Posts Tagged ‘pediatric’
The Silent Epidemic – Pediatric Sports Injuries
New studies focus on gymnastics, ACL injuries and year round sports; early treatment predicts most optimal outcomes At the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), two separate studies focus on the dramatic rise of pediatric sports injuries in recent years…
Pediatric sports injuries: the silent epidemic
Two new studies focus on the dramatic rise of pediatric sports injuries in recent years. However, despite this alarming trend, awareness, education, warning signs and early treatment can make a significant difference and help keep these athletes in the game, according to the study experts.
Training in childhood obesity management in the United States: a survey of pediatric, internal medicine-pediatrics and family medicine residency program directors
Background:
Information about the availability and effectiveness of childhood obesity training during residency is limited.
Methods:
We surveyed residency program directors from pediatric, internal medicine-pediatrics (IM-Peds), and family medicine residency programs between September 2007 and January 2008 about childhood obesity training offered in their programs.
Results:
The response rate was 42.2% (299/709) and ranged by specialty from 40.1% to 45.4%. Overall, 52.5% of respondents felt that childhood obesity training in residency was extremely important, and the majority of programs offered training in aspects of childhood obesity management including prevention (N=240, 80.3%), diagnosis (N=282, 94.3%), diagnosis of complications (N=249, 83.3%), and treatment (N=242, 80.9%). However, only 18.1% (N=54) of programs had a formal childhood obesity curriculum with variability across specialties. Specifically, 35.5% of IM-Peds programs had a formal curriculum compared to only 22.6% of pediatric and 13.9% of family medicine programs (p<0.01). Didactic instruction was the most commonly used training method but was rated as only somewhat effective by 67.9% of respondents using this method. The most frequently cited significant barrier to implementing childhood obesity training was competing curricular demands (58.5%).
Conclusions:
While most residents receive training in aspects of childhood obesity management, deficits may exist in training quality with a minority of programs offering a formal childhood obesity curriculum. Given the high prevalence of childhood obesity, a greater emphasis should be placed on development and use of effective training strategies suitable for all specialties training physicians to care for children.
Mortality rates for pediatric rheumatology patients significantly lower than previously reported
A recent study found that the overall mortality rate in the US for all pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases was not worse than the age and sex-adjusted population. Furthermore, mortality rates were significantly lower than reported in previous studies of rheumatic diseases and conditions that are associated with increased mortality.
New Guideline For The Treatment Of Pediatric Diaphyseal Femur Fractures
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Directors approved a new clinical practice guideline for the treatment of pediatric diaphyseal femur fractures. Diaphyseal (the shaft of a long bone) fracture of the femur (the bone in the thigh) is a very common childhood injury.
Second Pediatric Death From H1N1 Virus Was Ten Year Old Girl
The Pima County Health Department is releasing additional information regarding the second pediatric death of complications from the H1N1 virus. The ten year old girl became ill on May 12, 2009 and passed away on May 17, 2009. As reported previously, this is the second death in Pima County of complications from H1N1 virus.
Pediatric Virology: Demmler-Harrison Honored For Her Devoted Work
Dr. Gail Demmler-Harrison has been awarded the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) 2009 Thomas Hazinski, M.D. Distinguished Service Award. Demmler-Harrison, director of the Virology Laboratory at Texas Children’s Hospital and professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, received the award at the recent Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD.
Pediatric resident and faculty attitudes toward self-assessment and self-directed learning: a cross-sectional study
Background:The development of self-assessment and self-directed learning skills is essential to lifelong learning and becoming an effective physician. Pediatric residents in the United States are now required to use Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) to document self-assessment and self-directed learning. A better understanding of resident and faculty attitudes and skills about self-assessment and self-directed learning will allow more successful integration of lifelong learning into residency education. The objective of this study was to compare faculty and resident attitudes, knowledge and skills about self-assessment, self-directed learning and ILPs. Methods:Survey of pediatric residents and faculty at a single institution. Respondents rated their attitudes, knowledge, and self-perceived skills surrounding self-assessment, self-directed learning and ILPs.Results:Overall survey response rate was 81% (79/97); 100% (36/36) residents and 70% (43/61) faculty. Residents and faculty agreed that lifelong learning is a necessary part of being a physician. Both groups were comfortable with assessing their own strengths and weaknesses and developing specific goals to improve their own performance. However, residents were less likely than faculty to continuously assess their own performance (44% vs. 81%; p<0.001) or continuously direct their own learning (53% vs. 86%; p<0.001). Residents were more likely than faculty to believe that residents should be primarily responsible for directing their own learning (64% vs. 19%; p<0.0001), but at the same time, more residents believed that assigned clinical (31% vs. 0%; p<0.0001) or curricular (31% vs. 0%; p<0.0001) experiences were sufficient to make them competent physicians. Interns were less likely than senior residents to have a good understanding of how to assess their own skills (8% vs. 58%; p=0.004) or what it means to be a self-directed learner (50% vs. 83%; p=0.04).Qualitative comments indicated that while ILPs have the potential to help learners develop individualized, goal-directed learning plans based on strengths and weaknesses, successful implementation will require dedicated time and resident and faculty development.Conclusions:These findings suggest that training and experience are necessary for physicians to understand the role of self-directed learning in education. Deliberate practice, for example by requiring residents to use ILPs, may facilitate self-directed, lifelong learning.
Survey Shows Parents Still Using Pediatric Over-the-Counter Cough/Cold Medications Even When They Know About The Possible Dangers
A new survey conducted in March 2009 by Harris Interactive? and commissioned by Bionorica shows that while 90% of parents claim to be at least somewhat knowledgeable about the level of effectiveness and the possible dangers associated with over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products for children, 62% still give these products to children when they are experiencing cough and cold symptoms.
Pediatric Migraine: New Initiative To Support Research
The Migraine Research Foundation (MRF) has announced a new initiative to promote and support research in pediatric and adolescent migraine called FOR OUR CHILDREN. The new program is a multi-faceted funding plan intended to further the understanding of migraine and its causes and treatments in the critically under-served population of children and adolescents. Migraine is very common in children – about 10% of all school-age children suffer from migraine.
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