General Academic Pediatrics
412-692-5249
412-692-5807 Fax
| Alejandro Hoberman, MD | |
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Chief, Division of General Academic Pediatrics
Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Otitis Media: Can We Agree? |
| Education and Training | |
Medical School: |
1983 National University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, Buenos
Aires, Argentina |
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Residency: |
Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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Fellowship: |
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA |
Memberships
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| Expertise and Research Interests | |
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Dr. Hoberman’s research interests include the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of two of the most frequently occurring pediatric conditions, acute otitis media (AOM) and urinary tract infections (UTI). AOM is the most common pediatric illness for which antibiotics are prescribed; three of four children have AOM by age 3. UTI is the most frequently occurring serious bacterial illness, particularly in young febrile children. In the area of UTIs his research has evaluated (1) the prevalence of UTIs in young febrile infants, (2) diagnostic screening tests to identify children with UTI, (3) follow-up imaging studies performed in children following an initial episode of UTI, and (4) treatment options, particularly a comparison of outpatient vs. inpatient therapy in young febrile children. Together with Diana Kearney, RN, CRC, Dr. Hoberman developed a videotape aimed at instructing clinicians in the performance of bladder catheterization and in the evaluation of an uncentrifuged urine specimen using a hemocytometer. In the area of AOM, his research has included the evaluation of (1) antimicrobial treatment regimens, (2) topical otic analgesic medication, (3) the seasonality of antimicrobial resistance, and (4) the efficacy of influenza vaccine in preventing AOM in young children. In the area of medical education, Dr. Hoberman and Dr. Phillip H. Kaleida developed a multimedia educational series of otoendoscopic examinations for self-training on the use of pneumatic otoscopy. A second multimedia program had the objective of instructing the distinction between AOM from otitis media with effusion. These multimedia educational programs aimed to improve diagnostic accuracy in children with AOM and have been used in instructing large number of trainees and audiences worldwide. Again, with Dr. Kaleida and other members of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, programs have been developed to help train medical residents across the country in the diagnosis of AOM. They secured funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for the development of an innovative project called ePROM (enhancing PRoficiency in Otitis Media). This program includes Web-based interactive modules, individualized telemedicine feedback, and reinforcement of skills by training champions at each residency program. Over the years, Dr. Hoberman has been the principal investigator of a collaborative — General Pediatrics and General Internal Medicine — Faculty Development in Primary Care Training Program, funded by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). The overall purpose of this collaborative faculty development program has been to create a new generation of primary care clinician researchers in pediatrics, internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics. These individuals must work effectively in interdisciplinary teams, address public health priorities, be culturally competent, consult those who are impacted by their care and research, and develop leadership skills to translate results into policy. In 2005, he received funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as the principal investigator of a Pediatric Nephrology/Urology Clinical Treatment Center that will be conducted at Children's Hospital — in collaboration with five additional sites in the –United States — a large randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis in young children with vesicoureteral reflux diagnosed following an initial UTI. In 2006, Dr. Hoberman was awarded a grant from National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases (NIAID)/ National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) [please write these out] to study in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment in young children with AOM. Patient enrollment in these studies was anticipated to commence in the last quarter of 2006. Dr. Hoberman graduated from medical school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he completed a general pediatrics residency at the Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires. He then came to the United States for fellowship training in ambulatory pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, under Jack L. Paradise and Kenneth Rogers. Immediately following fellowship he joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he currently leads the Division of General Academic Pediatrics. His research findings have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and other highly rated peer-reviewed journals. In 2000, Dr. Hoberman was named the first Jack L. Paradise, MD, Professor of Pediatric Research at Children’s. |
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For Media Inquiries
Children’s Media Team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To contact the Media Team:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.:
Melanie Finnigan, Manager, Media Relations
National and local media
412-692-7104 or 412-692-5502
Melanie.Finnigan@chp.edu
Marc Lukasiak, Senior Media Specialist
Local media
412-692-7104 or 412-692-7919
Marc.Lukasiak@chp.edu
After hours, weekends and holidays:
Call Children’s operators at 412-692-5325 and ask to have the on-call member of the Media Team paged.
