Urinary tract infections are the most frequent source of occult and serious bacterial infections in children 2-24 months of age. UTI should be considered in children 2-24 months old who present with a fever (temperature 100.4° F) and unknown source of infection. The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new guidelines for diagnosis, treatment,... »

Pneumonia is the single most common cause of death in children worldwide, with more than 2 million children younger than 5 years dying of pneumonia annually. In the United States, 525 children younger than 15 years died as a result of pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections in 2006.

Updated guidelines from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases... »

The American Psychiatric Association’s guidelines on treatment of major depression emphasize a well-coordinated approach to the treatment of depression. They call for physicians to establish a therapeutic relationship; evaluate functional impairment; decide between pharmacologic treatments, psychotherapy, or both; identify the patient’s treatment... »

More than 75% of patients older than 75 years have hypertension. In older individuals, hypertension is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease remains the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly.

New data, particularly the HYVET trial (N. Engl. J. Med. 2008;358:1887-98), have led to a... »

Tonsillectomy is the second-most common surgical procedure in children, with more than 500,000 tonsillectomies performed annually in the United States. The two most common indications are recurrent throat infections and sleep disordered breathing, both of which can decrease a child’s quality of life.

A new evidence-based guideline published earlier... »

Food allergy is defined as an immune-mediated adverse health reaction that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food. More than 12 million people in the United States have food allergies, which account for 30,000 emergency department visits and more than 100 deaths annually.

Food allergy (FA) is estimated to affect approximately 5% of children,... »

Oral contraceptives are prescribed daily, yet emergency contraception options often are overlooked. Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy after an unprotected or inadequately protected act of sexual intercourse. An open, informative conversation is an important way to increase awareness and knowledge to avoid unintended... »