Primary care
-
There is arguably no group of conditions more common and expansive in children than gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, successful recognition, diagnosis, and management of these ailments is particularly challenging provided the breadth of potential dysfunction, as well as a general paucity of specific physical examination findings to pinpoint diagnoses. Elucidation of these conditions is made further challenging by frequent difficulty of pediatric patients to provide a detailed articulation of their symptoms. Nonetheless, a thorough history can aid in distinguishing these various diagnoses, which can be further classified into 3 categories: infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic pathology; motility disorders; and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
-
Adverse childhood experiences are found in adults regardless of race, socioeconomic level, or education. They can be identified in a clinical environment by answering a retrospective questionnaire. Adverse childhood experiences are clearly linked to high-risk health behaviors and multiple chronic diseases. ⋯ Identification efforts have begun for children showing the prevalence and categories of abuse. National surveillance surveys capture prevalence data for children at the state level. The for Disease Control and Prevention has distributed prevention strategies to decrease the likelihood of adverse childhood experiences in children.
-
As a child matures so does the child's gait pattern. Gait changes in pediatric patients will be expected and sequential as developmental milestones. ⋯ There are times when changes in gait are due to urgent orthopedic or medical conditions, and those should not be overlooked. A good understanding of pediatric gait development and a basic understanding of gait assessment are critical for the primary care physician who cares for children.
-
This article reviews common issues in pediatric dental health, including normal development, developmental issues, infections, trauma, and preventative care.
-
Allergy is a broad topic encompassing common clinical allergic diseases, asthma, and complex immunodeficiencies. In this article, the authors discuss the most common allergic diseases and anaphylaxis and briefly review the current knowledge and management of food allergies, allergic rhinitis, otitis media, sinusitis, chronic cough, atopic dermatitis, urticarial and angioedema, contact dermatitis, allergic ophthalmopathy, drug allergy, latex allergy, and insect sting. Because the prevalence of allergic disorders continues to increase, it is increasingly important for physicians to stay up to date on most recent evidence-based diagnosis and management of allergic disorders.