Clinical pediatrics
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Clinical pediatrics · Dec 2012
Comparative StudySerial procalcitonin levels to detect bacteremia in febrile neutropenia.
Our objective was to evaluate serial procalcitonin (PCT) levels compared with an initial PCT level at admission in predicting bacteremia in pediatric febrile neutropenic oncology patients. ⋯ Elevated PCT levels are predictive of bacteremia. Using serial PCT levels within 24 hours allowed a better prediction of bacteremia than the PCT level at t0.
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Clinical pediatrics · Dec 2012
Comparative StudyEffectiveness of a breath-actuated nebulizer device on asthma care in the pediatric emergency department.
The breath-actuated nebulizer (BAN) is a new respiratory device to deliver short-acting β-agonists to patients with asthma exacerbations. This pediatric convenience sample experimental study compares the BAN with conventional nebulizers and demonstrates that the BAN allows for shorter treatment times to achieve improved clinical asthma scores with less albuterol, shorter emergency department length of stay, and fewer hospitalizations.
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Clinical pediatrics · Oct 2012
Missing documentation of weight and height at preventive visits for children.
Despite the importance of measuring weight and height at well-child visits, there are limited data on frequency of anthropometric documentation. The authors aimed to identify characteristics associated with missing weight and height documentation at preventive visits for children. ⋯ Missing documentation was also more likely for visits with nonphysicians (OR = 4.53; 95% CI = 3.17-6.48) and nonpediatricians (OR = 2.63; 95% CI = 2.02-3.41) compared with pediatricians. Efforts to improve weight and height surveillance should be directed to clinics in which midlevel providers and nonpediatric physicians are caring for school-age children and adolescents.
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Clinical pediatrics · Oct 2012
The use and tolerability of Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune FAB (Ovine) in pediatric envenomations.
There are limited data on the use of Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune FAB-Ovine (CroFab) in the management of crotalid envenomations in children. Thus, the primary objective of this retrospective chart review was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of CroFab in a pediatric population. Over an 8-year time period at this institution, there were 204 admissions for snakebite of which 82 received CroFab. ⋯ Six (7.3%) of the 82 patients who received CroFab experienced an adverse drug reaction. Reactions consisted of allergic symptoms that were mild, responded to minimal interventions, and did not limit the subsequent use of CroFab. It is concluded that CroFab use is typically well tolerated in pediatric patients.