HealthFusion June 2014 B  

October 8, 2014   Vol. V, Issue 41
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Adolescent depression & abnormalities in the frontolimbic connection.

Little is known about the neuroanatomical basis for adolescent depression.


A study of the brains of unmedicated adolescents (using diffusing tensor imaging/MRI - which allows for the examination of the integrity of white matter tracts) with and without depression, indicates that anatomic abnormalities in frontolimbic circuitry (the white matter tract that connects part of the temporal lobe with, for example, the orbitofrontal cortex) may be a predisposing risk factor for depression.

 

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 

Anxious mothers.... Anxious babies.... Excessive crying?!

Excessive infant crying (> 3 hours/day, for more than 3 days/week, for more than 3 weeks in a row) may occur in up to 20% of babies in developed countries. While the cause(s) of this remains essentially unknown, important factors include increased levels of child abuse, early weaning and maternal depression.

 

Maternal anxiety assessed during pregnancy and for the 16 months after delivery indicates that maternal lifetime and incident (response to an acute stress) anxiety appears to be a strong predictor for excessive crying in the infant.

 

Archives of Disease in Childhood

CMS Puts Away the Carrot and Brandishes the Stick

Guest Blog by Kathy McCoy 

 

With all of the challenges of attesting for Meaningful Use Stage 2 in 2014, many providers are talking about opting out of the program entirely. That is a decision that every provider needs to make for him- or herself, but be sure you are making an informed decision about Meaningful Use and other CMS programs, knowing how this will impact your future practice income. 

 

Read More>> 

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 Adolescent Neck and Shoulder Pain. 

 

Neck and shoulder pain in adolescents is common; multiple etiological factors appear to be involved.

 

Data from a population based study examined the relationships between the frequency of pain during the previous six months and physical activity, symptoms of depression and screen-based activities.

 

20% of adolescents report frequent neck and shoulder pain (girls more often than boys) with depressive symptoms being the strongest risk factor. Physical activity appears protective, while screen-based activities slightly increase risk.

Video Feature (via YouTube)  

Etiology of Pain:  Is there a Pain Gene?
Etiology of Pain: Is there a Pain Gene?

Role of admission gas exchange measurements in predicting congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) survival. 

 

Data from the first 48 hours of 119 CDH patients, 74% of whom survived, indicates that mean admission pCo2 is significantly higher (>80mm Hg), preductal O2 saturation lower (<85%) and a combination of both predicts a high mortality (91%). Within hours of "gentle ventilation" treatment the arterial gas differences between non survivors and survivors disappears.

 

Journal of Pediatric Surgery

Clinical & laboratory indices of severe renal lesions in children with febrile urinary tract infections (UTI).  

 

A retrospective medical record study of 148 children admitted with a first episode of a febrile UTI, indicates (following clinical, laboratory and acute dimercaptosuccinic acid scintography-DMSA) that "shivering", elevated white blood count (>18,000/μL), absolute neutrophil count (9300/μL) and an elevated C-reactive protein (>50/mg/L)/procalcitonin level (>1.64ng/mL) are indicative of significant (DMSA grade 3 and 4) acute parenchymal damage.

 

Acta Paediatrica

Pertussis is still common in a highly vaccinated infant population.

 

Analysis of discharge data from 279 children (75% infants) hospitalized with a diagnosis of pertussis in Tuscany, Italy between 2,000 to December 2,012, indicates that while hospitalization rates decreased during the time period examined, overall hospitalization rates in infants remained high.

 

"Pertussis remains a relevant health concern for infants who are unvaccinated or incompletely immunized, both in terms of morbidity and mortality".

 

Acta Paediatrica

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