Foreword to Common Childhood Viral Infections

Common Childhood Viral Infections Sherman J. Alter, MD, Jeffrey S. Bennett, MD, Katylin Koranyi, MD, Andrew Kreppel, MD, MPH, Ryan Simon, MD

Commentary William T. Gerson, M.D

Foreword to Common Childhood Viral Infections This issue focuses on common childhood viral infections. It is a sequel to 2011 issue by Dr. Alter et al. that addressed the diagnosis and treatment of common childhood bacterial infections.1 Dr. Alter has assembled many of the same members from his earlier talented team, including a commentary by Dr. William Gerson. This article is organized into 3 sections: vaccine-preventable viral infections (e.g., measles), viral infections that respond to specific anti-viral agents (e.g., Herpes simplex), and other viral infections that are neither preventable with vaccines nor treatable with specific anti-viral agents (e.g., adenovirus). This issue also rewards the reader with several helpful tables. Table 1 provides information on all antiviral vaccines that are being used by primary care clinicians in their offices in 2015. This includes their date of development, the type of vaccine (e.g., live attenuated, inactivated subunit, or whole agent), and their effectiveness in reducing childhood viral disease for each agent (e.g., 96% decrease in hospitalization of young children with the disease following introduction of rotavirus vaccine). Table 2 is a much needed reminder (for this pediatrician, certainly) regarding the interpretation of serologic markers for hepatitis B viral infection (e.g., past infection and immune vs chronic infection). Finally, Table 3 is an overview of common anti-viral therapies, including drug doses and recommended duration of therapy.

Curr Probl PediatrAdolesc Health Care, February 2015

The general pediatrician, Dr. William Gerson, does his usual excellent job providing timely commentary. For this issue, Dr. Gerson begins his comments with Liberia’s first Ebola song written in 2014. Dr. Gerson employs the words of the Ebola song to highlight the importance of viral infections in general pediatrics and the community. He believes “more public awareness of what viruses are and how they are treated and more importantly not treated is crucial.” Dr. Gerson then describes his efforts, often unsuccessful, to educate his patients (read parents) regarding the difference between bacterial and viral infections (i.e., antibiotics are effective for bacterial infections but not for viral infections). He is hopeful that this comprehensive review of viral infections will assist the primary care clinician in these situations, with detailed information from this issue’s narrative and a “good dermatology text”—presumably with color pictures—to help parents understand the etiology of their child’s illness. In closing, Dr. Gerson notes the variation in the clinical presentation of children with viral illnesses and challenges us to “gently and compassionately care for our patients and their families.” In this suitable sequel to their issue regarding common childhood bacterial infections, Drs. Alter, Gerson, and their co-authors have collaborated to create another important, practical contribution to the pediatric medical literature that will assist the

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primary care clinician as she/he strives to meet Dr. Gerson’s charge to “gently and compassionately care for our patient and their families.”

Reference 1. Alter Sherman J, Vidwan Navjyot K, Sobande Patrick O, Omoloja Abiodun, Bennett Jeffrey S. Common childhood

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bacterial infections. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2011;41(10):256–83, [ISSN 1538-5442] http://dx.doi.org/10. 1016/j.cppeds.2011.06.001, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S1538544211001076.

Jack Pascoe

Curr Probl PediatrAdolesc Health Care, February 2015