Pediatrics
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The objective of this study was to calculate sensitivity values for the detection of major respiratory viruses of childhood by using combined nose-throat swabs and nasopharyngeal aspirates. ⋯ Nose-throat swab specimens, in combination with sensitive molecular testing, are a less invasive diagnostic respiratory specimen with adequate sensitivity for use in the clinic and hospital outpatient settings and large-scale community studies through parent collection. For children who present to a hospital in which an avian or pandemic strain of influenza virus is reasonably part of the differential diagnosis, nasopharyngeal aspirates or a similar collection technique (eg, nasal washes) should continue to be used.
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Comparative Study
Antenatal use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and QT interval prolongation in newborns.
Prolongation of the QT interval is a risk factor for sudden death. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor antidepressants can prolong the QT interval and are widely used by pregnant women. Whether antenatal exposure to selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor causes QT prolongation in offspring is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor antidepressants during pregnancy on the QTc interval of the offspring. ⋯ Antepartum use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor antidepressants is associated with QTc interval prolongation in exposed neonates. Additional research using a standardized protocol is needed to determine whether exposure to selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor antidepressants in late pregnancy is also associated with arrhythmias.
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Case Reports
Child abuse recognition and reporting: supports and resources for changing the paradigm.
As shown previously in the Child Abuse Recognition Experience Study (CARES), primary care providers reported that they decided not to report a substantial proportion of injuries that they suspected might have resulted from abuse. The most serious cases result in death. This article provides detailed reports of 2 illustrative cases from the author's experience as a member of a multidisciplinary child fatality review team and discusses several alternative legal mechanisms for improving mandated reporting. Regional centers of excellence in child protection may be an effective way of improving child protection; current proposals to establish such centers are reviewed.
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Physicians have reported feeling that they were not adequately trained to identify and report child abuse. This article reviews the current state of medical education and residency training and the needs of physicians in practice and proposes changes and additions that can be made to improve the ability and confidence of physicians who are faced with the responsibility of keeping children safe.
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Comparative Study
Validation of the clinical dehydration scale for children with acute gastroenteritis.
We previously created a clinical dehydration scale. Our objective was to validate the clinical dehydration scale with a new cohort of patients with acute gastroenteritis who were assessed in a tertiary emergency department in a developed country. ⋯ The clinical dehydration scale and the 3 severity categories were valid for a prospectively enrolled cohort of patients who were assessed in our tertiary emergency department. The scoring system was valuable in predicting a longer length of stay and the need for intravenous fluid rehydration for children with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.