Rumor has it: CEO gender and response to organizational denials.

The ambiguous credibility of online allegations can pose a significant threat to an organization's reputation, relationships with stakeholders, and future performance. As a result, addressing false or misleading allegations has emerged as an important priority among corporate executives. In this research, we examine how CEO gender influences the effectiveness of different types of denial responses in the wake of rumor crises. We find that, after reading damaging allegations about an organization, consumers react more favorably to denials issued by male versus female CEOs. We argue that this is attributable to the dominance that characterizes denial responses, which results in a greater (negative) expectancy violation for female (vs. male) CEOs issuing such statements. Such violations result in lower trust in, and less willingness to do business with, organizations led by women (vs. men) who issue a denial response. We show that these relationships are moderated by increased prescriptive agency (i.e., clarified denials) and the attribution of the response (i.e., to the CEO vs. organization). Taken together, our findings have implications for theory on agentic characteristics, crisis communication, and female leadership, as well as practical implications for how all organizations can adopt more effective crisis responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Infectious profiles in civilian gunshot associated long bone fractures.

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of literature on infections in civilian gunshot associated with long bone fractures with the reported rates ranging from 0-15.7%.This study aimed to investigate the rates of infection associated with long bone fractures caused by civilian gunshots. The specific objectives were to determine if certain extremities were at a higher risk for infection and to identify the types of bacteria present in these infections by analyzing culture isolates. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of consecutive patients aged 18-64 who sustained gunshot-associated long bone fractures at an urban Level I trauma centre from 2010 to 2017. Patient selection was based done through a institutional trauma centre database using international classification of diseases (ICD) 9 and 10 codes. We included patients who underwent surgical treatment, specifically fracture fixation, at our institution and excluded patients with fractures involving the pelvis, spine, foot, and hand. A total of 384 gunshot-associated long bone fractures in 347 patients were identified for analysis. Relevant patient-, injury-, and treatment-related variables were extracted from clinical records and radiographic reviews. Outcomes of interest included bony union, repeat operative procedures, and the development of deep infection. RESULTS: 347 patients with 384 long bone fractures were included. 32 fractures in 32 patients developed an infection for an incidence of 9.3% of patients and 8.3% of fractures. Gram-positive bacteria were present in 23/32 (72.0%) culture isolates, gram-negative bacteria in 10/32 (31.3%) culture isolates, and six infections were polymicrobial. Staphylococcus 16/32 (50.0%) and Enterobacter 6/32 (18.8%) species were the most common isolates. Of the Staphylococcus species, 5/16 (31.3%) were MRSA. Lower extremity fractures had a greater risk for infection compared to the upper extremity (11.7% vs 3.7% p < 0.01) and fractures that developed an infection had a larger average zone of comminution (63.9 mm vs 48.5 mm p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study investigated the rates of infection associated with long bone fractures caused by civilian gunshots. The overall infection rate observed in our series aligns with existing literature. Gram-positive bacteria were the predominant isolates, with a notable incidence of MRSA in our patient population, highlighting the need for considering empiric coverage. Additionally, gram-negative organisms were found in a significant proportion of infections, and a notable percentage of infections were polymicrobial. Our findings emphasize the importance of carefully assessing highly comminuted lower extremity fractures and implementing appropriate antibiotic coverage and operative debridement for patients with gunshot-related long bone fractures. While current prophylaxis algorithms for open fractures lack specific inclusion of gunshot wounds, we propose incorporating these injuries to reduce the incidence of infections associated with such fractures.

Acute Compartment Syndrome in Pediatric Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support.

BACKGROUND: When acute compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs in pediatric patients requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygen (VA ECMO) support, there is little data to guide surgeons on appropriate management. The purpose of this study is to characterize the presentation, diagnosis, timeline, and outcomes of patients who developed this complication. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective case series of children below 19 years old on VA ECMO support who subsequently developed extremity ACS between January 2016 and December 2022. Outcomes included fasciotomy findings, amputation, mortality, and documented function at the last follow-up. RESULTS: Of 343 patients on VA ECMO support, 18 (5.2%) were diagnosed with ACS a median 29 hours after starting ECMO. Initial cannulation sites included 8 femoral, 6 neck, and 4 central. Femoral artery cannulation was associated with an increased risk of ACS [odds ratio=6.0 (CI: 2.2 to 15), P <0.0001]. In the hospital, the mortality rate was 56% (10/18). Fourteen (78%) patients received fasciotomies a median of 1.2 hours after ACS diagnosis. Only 4 (29%) patients had all healthy muscles at initial fasciotomy, while 9 (64%) had poor muscular findings in at least 1 compartment. Patients with worse findings at fasciotomy had a significantly longer duration between ischemia onset and ACS diagnosis. Patients required a median of 1.5 additional procedures after fasciotomy, and only 1 (7%) developed a surgical site infection. Of the 7 surviving fasciotomy patients, 2 required amputations, 3 developed an equinus contracture, 1 developed foot drop, and 3 had no ACS-related deficits. Four patients did not receive fasciotomies: 3 were deemed too ill and later died, and 1 was diagnosed too late to benefit. The only surviving nonfasciotomy patient required bilateral amputations. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric ECMO-associated ACS is not exclusive to patients with femoral artery cannulation. The majority of fasciotomy patients were diagnosed with ACS after muscle necrosis had already started. We were unable to definitively conclude whether fasciotomies provide better outcomes. There is a need for increased awareness and earlier recognition of this rare yet potentially devastating complication. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-retrospective case series.

Presentation, treatment, and outcomes of unifocal and multifocal osseous vertebral Langerhans cell histiocytosis lesions in patients under 18 years old.

This study aims to (1) clinically and radiographically characterize a series of unifocal (single-system single-site) and multifocal (single-system multiple-site) langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) lesions in the vertebra and (2) determine the success and recurrence rates with different treatment modalities in a pediatric population at a tertiary children's hospital. Patients younger than 18 years old with a diagnosis of LCH before 1 June 2021 at our institution were reviewed. The inclusion criteria were a unifocal or multifocal vertebral lesion without systemic disease. Clinical presentations, lesion sites, radiographic findings, treatments, complications, recurrence rates, and length of follow-up were reviewed and recorded. Thirty-nine patients had unifocal (36%) or multifocal (64%) vertebral lesions. 44% of patients had vertebral lesions only. The most common clinical presentation was neck or back pain (51%) and difficulty or inability to ambulate (15%). 70 vertebrae were involved in total; 59% cervical, 62% thoracic, 49% lumbar, and 10% sacral. 88% of multifocal patients underwent chemotherapy compared to 60% of unifocal patients. The recurrence rate in the entire cohort was 10%. The median length of follow-up was 5.2 years (0.6-16.8). Chemotherapy is often utilized as a treatment for vertebral LCH lesions regardless of unifocal or multifocal osseous presentation, with good outcomes and low recurrence rates. However other treatments such as observation only and steroid injections may be a better option with smaller and less widespread lesions due to side effects and length of treatment with chemotherapy. Determination of more invasive treatments including surgical excision or fixation will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Level of evidence: IV.

Treatment and Outcomes of Unifocal and Multifocal Osseous Pelvic Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Lesions in a Pediatric Population.

Introduction Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare, clonal disorder characterized by proliferation and tissue infiltration by myeloid dendritic cells, most commonly occurring in pediatric populations. It often manifests as skeletal lesions with possible pelvic involvement. Few studies have characterized and reviewed outcomes after treatment of isolated pelvic LCH lesions. Methods A retrospective single-institution review was conducted on diagnoses of patients younger than 18 with a diagnosis of unifocal or multifocal skeletal LCH lesions involving the pelvis. Clinical presentations, lesion sites, focal classification, radiographic findings, treatments, complications, and recurrence rates were reviewed. Results Twenty patients had unifocal or multifocal LCH pelvic lesions (11 males, nine females). The median age at diagnosis was 3.5 years (0.8-21.6). Eight cases (40%) involved unifocal lesions, and twelve (60%) involved multifocal lesions, with the most common associated skeletal disease occurring at the ilium. 100% of cases had a lytic bone lesion with no pathologic fractures. All cases were treated nonoperatively with chemotherapy medications, corticosteroids, or observation alone. 75% of cases were treated with chemotherapy with a 100% resolution rate. The median length of follow-up was 4.5 years (0.4-16.7).  Conclusion Our study found that chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy with corticosteroid supplementation are appropriate options for unifocal pelvic LCH lesions. In contrast, pelvic lesions that are part of a multifocal presentation may be managed adequately with varied chemotherapy regimens. Corticosteroid therapy and observation alone may also be reasonable for a single organ system, multifocal, skeletal lesions that are anatomically accessible for biopsy and small in number or size.

Choosing sides: CEO gender and investor support for activist campaigns.

Recent evidence suggests that female-led firms are more likely to be targeted by activist investors. We examine how Chief Executive Officer (CEO) gender influences retail investors' responses to proxy contests. We find that these investors are more likely to support-through their proxy voting behavior-campaigns that target female-led versus male-led firms, despite the fact that retail investors evaluate female and male CEOs similarly. We show that this apparent discrepancy is a function of how subjective ratings mask stereotype-influenced judgments, consistent with the shifting standards model (SSM). Respondents use lower standards to evaluate female versus male CEOs. This difference becomes apparent when externally-anchored judgments are employed, such as when investors are asked to choose sides in a proxy contest. Correspondingly, activists are judged as relatively more competent when targeting female-led firms. Our findings contribute to research on CEO gender and activism. In doing so, our research also introduces the SSM to the investor decision-making literature, thereby enriching the discussion about what mechanisms underpin the less favorable investment outcomes female-led firms can experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

PLASMA SEPARATOR TUBES DO NOT HAVE ANY OVERT EFFECTS ON ROUTINE PLASMA CHEMISTRY DATA OF GREEN SEA TURTLES (CHELONIA MYDAS).

Plasma separator tubes (PSTs) are a variant of lithium heparin blood tube containing a polymer gel, which, when centrifuged, creates a physical barrier between plasma and blood cells. Their use is common in laboratory procedures of reptilian species. This study aimed to determine whether the use of plasma separator tubes impacts plasma biochemistry data in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) at time of collection and after 24 hr of contact time with the separator gel after centrifugation at refrigerator temperature. A single blood sample was collected from 42 rehabilitating green sea turtles at the Sea Turtle Healing Center, Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, Florida, USA and divided into one lithium heparin tube [LHT (0 hr)] and two PSTs. After immediate centrifugation of all three tubes, plasma was transferred from the LHT (0 hr) and one PST (0 hr) into tubes without additive. The plasma was left in contact with the separator gel in the second PST (24 hr). After 24 hr of refrigeration, all three plasma aliquots were analyzed for the following 23 analytes: sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, total protein, albumin, globulin (calculated), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, triglyceride, and cholesterol. No statistically significant differences were found for any biochemical analytes between LHT (0 hr), PST (0 hr), and PST (24 hr). The use of PST does not appear to impact routine plasma biochemical analytes in green sea turtles and analytes appear stable in refrigerated plasma for up to 24 hr after centrifugation when using PSTs.

Selecting, implementing and evaluating patient-reported outcome measures for routine clinical use in cancer: the Cancer Care Ontario approach.

BACKGROUND: The use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in routine clinical care can help ensure symptoms are identified, acknowledged and addressed. In 2007, the provincial cancer agency, Cancer Care Ontario, began to implement routine symptom screening with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) for ambulatory cancer patients. Having had a decade of experience with ESAS, the program developed a strategic interest in implementing new and/or additional measures. This article describes the development of a streamlined PROM selection and implementation evaluation process with core considerations. METHODS: Development of the PROM selection and implementation evaluation process involved analysis of quantitative and qualitative data as well as consensus building through a multi-stakeholder workshop. Core PROM selection considerations were developed through a literature scan, review and refinement by a panel of methodological experts and patient advisors, and testing via a test case. Core PROM implementation evaluation considerations were developed through analysis of PROM evaluation frameworks, and review and refinement by a committee of provincial implementation leads. RESULTS: Core PROM selection considerations were identified under three overarching themes: symptom coverage, usability and psychometric properties. The symptom coverage category assesses each PROM to determine how well the PROM items address the most prevalent and burdensome symptoms in the target patient population. The usability category aims to assess each measure on characteristics key to successful implementation in the clinical setting. The psychometric properties category assesses each PROM to ensure the data collected is credible, meaningful and interpretable. A scoring system was developed to rate PROM performance by assigning a grade of "weak", "average" or "good" for each category. The process results in a summary matrix which illustrates the overall assessment of each PROM. Implementation evaluation considerations were identified under three overarching concepts: acceptability, outcomes, and sustainability. A consensus building exercise resulted in the further identification of patient, provider, and clinic specific indicators for each consideration. CONCLUSION: To address the need for a systematic, evidence-based approach to selection, implementation and evaluation of PROMs in the clinical setting, Cancer Care Ontario defined a process with embedded core considerations to facilitate decision-making and encourage standardization.

Red blood cell osmotic fragility in healthy loggerhead and green sea turtles.

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta; Cc) and green sea (Chelonia mydas; Cm) turtles admitted to rehabilitation facilities may require blood transfusions for supportive treatment of disorders resulting in life-threatening anemia, but, considering the unique erythrocyte chemistry of sea turtles, standardized donor red blood cell (RBC) storage protocols have not been established. Prolonged cold storage and the effects of various anticoagulant-preservative solutions have been associated with increased RBC osmotic fragility across a broad range of species. Increased RBC fragility in stored RBC products has been associated with acute transfusion reactions. The osmotic fragility test is used to measure erythrocyte resistance to hemolysis while being exposed to a series of dilutions of a saline solution. We obtained baseline measurements for osmotic fragility in healthy Cc and Cm. Osmotic fragility testing was performed on samples from 10 Cc to 10 Cm. Fifty percent (50%) RBC hemolysis was identified at a mean NaCl concentration of 0.38% in both species. Results of our study will help guide future studies evaluating optimal storage solutions for sea turtle blood products.

A Case of an Aggressive Intraosseous Arteriovenous Malformation in the Lower Extremity: Special Considerations for Diagnosis and Management.

BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare, congenital vascular anomalies. Intraosseous AVMS most frequently arise in the head and neck, with only a small fraction occurring in the extremities. Herein, we report the findings of a combined soft tissue and intraosseous AVM involving the lower extremity of a 13-year-old child. This case highlights the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach for the effective treatment and management of these rare vascular anomalies. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 13-year-old female presented with a 4-year history of intermittent pain and swelling over her right lateral malleolus. The patient was evaluated with radiologic imaging revealing an AVM involving the right distal leg, ankle, and hindfoot with intraosseous involvement of the distal tibia and talus. She was then referred to Vascular and Plastic Surgery and an angiogram was performed demonstrating shunting from the anterior tibial, peroneal, and posterior tibial arteries to the AVM. Venous drainage was to the anterior tibial and greater saphenous veins. Three embolizations were performed over the course of 6 months. Following the third embolization, the patient was taken to the operating room where Plastic and Orthopedic Surgery performed total resection of the nidus and involved bone which was then grafted with injectable synthetic bone graft. RESULTS: Successful resection of the nidus was achieved, and the patient had an uncomplicated recovery. Within 6 months postoperatively, the patient demonstrated full range of lower extremity motion and was able to participate in age appropriate gross motor activities. Radiologic evaluation 7 months postoperatively showed no evidence of nidus recurrence. CONCLUSION: Intraosseous involvement of AVMS is rare and presents a therapeutic challenge due to its invasive potential and high incidence of recurrence. Wide local excision with bone grafting and interdisciplinary management are paramount for complete resection.

Personalized symptom management: a quality improvement collaborative for implementation of patient reported outcomes (PROs) in 'real-world' oncology multisite practices.

BACKGROUND: Little research has focused on implementation of electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (e-PROs) for meaningful use in patient management in 'real-world' oncology practices. Our quality improvement collaborative used multi-faceted implementation strategies including audit and feedback, disease-site champions and practice coaching, core training of clinicians in a person-centered clinical method for use of e-PROs in shared treatment planning and patient activation, ongoing educational outreach and shared collaborative learnings to facilitate integration of e-PROs data in multi-sites in Ontario and Quebec, Canada for personalized management of generic and targeted symptoms of pain, fatigue, and emotional distress (depression, anxiety). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative data) program evaluation design to assess process/implementation outcomes including e-PROs completion rates, acceptability/use from the perspective of patients/clinicians, and patient experience (surveys, qualitative focus groups). We secondarily explored impact on symptom severity, patient activation and healthcare utilization (Ontario sites only) comparing a pre/post population cohort not exposed/exposed to our implementation intervention using Mann Whitney U tests. We hypothesized that the iPEHOC intervention would result in a reduction in symptom severity, healthcare utilization, and higher patient activation. We also identified key implementation strategies that sites perceived as most valuable to uptake and any barriers. RESULTS: Over 6000 patients completed e-PROs, with sites reaching 51%-95% population completion rates depending on initial readiness. e-PROs were acceptable to patients for communicating symptoms (76%) and by clinicians for treatment planning (80%). Patient experience was better than the provincial average. Compared to the pre-population, we observed a significant reduction in levels of anxiety (p = 0.008), higher levels of patient activation (p = 0.045), and reduced hospitalization rates (12.3% not exposed vs 10.1% exposed, p = 0.034). A pre/post population trend towards significance for reduced emergency department visit rates (14.8% not exposed vs 12.8% exposed, p = 0.081) was also noted. CONCLUSION: This large-scale pragmatic quality improvement project demonstrates the impact of implementation strategies and a collaborative improvement approach on acceptability of using PROs in clinical practice and their potential for reducing anxiety and healthcare utilization; and improving patient experience and patient activation when implemented in 'real-world' multi-site oncology practices.

To be or not to be sorry? How CEO gender impacts the effectiveness of organizational apologies.

We examine whether consumer reactions to a product failure are affected by the gender of the CEO to whom the organization's postfailure communications are attributed. We find that CEO gender and response type interact to affect both consumers' perceptions of the organization, and their propensity to purchase from it following a product failure. Specifically, consumers' reactions to unqualified apologies versus other types of accommodative responses do not differ when these responses are attributed to male CEOs. However, unqualified apologies are generally more successful for female CEOs than alternative responses. We show that such differences can be attenuated by increasing perceptions of a female CEO as agentic. We attribute these findings to consumers' perceptions of how fairly they have been treated by an organization in the wake of a failure (i.e., interactional fairness). Our findings contribute to the crisis management literature by demonstrating how personal characteristics can shape the effectiveness of organizations' crisis response strategies, thereby highlighting one implication of CEOs' growing public visibility. In doing so, our findings also advance research on female CEOs and how gender-based expectations may impact organizational outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

How leader gender influences external audience response to organizational failures.

Across 3 studies, we examine how leader gender affects external audiences' reactions to organizational failures, and under what conditions such effects are likely to occur. We find that leader gender and failure type (ethical, competence) interact to affect individuals' perceptions of, and propensity to support, an organization after a failure. People respond more negatively to ethical failures when an organization has a female versus a male leader. In contrast, competence failures generally elicit a less negative response for female-led versus male-led organizations. These effects are mediated by trust in the organization. We also show that these relationships are moderated by factors that influence evaluators' communal perceptions of leaders (e.g., leader descriptions) or their expectations regarding organizational competence (e.g., gender congruence). Our findings contribute to the literatures on female leaders, organizational failures, and the influence of norms on evaluator judgments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

PLASMA COLLOID OSMOTIC PRESSURE IN CHRONICALLY DEBILITATED LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES (CARETTA CARETTA).

Colloid osmotic pressure (COP) is an important component of the forces that manage capillary filtration and is determined by circulating plasma proteins. Patients affected by conditions resulting in hypoproteinemia often suffer severe hemodynamic derangements, including decreased COP. Because chronically debilitated sea turtles (CDT) present with severe hypoproteinemia, the objectives of this study were to 1) determine differences in plasma COP and blood analyte data (packed cell volume [PCV], sodium, chloride, plasma protein fractions) in CDT at admission compared with data from apparently healthy rehabilitated turtles at time of release (HRT) admitted from various stranding causes, and 2) to investigate correlations of COP with these selected blood analytes. COP, PCV, and most plasma protein fractions (excluding pre-albumin and γ-globulins) were significantly lower in CDT upon admission as compared with HRT. Sodium and chloride did not significantly differ between CDT and HRT. A significant increase was observed with PCV and all plasma protein fractions as COP increased. Of all protein fractions tested, albumin contributed the most toward COP (r2 = 0.88, P < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that COP is significantly lower in CDT as compared with HRT, providing insight into the complexity of this critical clinical condition and a small step in advancing the understanding of associated hemodynamic imbalances. Although COP analysis is not readily available as a diagnostic test, this preliminary baseline data suggests that additional research studies are warranted, given the potential for optimization of fluid therapy during rehabilitation of CDT.

Collective satiation: How coexperience accelerates a decline in hedonic judgments.

Individuals often mutually experience a stimulus with a relationship partner or social group (e.g., snacking with friends). Yet, little is currently understood about how a sense of coexperiencing affects hedonic judgments of experiences that unfold over time. Research on the shared attention state has suggested that hedonic judgments are intensified when individuals coexperience a stimulus (vs. experiencing it alone), and other related work has found that the social environment influences hedonic judgments in shared (vs. solo) experiences. Although this past work has focused on judgments of single instances of a stimulus, the present work examines how coexperience affects hedonic judgments of stimuli over time. This work documents the 'collective satiation effect' wherein satiation-a diminished enjoyment of pleasant stimuli with repeated experience-is accelerated by a sense of coexperiencing the stimulus with others. We propose that this happens because shared attention makes the repetitive nature of the experience more salient, by promoting and incorporating thoughts of others also repeatedly having the same shared experience. Five studies document the collective satiation effect, support the proposed mechanism, and show moderators of the effect. Taken together, this research contributes to an understanding of how the social environment influences the experience of hedonic stimuli, which has broad implications for the value individuals place on the time that they spend with others. (PsycINFO Database Record

Motivated reconstruction: The effect of brand commitment on false memories.

Across 5 studies, we examine the effect of prior brand commitment on the creation of false memories about product experience after reading online product reviews. We find that brand commitment and the valence of reviews to which consumers are exposed, interact to affect the incidence of false memories. Thus, highly committed consumers are more susceptible to the creation of false experience memories on exposure to positive versus negative reviews, whereas low commitment consumers exhibit similar levels of false memories in response to both positive and negative reviews. Further, these differences across brand commitment are attenuated when respondents are primed with an accuracy motivation, suggesting that the biasing effects of commitment are likely because of the motivation to defend the committed brand. Finally, we find that differences in false memories subsequently lead to differences in intentions to spread word-of-mouth (e.g., recommend the product to friends), suggesting that the consequences of false product experience memories can be significant for marketers and consumers. Our findings contribute to the literatures in false memory and marketing by documenting a motivated bias in false memories because of brand commitment. (PsycINFO Database Record

Pediatric Septic Arthritis.

Acute septic arthritis is a condition with the potential for joint destruction, physeal damage, and osteonecrosis, which warrants urgent identification and treatment. The organism most frequently responsible is Staphylococcus aureus; however, our understanding of pathogens continues to evolve as detection methods continue to improve. MRI has improved our ability to detect concurrent infections and is a useful clinical tool where available. The treatment course involves intravenous antibiotics followed by transition to oral antibiotics when clinically appropriate. The recommended surgical treatment of septic arthritis is open arthrotomy with decompression of the joint, irrigation, and debridement and treatment of concurrent infections.

Pediatric osteoarticular infection update.

Musculoskeletal infections are a common cause of morbidity in children. A multitude of studies over the past few years have improved our knowledge and understanding of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. Staphylococcus aureus continues to be the most common pathogen; however, new and innovative organism identification techniques are improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and increasing the identification of other less common organisms. Improved capability for patient assessment with a combination of advanced imaging studies and timely laboratory tests allow for a more thorough understanding of the disease process and more efficient patient care.