Pediatrics
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Comparative Study
Firearm ownership and storage patterns among families with children who receive well-child care in pediatric offices.
In this study we examined firearm storage patterns and their associations in a diverse sample of families who attended pediatric practices from both rural and nonrural areas across the United States. ⋯ Few families reported safe firearm storage. Storage patterns are most influenced by firearm type(s) owned, family socialization with guns, and the age of the child. Primary care providers need to understand better not only whether firearms are in the home but also which types are present and whether parents were raised in homes with guns.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Use of sleep medications in hospitalized pediatric patients.
Little is known about the medications prescribed for sleep in hospitalized children. The aims of this study were to (1) determine the percentage of hospitalized children who receive medication for sleep disturbances, (2) determine what medications are prescribed for sleep difficulties, and (3) examine medical and demographic variables related to medications prescribed during hospitalization. ⋯ Approximately 3% to 6% of children are treated pharmacologically with a broad array of sleep medications in hospital settings. Prescription practices vary by hospital, medical service, child age, and diagnosis. The results from this study indicate that medications are being prescribed for sleep in hospitalized children, especially in children with psychiatric diagnoses. However, given that there are neither Food and Drug Administration-approved sleep medications for children nor clinical consensus guidelines regarding their use, clinical trials, practice guidelines, and additional research are clearly needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomized, controlled trial of a removable brace versus casting in children with low-risk ankle fractures.
Isolated distal fibular ankle fractures in children are very common and at very low risk for future complications. Nevertheless, standard therapy for these fractures still consists of casting, a practice that carries risks, inconveniences, and use of subspecialty health care resources. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine whether children who have these low-risk ankle fractures that are treated with a removable ankle brace have at least as effective a recovery of physical function as those that are treated with a cast. ⋯ The removable ankle brace is more effective than the cast with respect to recovery of physical function, is associated with a faster return to baseline activities, is superior with respect to patient preferences, and is also cost-effective.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
To clean or not to clean: effect on contamination rates in midstream urine collections in toilet-trained children.
Urinary tract infection is one of the most common bacterial infections among children. Difficulty in specimen collection and interpretation of inadequately collected specimens may contribute to misdiagnosis of urinary tract infection. Our objective was to assess the effect of perineal/genital cleaning on bacterial contamination rates of midstream urine collections in toilet-trained children. ⋯ Urine contamination rates are higher in midstream urine that is collected from toilet-trained children when obtained without perineal/genital cleaning. Cleaning may reduce the risk for returning for repeat cultures and for receiving unnecessary antibiotic treatment and investigations.
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Comparative Study
Incidence of acute otitis media and sinusitis complicating upper respiratory tract infection: the effect of age.
Infants and young children are prone to developing upper respiratory tract infections, which often result in bacterial complications such as acute otitis media and sinusitis. We evaluated 623 upper respiratory tract infection episodes in 112 children (6-35 months of age) to determine the proportion of upper respiratory tract infection episodes that result in acute otitis media or sinusitis. ⋯ The rate of acute otitis media after upper respiratory tract infection declined with increasing age, whereas the rate of sinusitis after upper respiratory tract infection peaked in the second year of life. Risk for acute otitis media may be reduced substantially by avoiding frequent exposure to respiratory viruses (eg, avoidance of day care attendance) in the first year of life.