Infectious disease continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents. Concerns about increases in resistance among pathogens that infect the pediatric population have led to a reevaluation of antibiotic therapy for the treatment of respiratory illness. In addition, advances in vaccine technology have resulted in new formulations of both pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines, the effectiveness and safety of which have already been proven in trials in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The goal of this supplement is to review the state-of-the-art and discuss the trend in therapeutic direction over the next decade in terms of antibiotic practices and the introduction of new vaccines that promise significant efficacy against pneumococcal and meningococcal disease. Within the context of each presentation, our distinguished faculty addresses these key issues and controversies.


 

Introduction
Stephen I. Pelton, MD Course Co-Director
Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
Director, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Boston Medical Center
Grant support: Abbott, Wyeth Lederle Vaccines, Bristol-Myers Squibb, RWJ Pharmaceuticals, and Aventis
Speakers Bureau: Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and Aventis

Controversies in Immunization of Infants and Children
Jerome O. Klein, MD Course Co-Director
Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
Vice Chairman for Academic Affairs
Boston Medical Center
Grant support: Wyeth Lederle Vaccines
Speakers Bureau: Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and SmithKline Biologics

Management of Pneumonia in Children
George McCracken, Jr, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
The Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay
Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Grant support: Wyeth Lederle Vaccines, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and SmithKline Beecham
Consultant: Pfizer Inc., Abbott, Roche, SmithKline Beecham, Aventis, and Trial Tech

Treatment of Otitis Media in the Era of Penicillin Resistance and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
Colin D. Marchant, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
Grant support: SmithKline Beecham and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines
Consultant: Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speakers Bureau: SmithKline Beecham, Wyeth Lederle Vaccines, Glaxo, and Roche

Infectious Disease Prevention in College Students
Jo-Ann Harris, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
Grant support: Pfizer Inc. and Aventis
Consultant: Pfizer Inc.


 

Many serious infectious diseases in children are now preventable with vaccines or treatable with antibiotics. However, these important advances in the health care of children are now the sources of new clinical challenges. Physicians and other health professionals who care for children must be alert for possible changes in epidemiologic parameters that may result from widespread use of new vaccines, as well as for changing microbial resistance patterns that may result from antibiotic use and overuse. These issues are addressed with respect to specific infectious diseases that are commonly seen in today's pediatric and primary care medical practices.


 

By reading and studying these articles, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the etiology of pneumonia in ambulatory and hospitalized children, as well as the currently available antibiotic options for the treatment of pneumonia in pediatric patients.
• Explain the impact to date of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) on the occurrence of invasive disease as well as on the incidence of otitis media (OM) in children.
• Summarize the current controversies and recommendations concerning the administration of the meningococcal vaccine to college students.
• Describe the recent controversy that resulted in the withdrawal of FDA approval of the rotavirus vaccine and the ongoing concern over the use of thimerosal as a preservative in vaccine formulations.

This activity has been developed for pediatricians, primary care physicians, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of infectious diseases in children.


 

This supplement to Pediatric News was developed from presentations given on September 23-24, 2000, at the continuing medical education course, Pediatric Infectious Diseases in the Headlines, held in Boston, Massachusetts. The conference was sponsored by Boston University School of Medicine.

This continuing medical education program is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Wyeth Lederle Vaccines.


 

Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

Boston University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 hour in category 1 credit towards the AMA Physicians Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Term of approval: January 1, 2001 to January 1, 2002

For more continuing education programs from Boston University School of Medicine, visit their web site at www.bu.edu/cme.