An unusual outbreak of dermatitis due to rodent mite infestation in an acute-care hospital.

We report an outbreak of dermatitis associated with Ornithonysus bacoti and Liponyssoides sanguineus infestation in an acute ambulatory care setting. Healthcare workers developed dermatitis prior to the identification of the outbreak. A collaborative team effort resulted in complete eradication.

A ballroom dance classroom program promotes moderate to vigorous physical activity in elementary school children.

PURPOSE: To determine if an existing ballroom dance classroom program meets national recommendations to engage children in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for ≥50% of class time and to determine class effects on body mass index (BMI). DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. Setting . Two New York City public schools. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-nine fourth and fifth grade students. MEASUREMENTS: The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and direct heart rate monitoring were used to determine participants' MVPA levels during class time. Weight and height were measured to calculate BMI. ANALYSIS: Means were calculated for continuous variables; frequency counts and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Change in BMI percentiles was assessed by using Bhapkar's χ(2) test of overall marginal homogeneity. RESULTS: Data from SOFIT observations showed that a mean of 50.0% and 67.0% of class time in the first and second halves of the program, respectively, were spent in MVPA. Data from the heart rate monitoring revealed that 71.1% of students were at ≥25% heart rate reserve, which indicated MVPA for ≥50% of class time. Improvement was seen in BMI percentile (p= .051). CONCLUSION: Ballroom dance provides MVPA in elementary school children for ≥50% of class time and has a positive impact on BMI percentiles.

Effect of recent antipyretic use on measured fever in the pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of recent antipyretic use among febrile infants at a pediatric emergency department (ED) and to test the hypothesis that recent antipyretic use is associated with lower measured temperatures in the ED. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled infants younger than 366 days at a pediatric ED. Eligible subjects had a history of fever prior to arrival at the ED or had a measured temperature of 38 degrees C or higher at the ED. Research assistants collected detailed information about recent use of antipyretic drugs. Peak measured temperature prior to arrival at the ED (temperature maximum [Tmax]), measured temperature at the ED, defervescence from Tmax to measured ED temperature, and rates of diagnostic testing were compared between subjects who had or had not been treated with antipyretic medication within the past 6 hours. RESULTS: We enrolled 474 infants. Infants treated with an antipyretic medication (n = 187) had a significantly higher Tmax and a significantly higher measured ED temperature than untreated subjects (n = 287) (P<.001). Treated and untreated subjects did not differ in the amount of defervescence from Tmax to measured ED temperature (P = .41) unless treated subjects included only those who reportedly received therapeutic doses of antipyretic medication within 1 to 5 hours prior to arrival at the ED (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Although many febrile infants seen in the pediatric ED have recently received antipyretics, only a few have received a therapeutic dose between 1 and 5 hours prior to arrival. Among febrile infants seen in the ED, recent antipyretic use is associated both with a higher reported Tmax and with higher measured temperatures at the ED. Patients treated with a therapeutic antipyretic dose 1 to 5 hours prior to arrival experience more defervescence from their Tmax than untreated subjects.