Newborn females are significantly less likely to receive intramuscular vitamin K prophylaxis and slightly less likely to receive the hepatitis B vaccine than newborn males, according to retrospective cohort study data.
Findings published in JAMA Network Open from three centers in the University of Pennsylvania health system showed that overall parental decline of both vitamin K prophylaxis and the HBV vaccine has increased since 2018.
“This is something that we’re seeing in Philadelphia,” Sarah A. Coggins, MD, MSCE, a neonatologist at Pennsylvania Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Cholesterol screening in children may serve as an opportunity to not only detect familial hypercholesterolemia early, but to prevent future cardiovascular disease burden, a speaker reported.
At the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention, Amy Peterson, MD, MS, professor of pediatric cardiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, discussed the future health implications of high cholesterol during childhood, current screening practices and LDL targets in children with elevated LDL or heterozygous FH (HeFH).

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part Healio Dermatology back-to-school skin series, where experts discuss common adolescent skin conditions, treatments and trends.
For many teenagers, back-to-school season can also mean back-to-school breakouts and a brand-new skin care routine.
From stubborn pimples to deep cysts, managing acne along with the stressors of adolescent academics can be challenging. The active role of social media in teenagers’ lives may also complicate professional, dermatology-led acne care for this population.
Healio spoke with John Barbieri, MD, MBA, FAAD, director

Two-thirds of a group of adults with intermediate-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma had excellent response to treatment with surgery alone and no radioactive iodine therapy, according to findings published in Clinical Endocrinology.
In a single-center retrospective cohort study, researchers assessed outcomes among adults who underwent total thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy and did not receive radioactive iodine after surgery based on a range of clinical data. The entire study group had an excellent or indeterminate response to treatment, and no recurrences of cancer occurred during follow-up.

The addition of a novel form of focused ultrasound to standard FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy may improve outcomes for certain patients with pancreatic cancer, according to results of an exploratory phase 2 trial.
The combination appeared associated with a higher response rate, longer survival and greater eligibility for surgery among patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced disease than had been observed in a matched historical cohort of patients who received chemotherapy alone.
“We are encouraged by these [results], which suggest that nonthermal focused ultrasound may help improve the

To inform pulmonologists and sleep clinicians on the best ways to care for pregnant patients with obstructive sleep apnea, 16 experts collaborated on a new clinical practice guideline published in CHEST, according to a press release.
After developing nine questions using the population, intervention, comparator and outcome (PICO) format and conducting a systematic review of 57 studies related to the topic, the panel established nine evidence-based recommendations on screening, testing and treatment and created two one-page flowchart graphs.
Due to a lack of existing research on the topic, each

Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps improved to a similar degree following full or limited functional endoscopic sinus surgery, according to results published in Allergy.
“Decrease in total [sino-nasal outcome test] scores exceeded the minimal clinically meaningful difference in both groups, but this difference was not met between the groups at 12 or 24 months,” Paula Virkkula, MD, PhD, of Helsinki University Hospital and the University of Helsinki, and colleagues wrote.
In the randomized controlled AirGOs Operative trial, Virkkula and

The prevalence of extensively drug-resistant Shigella is surging in the U.S., with isolates jumping from 0% in 2011 to 8.5% in 2023, according to a CDC report analyzing trends and epidemiologic characteristics for these bacterial strains.
In another stark shift, more than 96% of patients who contracted extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella during this period were adults. Historically, Shigella infection burden has been concentrated in pediatric populations and most often caused by drug-susceptible strains.
“Shigellosis is one of those intestinal infections that responds well to antibiotics,

Rheumatologists should approach the use of AI platforms with enthusiasm and caution in equal measure, according to a presenter at the AWIR annual conference.
“Rheumatologists are commonly using AI both personally and professionally,” Jeffrey Curtis, MD, MS, MPH, Marguerite Jones Harbert-Gene V. Ball endowed professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told Healio.
In his presentation, Curtis conducted an informal poll of the AWIR audience that suggested “probably 80%” of rheumatologists report using AI platforms at least weekly, he said.
“Like

Penile fillers are gaining attention among men seeking greater girth, but specialists warn that limited evidence, serious complications, and weak regulation make the procedures difficult to assess.