Ocean Pharmacy Now Open 24 Hours
On Feb. 24, the hours of our Ocean Pharmacy expanded to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The goal of this expansion is to enhance the continuity of care patients receive at Seattle Children’s. Patient families can now avoid the hassle of finding a late-night pharmacy after being discharged from the Emergency Department. The expanded hours will also help improve daytime turnaround times for inpatient and surgery center discharges.
Ocean Pharmacy is not open to the general public. Read full post »
To help contain the spread of COVID-19 in our community, Seattle Children’s is canceling large group gatherings taking place at our facilities, including those with attendees from the community (e.g. CMEs, classes, conferences, PALS courses, etc.). Some Grand Rounds may be moved to WebEx rather than cancelled. Please check with event organizers if you have questions or need additional information. If you are registered for an event and it is moved to WebEx only, event organizers will notify you. Read full post »
Seattle Children’s is preparing for the 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). A Provider News special bulletin on Jan. 24 provided information about the plans we have in place for detection and prevention of the virus. To date, no Seattle Children’s patients have tested positive for 2019-nCoV.
Primary care providers (PCPs) who are caring for a patient with suspected 2019-nCoV should first contact Public Health-Seattle & King County. If, after discussing with Public Health, the decision is made to send the patient to Seattle Children’s, the PCP should first notify our Emergency Department (ED) Communications Center at 206-987-8899.
Visit Public Health-Seattle & King County’s website for a complete list of resources for families and healthcare professionals.
Read Seattle Children’s Jan. 24 bulletin on the coronavirus.
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Seattle Children’s is recruiting infants for a new study at Seattle Children’s. The WONDER research study uses technology and behavioral assessments to monitor and map social brain development. The study consists of five in-person study visits during the first three years of life at our research lab in Seattle. During visits, researchers record brain activity and eye movements while showing the child pictures and videos. They engage the child in play-based activities to assess different aspects of development, such as language and motor skills.
We are recruiting English-speaking families with infants under the age of 6 months to be part of one of three groups:
- Infants with an older sibling (whole or half) with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
- Infants born with low birth weight – 3lbs., 15 oz. or less (1800 g).
- Infants born weighing more than 5 lbs., 5oz. (2500 g) with no known serious medical conditions and no first- or second-degree relatives with autism.
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Seattle Children’s Endocrinology program has posted new algorithms for goiter, hypothyroid, obesity, short stature and vitamin D deficiency on its Refer a Patient page webpage, along with related resources for these conditions. The tools help PCPs know how and when to manage their patients’ endocrinology care in the primary care setting.
Seattle Children’s recently announced updated referral requirements for several specialties, including Endocrinology and Diabetes, Genetics and Gastroenterology, as well as a major change in the Diabetes intake and patient education protocol. Otherwise, healthy diabetes patients ages five and up will now be referred to a two-day outpatient education program rather than the previously prescribed two- to three-day inpatient hospital stay, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Details are available on our Endocrinology and Diabetes Refer a Patient page under “Patients newly diagnosed with diabetes.” Read full post »
Seattle Children’s has developed a new Musculoskeletal Infections Pathway. The purpose of the pathway is to develop and standardize an evidence-based approach for the evaluation and care of patients with musculoskeletal infections, including septic arthritis and osteomyelitis.
Pathway Recommendations:
- Order CBC with differential, CRP and ESR for all patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for septic arthritis and/or osteomyelitis.
- Order two blood cultures (aerobic + anaerobic) for all patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for septic arthritis and/or osteomyelitis with moderate/high likelihood of disease. Consider ordering two blood cultures (aerobic + anaerobic) for all patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for osteomyelitis with low likelihood of disease. Blood cultures (aerobic + anaerobic) should be drawn prior to initiating antibiotics for patients with confirmed musculoskeletal infections.
- Order X-ray of the suspected involved bone(s)/joint(s) for all patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for septic arthritis and/or osteomyelitis.
- Order ultrasound of the suspected involved joint(s) for all patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for septic arthritis, particularly ultrasound of the hip in any patient at risk for septic arthritis of the hip joint.
- Empiric first-dose antibiotics for septic arthritis and/or osteomyelitis should include:
a) Nontoxic; low risk for MRSA: cefazolin 50 mg/kg IV × 1 (max dose: 2000 mg)
b) Nontoxic; cefazolin allergy or MRSA risk factors present: clindamycin 13.3 mg/kg IV × 1 (max dose: 600 mg)
c) Systemically/critically ill and MRSA not yet ruled out by culture: vancomycin 15 mg/kg IV × 1 (max dose: 2000 mg)
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Seattle Children’s has released new referral guidelines for Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Genetics — specialty clinics with access challenges and longer wait times for new patient appointments. Each clinic is open to new referrals.
The new guidelines are designed to improve new patients’ timely access to specialty care while redirecting patients who do not require specialty care to their medical home and primary care provider (PCP), along with resources for PCPs to assist them in managing their patients’ care.
View the new referral guidelines on the “Refer a Patient” pages for:
View the printable PDF flyers summarizing the referral guidelines changes:
Referral guidelines for other specialty clinics will be updated and posted on their “Refer a Patient” webpages as they become available. Read full post »
Seattle Children’s is changing the Diabetes intake and patient education protocol for newly diagnosed and otherwise healthy diabetes patients from a two- to three-day inpatient hospital stay to a two-day outpatient education program. Referral instructions have also changed and will require additional lab/test results to be provided before scheduling. Visit the Endocrinology and Diabetes “Refer a Patient” page to learn more about the new Diabetes outpatient education program, what tests and labs are now required before making a referral and more details on how to refer a patient for diabetes.
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Seattle Children’s is providing influenza vaccinations to inpatients and outpatients in Seattle and our regional clinics. Patients will be screened for eligibility. Seattle Children’s will also offer the vaccination to patients in the Emergency Department and our Urgent Care locations. All vaccinations given to patients are documented in the Child Profile Immunization Registry.
We will also provide flu shot vouchers to patients’ family members and household contacts age three and older during patient visits and stays; the vouchers can be used at any Bartell Drugs with no out-of-pocket cost (Bartell will bill family members’ insurance, if available, and charge any remaining balance to Seattle Children’s). This year, the vouchers will also be accepted at Samy’s Health Mart in Olympia and Rx Pharmacy in Richland, with no out-of-pocket cost. Family members and household contacts 6 months to 35 months old will need to get their flu vaccine at their primary care provider’s office.
Seattle Children’s efforts to vaccinate patients are in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase access to the vaccine in healthcare settings.
For questions about flu vaccinations at Seattle Children’s, email Dr. Matthew Kronman, infectious diseases specialist.
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Presentations by Dr. David Suskind and Dr. Dale Lee of Seattle Children’s IBD Center at this year’s Nutrition Symposium on the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) are now available to view online. There is mounting evidence that certain nutritional therapies, including SCD, can reduce inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) inflammation and promote healing of the intestinal mucosa in children. The IBD Center at Seattle Children’s is a leader in offering these nutritional therapies that are not found everywhere.
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