| 1998 NEWS ARTICLES |
| AAP releases first rotavirus
vaccine recommendations |
November 1998: The vaccine was also
recommended for routine use by the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices. |
| AAP releases guidelines on the
pediatric use of new RSV drug |
December 1998: Palivizumab provides an
alternative approach to the prevention of RSV infections in high-risk
infants. |
| ACIP adopts recommendations
for combination vaccine usage |
August 1998: The statement will be
continually updated as additional combination vaccines are licensed. |
| ACIP adopts rotavirus
vaccine recommendation statement |
August 1998: Rotavirus is the most
common cause of severe gastroenteritis in the United States and worldwide. |
| Antibiotics still useful
for treating AOM, but better diagnosis is needed |
February 1998: Today's instruments for
diagnosing otitis media can help physicians hone their diagnostic skills. |
| Bioavailability of inhaled
steroids differs |
April 1998:Practitioners must understand
the relative potency of all the inhaled steroids to prescribe them
appropriately. |
| Caregivers' limited
understanding of antibiotic resistance leads to confusion |
May 1998: While many caregivers know
that overuse makes antibiotics less effective, many don't know what they are or
how to properly use them. |
| CDC documents epidemic of
congenital syphilis in Baltimore |
December 1998: Baltimore had the highest
rate for primary and secondary syphilis among U.S. cities in 1996-1997. |
| CDC study tracks Hantavirus
in 39 national parks in the United States |
February 1998: Parks in northeastern
half of nation at highest risk for Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. |
| Chronic asthma may lead
to permanent lung damage |
July 1998: Expert panel urges doctors to
control asthma early in their at-risk patients. |
| Combination therapy for
children with AIDS becoming treatment standard |
March 1998: Once thought to be
inappropriate for children, these therapies have proven highly effective. |
| Consider cryptosporidiosis in a
child with vomiting and diarrhea |
October 1998: Cryptosporidiosis is most
likely a very common domestic illness that goes unreported. |
| Cystic fibrosis gene
protects against typhoid fever bacteria |
July 1998: Research shows that
Salmonella typhi does not bind with abnormal CFTR found in patients with
cystic fibrosis. |
| Day care center
exclusion policies may prove too costly |
August 1998: Discrepancies between
medical practice and day care center exclusion policies lead to high
expense. |
| Determining which child
with fever is at risk |
March 1998: A young infant with a fever
can be a pediatrician's nightmare, but knowing low-risk criteria helps. |
| Doctors might see more
cases of tularemia this summer |
July 1998: Tularemia, a common
summertime infection, remains a problem in tick-endemic regions. |
| Does diagnosis of KD without
meeting AHA criteria change management? |
September 1998: Early treatment of
Kawasaki disease with IVIG reduces the risk of developing coronary
abnormalities. |
| Educational video helps
parents choose poliovirus vaccine |
August 1998: The sequential schedule was
the most popular choice after either intervention. |
| El Niño brings
unusual allergy, asthma patterns |
May 1998: Researchers speculate that
this year's allergy season could be the worst seen in many years. |
| Epidemiologic shift seen in cases
of reported bacterial meningitis |
November 1998: From 1986 to 1995 there
was more than 95% decrease in Haemophilus influenzae meningitis among
U.S. children. |
| FDA approves fourth
acellular pertussis vaccine |
September 1998: The vaccine is indicated
for immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in infants and
children 6 weeks to 7 years of age. |
| FDA advisory panel
recommends influenza virus vaccine strains |
March 1998: One strain of the trivalent
vaccine was recommended; the second and third strains will be chosen pending
further data. |
| FDA approves Omnicef for
use in children |
January 1998: Cefdinir is indicated for
a variety of respiratory, skin and skin structure infections. |
| FDA approves only five-day oral
cephalosporin for AOM |
December 1998: Cefpodoxime proxetil is
effective against most strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae,
Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and
Streptococcus pyogenes |
| FDA approves Rocephin to
treat pediatric acute otitis media |
January 1998: The majority of OM cases
are caused by three organisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. |
| FDA approves topical
fluoroquinolone for use in children |
January 1998: Floxin Otic is approved
for use in children with otitis externa and acute otitis media with
tympanostomy tubes. |
| FDA gives nod to irradiating
red meat; industry applauds decision |
January 1998: Consumers will need to be
educated about the process and safety of irradiation. |
| FDA requires new pediatric
labeling for inhaled, intranasalcorticosteroids |
December 1998: New labeling says that
corticosteroids may affect growth and the lowest dosage should be used to treat
children. |
| Florida's school-entry
requirements effective for vaccination coverage |
October 1998: Several states are looking
at the CDC report on Florida and considering similar measures. |
| GAS outbreak in Texas
sickens 170, kills 36 |
April 1998: Officials have not
determined the cause of the increasing number of cases. |
| Gastrointestinal illness
appears to be increasing |
April 1998: Changes in diet, food
production and population seen as reasons for the increase. |
| Harmonized 1999 immunization
schedule being finalized by ACIP |
December 1998: While most schedule
changes were clear during the ACIP meeting, the three groups will concurrently
release the official schedule in January 1999. |
| Health of immigrant children
deteriorates after living in the U.S. |
October 1998: A new report from the IOM
says better data needed to guide policy decisions. |
| High-and low-tech
approaches to resistant head lice |
May 1998: Over the last few years, more
than 100,000 cases of resistant head lice have occurred in the U.S. |
| High prevalence of
chlamydia and gonorrhea found in Baltimore students |
April 1998: Study found that most of the
infected students were asymptomatic. |
| How to handle potential
infectious disease emergencies |
February 1998: Review of diagnoses and
treatments of the most common pediatric infectious disease emergencies. |
| ID physicians, ED staff are
first line of defense against biological terrorism |
July 1998: Survival of health care
personnel may be at stake because they could become infected before they
realize their patients are highly contagious. |
| Increases in meningococcal
outbreaks show need for proper management |
July 1998: Children continue to be at
highest risk in the absence of long-term vaccination. |
| Inhaled tobramycin
recommended for approval |
January 1998: If approved, Tobi would be
indicated for patients 6 years and older. |
| Invasive H. influenzae
cases disappearing in the United States |
May 1998: The incidence of Hib among
children 4 years and younger has decreased 98% since the use of Hib conjugate
vaccines. |
| Lessons learned in the
struggle against infectious diseases |
May 1998: Emerging infectious diseases
like Hantavirus, Ebola and new strains of tuberculosis should act to increase
our awareness of this global crisis. |
| Lyme disease is
over-diagnosed and treated too often, study says |
April 1998: Aggressive medical treatment
may not be needed for those suffering from the tickborne infection. |
| Measles elimination in
the Americas set for 2000 |
May 1998: Canada and Brazil accounted
for 97% of the total number of confirmed cases in the region during 1997. |
| Measles vaccine more effective
after 6 months |
October 1998: The GMTs after vaccination
were lower in 6-month-old infants compared with infants 9 and 12 months of
age. |
| Milk allergies and lactose
intolerance frequently misdiagnosed |
March 1998: Milk allergies and lactose
intolerance can manifest themselves in many ways. Pediatricians should be aware
of the differences. |
| More immunizations being
required by schools |
September 1998 |
| More wins than losses for
pediatric infections |
December 1998 |
| Mother refuses HIV therapy for
son |
October 1998: Maine case could have
repercussions for pediatric AIDS treatment for the rest of the country. |
| Nevirapine receives pediatric
indication for treating HIV/AIDS. |
December 1998: Nevirapine is the seventh
AIDS drug for pediatric HIV/AIDS; 14 medications are currently FDA-approved for
use in adults. |
| New data from efficacy trials
show influenza vaccine effective |
November 1998: Protection provided
against the predominate influenza strain during last year's flu season. |
| New ear drops approved by
the FDA for treatment of acute otitis externa |
March 1998: In phase 3 trials, all
treatments were administered for seven days and ciprofloxacin with
hydrocortisone proved most efficacious. |
| New FDA proposals intended
to increase safety of fresh juices |
May 1998: The FDA estimates between
16,000 and 48,000 cases of juice-related illnesses occur each year. |
| New hepatitis strain
discovered in United States |
February 1998: For the first time, a
genetically distinct virus strain found in two U.S. residents. |
| New prevention drug available this
fall for RSV |
October 1998: RSV is the most common
cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants and young children. |
| New strategy to rapidly assess
efficacy of AIDS drugs in children |
November 1998: Researchers accurately
predicted long-term response to ritonavir treatment in 36 of 41 pediatric
patients. |
| New vaccine to be added
to immunization schedule |
March 1998: The committee recommended
routine immunization with rotavirus vaccine, but data could not support
immunization of premature infants. |
| NIH panel says no link
between diabetes and immunizations |
August 1998: Emerging data over the past
decade has suggested a strong genetic influence. |
| No evidence exists to link
diabetes and vaccines |
May 1998: The CDC is currently
conducting its own research into the possible association of the two
events. |
| Officials report Shigella
outbreaks in several states |
November 1998: PFGE testing indicated
the strain of Shigella responsible for the illnesses came from a common
food source. |
| Oklahoma to require
hepatitis A vaccination for school entry |
August 1998: Oklahoma had the highest
HAV incidence rate in the U.S. in 1996; 53 Oklahoma counties reported epidemic
rates. |
| Olive oil treatment may be
effective method for killing head lice |
April 1998: Five-step plan suffocates
the lice and helps in eliminating them from the head of the victim. |
| One-half of S. pneumoniae
infections found in children younger than 2 years |
November 1998: A community-based study
of drug-resistant S. pneumoniae, where pneumococcal infections are most
prevalent, showed high resistance to newer antibiotics. |
| Outbreak of Campylobacter
reported in cross-contaminated food |
April 1998: Poultry was not separated
from fresh vegetables during preparation. |
| Outbreak of influenza A
reported in U.S. and Canada |
September 1998: Upper respiratory
illness with fever reported by people traveling in Alaska and the Yukon
Territory. |
| Patient noncompliance
can limit effectiveness of asthma treatment |
February 1998: The factors most
frequently associated with compliance in asthma treatment are those related to
the medication regimen. |
| Pediatric drug trials
raise several questions |
April 1998: The official list of drugs
for study in pediatric populations is expected in May. |
| Pediatric residents most
likely to follow guidelines for antibiotic use |
November 1998: Compared to pediatricians
and family practitioners, pediatric residents most often made the correct
decisions on antimicrobial use for pediatric illnesses. |
| Pediatricians, patients
prepare for new drug delivery devices |
August 1998: The new environmentally
friendly drug delivery systems have created confusion among physicians and
users. |
| Persistence of GABHS in
toothbrushes, oral appliances |
December 1998: Oral tools harboring
group A b-hemolytic streptococci may allow resistance to penicillin
therapy. |
| Pertussis elimination is
possible with a good booster vaccine |
February 1998: Pertussis is not only a
disease of children; it is an adult problem, too. |
| Pharmaceutical industry urges
FDA to classify bacteremia as a disease |
October 1998: Defining bacteremia as a
primary infection would allow the industry to focus on developing specific
antibiotics. |
| Physicians following
poliovirus immunization schedule |
July 1998: Studies show physicians are
making the switch to inactivated poliovirus vaccine. |
| Pneumococcal conjugate
vaccines critical in battle against infections |
July 1998: Infants and toddlers,
especially in day care, are the key recipients of and vector for the spread of
PRSP. |
| Polio goes to the movies;
documentary takes a look at the `paralyzing fear' |
November 1998: By the 1950s, an average
of 40,000 poliomyelitis cases were reported each year. |
| Powder-based asthma
inhalers set to replace CFC-based inhalers |
April 1998: Federal estimates indicate
that inhalers are responsible for about 2% of total CFC emissions in this
country. |
| President Clinton
announces initiative to improve juice safety |
August 1998: Clinton also plans to
create a Joint Institute for Food Safety Research to develop a coordinated food
safety strategy. |
| Promising alternative to CFC
propellants |
October 1998: HFA134A positively
affected drug delivery and particle size when used in new MDIs. |
| Proper storage of
vaccines is needed to maintain effectiveness |
September 1998: Appropriate storage and
handling of vaccines is necessary to ensure adequate protection. |
| Prospects for
immunization in the next century appear to be promising |
September 1998: Katz has conducted
research on various diseases such as measles, smallpox, polio, rubella and
pertussis. |
| Remember the psyche when
treating asthma |
March 1998: Often a little counseling
will go a long way in helping you to control your patients' asthma and increase
compliance to drug therapy. |
| Resistant infections can
spread easily among children in day care |
September 1998: Pertussis, tuberculosis,
streptococcal pharyngitis and mumps might require exclusion from child care.
|
| Resistant tuberculosis
spreads among 18 high school students |
February 1998:Source patient was found
to be infectious for more than two years before he was diagnosed. |
| R.I. health officials
recommend routine use of meningitis vaccine |
April 1998: Since Jan. 1, a total of 11
cases have been reported, and three children have died. |
| Rotavirus vaccine
recommended for approval |
January 1998: Rotavirus leads to over
500,000 hospitalizations and is the primary cause of severe diarrhea in young
children. |
| Rubella outbreak in New
York spreads to surrounding area |
March 1998: The outbreak is affecting
young Latino men who are susceptible to disease. |
| Satcher wins
confirmation as Surgeon General |
March 1998: Controversy once again
surrounds the office of Surgeon General; but what else is new? |
| Separating fact from
fiction in treating cold symptoms |
January 1998: Common cold therapies do
relieve some of the symptoms, but nothing cures the disease. |
| Short-course of AZT
effective in reducing perinatal HIV transmission |
March 1998: New regimen offers hope for
reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission in the developing world. |
| Staph, strep most common
waterborne infections |
May 1998: Following
Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, Mycobacteriummarinum is the
most common aquatic infection seen in children. |
| Study shows varicella
decreasing even in those not vaccinated |
November 1998: Researchers warn that
these drops could lead to fewer children being vaccinated, and ultimately to a
group of susceptible teens and adults. |
| Teacher contracts
hepatitis B from student |
February 1998: Epidemiologists could not
determine how the student transmitted the virus. |
| Thalidomide approved for
use in leprosy patients |
August 1998: Women using thalidomide
will be required to undergo a monthly pregnancy test. |
| The hidden plague: Number
of AIDS orphans rising |
February 1998: Those orphaned by the
virus could top 125,000 in next five years, public health officials say. |
| Tinea capitis still common
childhood fungal infection |
July 1998: Asymptomatic carriers and
certain grooming practices may contribute to increased incidence of tinea
capitis. |
| Tobacco use continues to
rise among high school students |
May 1998: Past-month cigarette smoking
prevalence among African American students increased by nearly 80% since
1991. |
| Trends in pediatric
immunization result in record-high coverage |
January 1998: The number of vaccine
doses purchased through VFC is used to determine whether providers are
following the immunization schedule. |
| Trial shows pneumococcal vaccine
100% effective in young children |
October 1998: More than 38,000 children
were included in the clinical trial of a seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine. |
| Unlike United States, only slight
decline in European incidence of Hib |
November 1998: Many European countries
are unable to afford the conjugate vaccines that have nearly eliminated Hib in
the United States. |
| United States plays important
role in global disease prevention |
January 1998: Infectious diseases are
the leading cause of death in children worldwide. |
| Vaccine approvals,
recommendations and clinical trial results in 1998 news |
December 1998: Two vaccines were
approved, one was recommended for approval and two are showing promising
clinical trial results. |
| Vaccine success story
did not come easy |
July 1998 |
| Vaccines can save up to
12 million lives each year |
March 1998: The Children's Vaccine
Initiative released its strategic plan to vaccinate the world's children. |
| Varicella vaccine: How
it's doing after four years |
May 1998: What have we learned after
more than 8 million doses of varicella vaccine have been given? |
| VICP helps restore
confidence in vaccines |
August 1998: As of November 1997, more
than 1,100 awards have been made to families or individuals. |
| Viral meningitis cases top
500 in Texas and several Midwestern states |
September 1998: State health
investigators said this form of meningitis is much less dangerous to humans
than its bacterial cousin. |
| Welfare waiver-based
programs can increase immunization rates |
February 1998: The health care delivery
system through these programs needs further review, say NVAC members. |
| Which pediatric infections
cause hospital staff the greatest worry? |
September 1998: Meningococcal disease
should represent a serious concern for staff members. |
| Xylitol sugar prevents AOM and
reduces the need for antibiotics |
November 1998: Children receiving
xylitol, either as gum or syrup, had fewer episodes of AOM than a sucrose
control group. |
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