transmission after one year |
August 2000: At a 12-month follow-up, a
39% reduction in maternal-child HIV transmission was noted. |
| New 3-D structure allows
look into poliovirus as it enters a host cell |
March 2000: By understanding the process
of how viruses work, researchers have another target for intervention. |
| New and old options exist for
the management of acute otitis media |
November 2000: Vaccines, antibiotics,
tympanocentesis/myringotomy, tympanostomy tubes and adenoidectomy are available
therapeutic options for the child with recurrent disease. |
| New data indicate U.S. RSV
season in full swing |
January 2000: The winter months mean
peak time for respiratory syncytial virus. |
| New guidelines specify when
to use antimicrobials for rhinosinusitis |
September 2000: Beginning with a
broad-spectrum drug may have a better chance of success, but limits options if
it does not work. |
| New online HIV treatment
guidelines for adolescents, adults available |
March 2000: Recommendations for the use
of resistance tests are now included. |
| No link found between
Stachybotrys and pulmonary hemorrhage in infants |
April 2000: Hemorrhage was associated
with major water damage during the six months before illness and increased
levels of measurable household fungi. |
| Number of polio-endemic countries
decreasing |
July 2000: New data indicate polio
remains endemic in only 30 countries worldwide, a decrease from 50 in
1998. |
| Ocular allergy symptoms can have
many allergic, nonallergic causes |
August 2000: Each cause has different
clinical signs. Some nonallergic diseases can mimic allergic reactions. |
| Offer parents option to have
young children immunized against influenza |
March 2000: Feasibility issues make it
complicated to give young children influenza vaccine, but children younger than
1 year have the same hospitalization risks as the elderly. |
| Ohio reports cluster of GAS
cases |
April 2000: Seven patients developed
streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and two died. |
| Pacifier use may
increase the risk of acute otitis media |
October 2000: AOM occurrence was 29%
lower among children whose parents were counseled against pacifier use. |
| Parents need to be advised
on safety of combination vaccines |
May 2000: Although evidence proves that
combination products are safe and effective, some parents still need
convincing. |
| Pediatric, neonatal intensive care
units at risk for nosocomial infections |
July 2000: Bloodstream infections were
found to be the most common; invasive devices found to play a major role. |
| Pediatricians are still wary about
fluoroquinolone use in children |
December 2000: Indications for upper
respiratory infections like acute otitis media could lead to increased
resistance. |
| Pediatricians ask about
the pneumococcal vaccine |
April 2000 |
| Permission, instruction
needed to have asthma meds in school |
February 2000: Although policy differs
from district to district, most schools allow students to self-carry,
self-medicate. |
|
Pneumocystis carinii and SIDS: possible link or marker for
syndrome? |
March 2000: Up to 94% of immunocompetent
children have detectable antibodies by age 30 months to 48 months. |
| Preventing perinatal
infections: lessons learned from two successes |
October 2000: Recommendations to prevent
HIV and group B streptococcus helped lower the number of cases of
maternal-fetal transmissions. |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa
under nails of HCWs spreads infection |
April 2000: The genotypes found under
the fingernails of three nurses matched cultures from infected neonates. |
|
Quinupristin/dalfopristin benefit shown in pediatric
patients |
March 2000: The overall treatment
success rate was 71%. A 51.1% success rate was reported in the adult
population. |
| Revisiting treatment, management
of tinea capitis |
June 2000: Diagnostic techniques and
treatment options have greatly changed. |
| Routine ENT follow-up visits for
tympanostomy tubes: Are they necessary? |
September 2000: Several important
questions must be answered at follow-up visit after tympanostomy tube
placement. It is important for pediatricians to work with the surgeons. |
| Severe local, systemic
reactions can result from fire ant stings |
June 2000: Patients given the imported
fire ant whole-body vaccine can become tolerant or desensitized to the protein
in fire ant venom. |
| Signs, symptoms may
vary among strains of influenza |
October 2000: Influenza is responsible
for 15% to 30% of excess winter hospitalizations for respiratory illness. |
| Simple tools and techniques make
asthma management easier |
July 2000: Simple tools, such as
surveys, give doctors more time to teach patients how to better manage their
illness. |
| Some risky behaviors are declining
among teens, but not all |
September 2000: More teens are
protecting themselves against HIV and pregnancy. However, many are still taking
other risks, such as drinking and taking illegal drugs. |
|
Statistics show substantial decline for neonatal group B
strep |
February 2000: Prophylactic intrapartum
antibiotics prevented approximately 3,900 early-onset infections and 200
neonatal deaths in 1998. |
| Study proposes easy method of
telling whether patients are compliant |
September 2000: Simply calling a
pharmacist may help pediatricians determine compliance. |
| Therapy advances improve asthma
management |
September 2000: Two new asthma therapies
treat mechanistic aspects of the disease by attempting to limit the allergic
response that causes asthma. |
| Therapy, education key to
asthma management in preschoolers |
March 2000: Early recognition of asthma
plus appropriate drug therapy and education are key to disease management. |
|
Timing of fevers is important for diagnosing recurrent
fevers |
December 2000: Fixed vs. irregular fever
interval is important for the differential diagnosis. |
| Treating meningitis still an
issue for pediatricians |
October 2000: Although Hib is not a
large culprit these days, S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis
meningitidis meningitis are. |
| Treatment guidelines for
antibiotic use in bacterial sinusitis |
November 2000: Because of its
commonality and the increasing prevalence of bacterial resistance to
antibiotics, the appropriate use of antibiotics in treating sinusitis has
recently been addressed. |
| Unvaccinated Minnesota
teen dies from chickenpox |
January 2000: Vaccination prior to
contracting the disease or treatment with acyclovir might have saved his
life. |
| A urine culture is still needed to
rule out UTI |
September 2000: Dipstick analysis missed
30% of culture-positive cases, and standard microscopy did little to improve
this. |
| Varicella vaccine
eliminates disease incidence among day care attendees |
February 2000: Study shows 134 cases of
varicella occurred among unvaccinated children vs. 11 cases in vaccinated
children in day care setting. |
| Varicella vaccine safety: The
report card |
November 2000: Reactions related to the
varicella vaccine need to be reported to keep physicians alert. |
| What to do when religion is a
barrier to treatment |
November 2000: Have a procedure in place
to deal with religious barriers to necessary treatment before decisions must be
made. |
| What's Your Diagnosis? A monthly
case study, with treatment information and discussion to follow. |
|
| Zinc supplements, reduced
disease related in developing countries |
January 2000: Zinc reduces pneumonia by
41% and diarrhea by up to 25% in children younger than 5 years old. |
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