Childhood fever education in a military population: is education enough?

PURPOSE: Parental knowledge of childhood fever and clinic and emergency room utilization were studied in a military pediatric clinic population to determine if intervention would improve parental understanding and management of childhood fever. METHODS: Multiple choice tests evaluating childhood fever knowledge were given to control and intervention groups. Clinic and emergency room utilization were tracked for appropriateness of visits based on criteria used in previous similar studies. RESULTS: Initial test scores showed no difference between the two groups. Subsequent test scores revealed a difference between the two groups as reflected by improved test scores. Evaluation of clinic and emergency room utilization of the groups did not show an overall improvement except in one subgroup analyzed. CONCLUSION: Intervention improved parental knowledge; however, intervention did not translate into anticipated improvement in clinic and emergency room utilization patterns. Emphasis on education and preventative services are important in both civilian and military pediatric practice. Results of this study highlight the need to discuss and reinforce fever education as a topic in pediatric preventive health care visits.

Complete spectrum of the varicella congenital defects syndrome in 5-year-old child.

Chickenpox in the pregnant woman occasionally leads to infection and teratogenesis of the early to midgestational embryo. We describe the developmental assessment and clinical management of a 5-year-old girl with classic varicella congenital defects syndrome. This patient is unique with respect to (1) a generally favorable outcome in spite of the severity of her anomalies involving the eyes, limbs and skin, (2) a completely normal evaluation of her immunologic status and (3) a serologically documented herpes zoster infection at age 41 months.