Validity of university students' self-reported vaccination status after a meningococcal B outbreak.

After an outbreak of meningococcal B (MenB) disease at a university, we surveyed students regarding their vaccination status 2 months and 20 months after campus-led vaccination campaigns and compared students' self-report to vaccination records. Nearly all participants accurately reported the number of vaccine doses at both visits. Among those who received two doses of the vaccine, accurate recall of the timing of MenB vaccination was 85.

Increasing influenza immunization rates among healthcare providers in an ambulatory-based, University Healthcare Setting☆.

Objective: Despite its 'best practice' status as an intervention to combat healthcare-related influenza, many healthcare personnel (HCP) do not seek vaccinations themselves. The objective of this study was to achieve the Healthy People [HP] 2020's influenza vaccination goal of 90% among our HCP.

Design: The study utilized the model for improvement, consisting of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.

Motivational interviewing in paediatric residency.

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, evidence-based, person-centred counselling style for addressing ambivalence about behaviour change. Despite its proven effectiveness, there is little formal instruction of MI in paediatric training programmes.

Methods: Second-year paediatric residents participated in a 4-hour MI workshop, followed by a 1-hour small group review course and hands-on supervision during their Adolescent Medicine rotation.

Participant- and study-related characteristics predicting treatment completion and study retention in an adolescent smoking cessation trial.

Purpose: To determine which factors predict smoking cessation treatment completion and retention among adolescents.

Methods: In a multisite, randomized, controlled trial, the efficacy of motivational interviewing was compared with structured brief advice for smoking cessation and reduction in adolescents (n = 355) aged 14-18 years (55% female, 45% black, 12% Hispanic). Treatment spanned 12 weeks, with follow-up assessments at 24 weeks.

Validity of reported varicella history as a marker for varicella zoster virus immunity among unvaccinated children, adolescents, and young adults in the post-vaccine licensure era.

Objectives: We assessed the validity of reported varicella history as a marker for varicella zoster virus immunity among unvaccinated persons 1 to 29 years of age, and we examined varicella disease characteristics associated with varicella zoster virus immunity among those reporting positive histories.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at 7 community-based sites in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between June 2004 and May 2006 and recruited 1476 participants 1 to 29 years of age who had not been vaccinated against varicella. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were determined by comparing self-reported or parent-reported varicella histories from a standardized study interview with varicella zoster virus immunoglobulin G serological results for each participant.

Prevalence of tubo-ovarian abscess in adolescents diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease in a pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: The rate of tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) in adolescents with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is reported to range from 17% to 20%. However, no reports have focused specifically on the adolescent patient presenting to the emergency department (ED), regardless of whether they are treated in the inpatient or outpatient setting. Recent changes in the 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines for the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and sexually transmitted infection screening programs are likely to have impacted both the prevalence of PID and the rates of its complications, particularly TOA.