Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

RSV and Flu Tied to Severe Pediatric Respiratory Illness

In a cohort study of 516 children with viral respiratory infections who were hospitalized, researchers found 34 (6.6%) developed severe disease—defined as a clinical severity score greater than 3 (on a scale of 1-6), as published in JAMA Network Open. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza were strongly associated with worse outcomes. In multivariable analysis, RSV diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80–10.10) and influenza diagnosis (AOR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.88–9.04) …

How To Improve Pediatric Hypertension Detection

Pediatric hypertension affects approximately 3-5% of children, yet fewer than 25% of cases are diagnosed and more than 60% do not receive recommended follow-up. In a study presented in JAMA Network Open including 25 clinicians across 10 pediatric primary care clinics, researchers in Delaware and Pennsylvania identified 5 major barriers that could affect the detection of kids’ hypertension. In semistructured qualitative interviews, clinicians cited the absence of standardized clinical pathways (endorsed by 80%), inconsistent training …

Remind Parents To Avoid Inclined Sleepers For Their Infants

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) associated with the use of “inclined sleepers”—baby seats that are not firm or flat, which also do not align with the established recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—kept rising even after such products were recalled in 2019, according to a study published in Pediatrics. From 2009 to 2023, there were 158 SUIDs in inclined sleepers, and 50 deaths (32%) occurred after 2019. An additional 108 deaths (68%) occurred …

Improving Chart Closure Time in a Pediatric Urgent Care Setting

Urgent Message: Quality improvement projects can increase the percentage of charts closed within 1 hour of patient discharge at pediatric urgent and express care locations to ensure timely documentation. Key Words: Electronic Health Records, Documentation, Pediatrics, Ambulatory Care, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement Kileen Fernandez, MS, APRN-CPNP-PC; Lisa Ziemnik, MD, FAAP; Beth Williams, MBA, BSIE; Abiodun Omoloja, MD, MBA, CPE, FASN, FAMIA; Jennifer Morris, MS, APRN-CNP-PC, RNC-NIC; Maddie Mock, BSME; Thomas Geglein, BSN, RN, MBA; Kimberly …

Contaminated Baby Formula Still Sitting on Store Shelves

As of December 3, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and several state health authorities have reported a total of 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism across 18 states, attributed to ByHeart baby formula sold in retail stores. Preliminary testing in California found multiple lots of formula contaminated with Clostridium botulinum type A. The 39 infants have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Onset of …

Watchful Waiting Works Well For Acute Otitis Media

A large multi-system analysis of 140,579 pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) visits published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society found “watchful waiting” was used in only 15.6% of cases—even though watchful waiting is often a beneficial approach, according to the authors. The watchful waiting group was either sent home without a prescription (56%) or received a delayed prescription (44%). Meanwhile, the remaining 84% of AOM cases received immediate antibiotics. Both groups had …

Treatment Approved For Kids’ Chronic Constipation

Kids who have irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) now have a new treatment option as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month approved linaclotide for pediatric patients 7 years and older. There is no known underlying cause for IBS-C in children, and symptoms include chronic constipation and abdominal pain. Linaclotide is the first treatment approved for IBS-C in pediatric patients with a recommended dose of 145 mcg orally once daily. A 12-week, double-blind, …

Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia Presenting with Fever and Gastrointestinal Complaints: A Pediatric Case Report

Urgent Message: While the evaluation of a chief complaint is a priority in urgent care, recognition of chronic disease progression is also critical. Eliana H. Kim, DO; Aaron J. Maki, MD, PhD Key Words: Anemia, Iron Deficiency, Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21, Transfusion, Strep Throat, Case Report Abstract Introduction: Often the chief complaint is the primary focus of urgent care visits. However, it is important to consider other aspects of the patient’s health, especially in pediatric …

RSV Vaccine Shows High Effectiveness In Infants

In a study of 31,900 healthy term infants at Kaiser Permanente Northern California during the 2023–2024 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-season, researchers found nirsevimab demonstrated high effectiveness in preventing RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), as published in Pediatrics. Among immunized infants (49.1%), the incidence of RSV-associated LRTD was 6.10 per 1,000 person-years compared to 58.51 in non-immunized infants (95% confidence interval [CI], 81.7%–91.1%; P<0.001). Effectiveness against hospitalized RSV LRTD was 98.0% (95% CI, 85.1%–99.7%). Immunized …

Providing Ondansetron At Home After Gastroenteritis ED Visit Helps Lower Risk For Kids

In a double-blind, randomized trial of 1,030 children aged 6 months to 18 years with acute gastroenteritis–associated vomiting, researchers found multidose ondansetron administered at home as needed after emergency department (ED) discharge significantly reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis during the subsequent 7 days. Among participants with complete follow-up, 5.1% of the ondansetron group experienced moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis (modified Vesikari score 9 or above) compared to 12.5% in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% …

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