Eight-year outcome of implementation of abusive head trauma prevention.

Low incidence rates and economic recession have hampered interpretation of educational prevention efforts to reduce abusive head trauma (AHT). Our objective was to determine whether the British Columbia experience implementing a province-wide prevention program reduced AHT hospitalization rates. A 3-dose primary, universal education program (the Period of PURPLE Crying) was implemented through maternal and public health units and assessed by retrospective-prospective surveillance.

The medical assessment of fractures in suspected child maltreatment: Infants and young children with skeletal injury.

Fractures are common injuries in childhood. While most fractures are caused by accidental trauma, inflicted trauma (maltreatment) is a serious and potentially unrecognized cause of fractures, particularly in infants and young children. This practice point identifies the clinical features that prompt concern for inflicted skeletal injury and outlines a management approach based on current literature and published guidelines, including the clinician's duty to report suspicion of child abuse to child welfare authorities.

Single-dose oral dexamethasone in the emergency management of children with exacerbations of mild to moderate asthma.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a single dose of oral dexamethasone (Dex) versus 5 days of twice-daily prednisolone (Pred) in the management of mild to moderate asthma exacerbations in children.

Study Design: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial of children 2 to 16 years of age who presented to the emergency department (ED) with acute mild to moderate asthma exacerbations. Subjects received single-dose oral Dex (0.