The Link - July 2024

Worldwide, more dengue cases have been reported to date this year than were reported at this point in any prior year. There have been more dengue cases in the Western Hemisphere this year than in all of 2023. Dengue transmission increases in warm and wet conditions, and through May 2024 has been the warmest year on record. Eight cases of local transmission in Florida have been documented this year, with local outbreaks in Hawaii and Texas as well. In prior years cases of local transmission have been seen in Arizona and California. Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency with around 1,500 cases this year.

A study conducted in Gambia published in The Lancet earlier this year highlights a revolutionary approach to routine childhood vaccinations, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. According to scientists, microneedle patches (MNPs) are considered a global priority innovation for overcoming immunization barriers. The single-center, phase ½, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, active-controlled, age de-escalation trial aimed to provide the first safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data of a measles and rubella vaccine microneedle patch (MRV)-MNP in children.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. Recent data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show an ADHD prevalence rate just over 10% among 4- to 17-year-olds from 2017 to 2022. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that of those children with ADHD, approximately half received behavioral treatment for their ADHD and almost two-thirds were taking ADHD-related medication. Recently, prescriptions for stimulants increased overall by 14% from 2020 to 2022, especially for young adults and women, likely due to increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of telehealth regulations to make care more accessible. 

Acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter medication available in many formulations as a single drug and in combination with other medications. While acetaminophen is frequently found in medicine cabinets across the country, accidental and intentional overdoses are common, and a leading cause of acute liver injury in the pediatric population. Understanding the management of acute acetaminophen overdose and its sequelae is essential to providing care to the pediatric population.