Identifying alarm symptoms through careful history taking and examination indicates whether further investigations may be required. A patient’s age and family history are among other factors influencing this decision.

A refrigerated formulation of intranasal influenza virus vaccine live has been approved by the FDA for the prophylaxis of disease caused by influenza A and B viruses in adults and children from 5 to 49 years of age. The product is already approved in a frozen formulation.

For more information please visit the FirstCONSULT Drug Watch section.

Headache in children and adolescents

Headaches are common in children and adolescents. Appropriate diagnosis and management depend on a thorough history and clinical examination. Clinically, it is crucial to distinguish primary headaches from secondary headaches (associated with an underlying disease or condition). Such distinction and diagnosis is facilitated by the application of the 2004 revised criteria for the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The primary headaches of importance in children are migraine (with or without aura), tension-type headache, and chronic daily headache. Headaches associated with an infectious cause, such as a viral upper respiratory infection (URI), are common in childhood and adolescence, although most children and adolescents also have other symptoms suggestive of the diagnosis.

Medications can be effective in treating headache symptoms, aborting headaches, and in the prevention of recurrent headaches. Nonpharmacologic therapies, including behavioral interventions, can also be effective in preventing or reducing the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraines and tension-type headaches. A headache diary, kept by the child to record the frequency and severity of headaches, can be useful to help identify triggers and monitor treatment success.