Patterned Bruises From Abusive Squeezing.

Bruising is the most common presentation of child physical abuse. Many patterns of abusive bruising result in positive or negative imprints of the implement used (eg, fingertips in "grab mark" contusions or hand in slap injury). However, bruising may also form along the lines of greatest anatomical stress (eg, gluteal cleft or pinna bruising).

Occult drug exposure in young children evaluated for physical abuse: An opportunity for intervention.

Background: Although screening for drug exposure is an important consideration in the evaluation of suspected child maltreatment, limited data are available on the frequency of drug exposure in children with suspected physical abuse.

Objective: To examine occult drug and pharmaceutical exposure in young children with suspected physical abuse.

Participants And Setting: Children ages 2 weeks -59 months evaluated for physical abuse by a tertiary referral center Child Protection Team.

Evaluation of a Tool to Identify Child Sex Trafficking Victims in Multiple Healthcare Settings.

Purpose: Estimate the prevalence of child sex trafficking (CST) among patients seeking care in multiple healthcare settings; evaluate a short screening tool to identify victims in a healthcare setting.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study involved patients from 16 sites throughout the U.S.

The Intersection of Medical Child Abuse and Medical Complexity.

Children with medical complexity and victims of medical child abuse may have similar clinical presentations. Atypical or unexplained signs and symptoms due to rare diseases may lead providers to suspect medical child abuse when not present. Conversely, medical child abuse may be the cause of or coexist with medical complexity.

Sentinel injuries: subtle findings of physical abuse.

Injuries, other than abrasions, are rare in precruising infants. In this population, a history or observation of a sentinel skin injury, intraoral injury, or musculoskeletal injury without a plausible explanation, is concerning for physical abuse. A precruising infant with a sentinel injury should be medically evaluated for occult injury and predisposing medical conditions, as well as reported to authorities for further investigation.

Staphylococcal infection mimicking child abuse: what is the differential diagnosis and appropriate evaluation?

Twins with similar skin lesions are described. Although initially concerning for nonaccidental burn injury, further evaluation led to the diagnosis of bullous impetigo caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Thoughtful assessment is important in such cases to protect the child and prevent misdiagnosis.