Effect of State Legislation on Opioid Prescribing Practices After Surgery at a Pediatric Hospital.

Objective: As abuse of prescription narcotics continues to create a growing healthcare crisis throughout the United States, states have passed legislation designed to alter narcotic prescribing habits. West Virginia State Bill 273 limited the quantity of narcotics practitioners were able to prescribe. Our objective was to determine the effect of this bill on narcotic prescribing practices for pediatric surgical patients.

Pharmacist-Led Model to Reduce Hospital Readmissions in Medically Complex Children.

This pilot study investigated the feasibility and effect on health care utilization of medically complex children participating in a pharmacist-led model for care coordination. Quality of life and satisfaction with care were secondarily assessed for each patient. Four medically complex children were enrolled and contacted by the pharmacist weekly for 5 consecutive months.

Bullous Henoch-Schönlein purpura in children.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic vasculitis that is common in the pediatric population and often presents with the classical triad of palpable purpura, arthralgia, and abdominal pain. We describe a case of HSP in a 14-year-old adolescent girl who presented with atypical features of painful hemorrhagic bullae. The patient was treated with high-dose steroids, dapsone, and supportive therapy with remarkable improvement.