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DOI: 10.1177/000992289103000601 Cholesterol Screening Management of Florida's Pediatric PopulationDepartment of Pediatrics. University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, Tampa, Florida
Department of Pediatrics. University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, Tampa, Florida The current cholesterol screening and management of Florida's pediatric population is evaluated utilizing a questionnaire mailed to 1,534 pediatric health care providers. Twenty percent of the physicians responded. Of the respondents, 65% do not routinely screen for the presence of hypercholesterolemia. Only 28% of the respondents obtain serum total cholesterol measurements in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition recommendations. The serum total cholesterol concentration prompting treatment was 240 mg/dL (6.2 mM). Dietary counseling alone, or in combination with exercise, was the initial treatment approach recommended by 98% of the responding physicians. Dietary education for the hypercholesterolemic patient was provided by both dieticians (46%) and physicians (42%). If the initial dietary intervention was unsuccessful, 48% of the physicians would begin medical therapy. The most commonly prescribed medication was a bile acid sequestrant (70%), with the majority (52%) referring their patient to a subspecialist for evaluation and care.
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