Current opinion in pediatrics
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Child maltreatment remains a prevalent problem for which notable best practices such as home visitation can be effective; however, most eligible families do not receive these beneficial services. Additionally, there are other promising prevention interventions to effectively address child maltreatment. This review focuses on the recent advances and strategies for child maltreatment prevention. ⋯ Effective child maltreatment prevention efforts exist; however, not all programs provide the same effectiveness, or target the same maltreatment issues. Pediatricians are in a key position to offer support to families in their own practice, as well as to direct families to the appropriate resources available.
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Curr. Opin. Pediatr. · Aug 2010
Editorial Case ReportsYouth development and strength-based adolescent preventive care.
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Curr. Opin. Pediatr. · Jun 2010
ReviewThe impact of race and ethnicity on care in the pediatric emergency department.
To review healthcare disparities encountered by pediatric patients in the emergency department. The discussion focuses on recent research that is relevant to the field of pediatric emergency medicine. ⋯ Recent research demonstrates that healthcare disparities exist in several areas affecting the delivery of quality pediatric emergency care. These disparities are shaped by a complex interaction of social, cultural, behavioral, educational, and financial factors. More research is needed to increase the body of knowledge as to why disparities exist. The success of this future research may require an interdisciplinary approach incorporating experts from multiple scientific fields.
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Severely injured children have a decreased incidence and different pattern of multiple organ failure when compared with adults. This article reviews recent advances in understanding the mechanisms leading to this discrepancy. ⋯ The inflammatory response to injury in children is functionally and mechanistically unique, as suggested by age-related differences in the incidence and pattern of systemic inflammation and multiple organ failure after major trauma. We review the current clinical and basic science literature related to postinjury inflammation in childhood, focusing on the developmental biology of innate immunity and the implications of a maturing immune system for trauma-related interventions and outcomes.
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Curr. Opin. Pediatr. · Jun 2010
ReviewTraumatic brain injury: preferred methods and targets for resuscitation.
Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common cause of death and disability in pediatric trauma. This review looks at the strategies to treat TBI in a temporal fashion. We examine the targets for resuscitation from field triage to definitive care in the pediatric ICU. ⋯ As our understanding of pediatric TBI evolves, the ambition is that age-specific and perhaps individual brain injury strategies based upon feedback from continuous monitors will be defined. In addition, vogue methods such as hypothermia, hypertonic saline, and aggressive surgical decompression may prove to impact brain swelling and outcomes.