The 2017-18 U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings were released this morning, and Boston Children’s Hospital has been named the #1 children’s hospital in the nation.
The U.S. News rankings are about more than just reputation. They’re based on four key elements — reputation, patient outcomes, patient safety and care-related factors such as the amount of nurse staffing and the breadth of patient services. They rely most heavily on outcomes — in other words, were we able to make a difference? …
Meehan participated in the development of a new policy released in January by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limiting contact in year-round college football practice. He says, these regulations “should translate to a decreased incidence of concussion.” …
For parents of children with severe allergies, keeping our kids safe in the event of an allergic reaction is a priority. We rid our houses of allergens, we write detailed allergy plans for caretakers and we stock up on Epinephrine, the medication that will save our kids if they ever experience anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine auto-injectors are expensive, they expire every year even if unused, and we have to purchase multiples for home, school, and elsewhere. Which is why we’re thrilled that CVS now offers a generic Epinephrine auto-injector for $109.99 per two-pack — that’s about a sixth of the cost of Epi-pen and a third of the cost of Mylan’s generic version.
Before heading out to CVS to stock up, we checked in with Dr. John Lee, clinical director of the Food Allergy Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. “This new Epinephrine auto-injector from CVS can be used safely for anaphylaxis,” assures Dr. Lee. “It provides the same medication and the same dosing as the Epi-pen,” though he warns the mechanisms differ. He urges anyone caring for a child with a life-threatening allergy to be trained on how to use each brand.
Above all, Dr. Lee insists caretakers carry an Epinephrine auto-injector at all times — “no matter which one it is,” he emphasizes.
Bright colors and interesting shapes make some cleaners appealing to children. But these products can be deadly if swallowed.
A recent study, published in the American Academy of Pediatrics, says childhood exposure to the brightly colored packets jumped 17 percent from 2013 to 2014.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Poison Data System for children under age 6 and found 62,254 reported pediatric exposures to dishwasher or laundry detergents, of which over 21,00 (35.4 percent) were laundry detergent packets and approximately 15,000 (24.2 percent) were dishwasher detergent packets.
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a laundry pods soft and colorful exterior can easily be mistaken by a child as candy, toys, or a teething product and once mixed with saliva, the packets dissolve quickly and release the highly concentrated toxic liquid. If a child ingests a highly concentrated single-load liquid laundry packets, she will experience excessive vomiting, wheezing, gasping, sleepiness and difficulties breathing.
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