Pediatrics
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Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) face unique challenges in accessing affordable health care. Massachusetts implemented major health reform in 2006; little is known about the impact of this state's health reform on uninsurance, access to care, and financial protection for privately and publicly insured CSHCN. ⋯ Massachusetts health reform likely improved access to specialists for privately insured CSHCN but did not decrease instances of uninsurance, increase access to primary care, or improve financial protection for CSHCN in general. Comparable provisions within the Affordable Care Act may produce similarly modest outcomes for CSHCN.
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Medical emergency teams (METs) can reduce adverse events in hospitalized children. We aimed to model the financial costs and benefits of operating an MET and determine the annual reduction in critical deterioration (CD) events required to offset MET costs. ⋯ CD is expensive. The costs of operating a MET can plausibly be recouped with a modest reduction in CD events. Hospitals reimbursed with bundled payments could achieve real financial savings by reducing CD with an MET.
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Even in a publicly funded health care system, access to care may be related to socioeconomic status (SES). For children, delays in surgical procedures can have profound functional, social, and psychological effects with lifelong impact. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SES was related to meeting surgical wait time access targets for children. We also assessed the effects of gender, age, and distance to hospital on meeting access targets. ⋯ SES does not predict the timeliness of delivery for pediatric surgical services.
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Behavioral issues are a frequent problem in the pediatric population. Often, these are evaluated and considered to be psychiatric in origin. We report on a pediatric patient who presented with severe behavioral disturbance and developed organic symptoms including hypoventilation and dysautonomia and who was ultimately diagnosed with ROHHADNET syndrome, a syndrome of rapid-onset obesity, hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation associated with a neuroendocrine tumor. Autopsy findings revealed novel findings of the syndrome, including hypothalamic encephalitis.
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Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) symptoms develop at first introduction of fruit during weaning. We report on an infant with suspected HFI who presented with repeated episodes of vomiting and hypotension after ingestion of fruit-containing meals. The first episode occurred at age 4 months. ⋯ Allergy evaluations were negative, and the history was diagnostic for fruit-induced food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Because this non-immunoglobulin E-mediated gastrointestinal food hypersensitivity manifests as profuse, repetitive vomiting, often with diarrhea, leading to acute dehydration and lethargy, it may be misinterpreted as HFI. We advise pediatricians to consider food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome in the differential diagnosis when there is a suspicion of HFI.