Office laboratory procedures, office economics, patient and parent education, and urinary tract infection.

This review provides an update on four areas of office practice: office laboratory procedures, office economics, patient and parent education, and urinary tract infection. Thomas Ball reviews physician office laboratories, with updates on the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, office proficiency testing, and office testing for streptococcal pharyngitis and Helicobacter pylori. Eve Shapiro reports on office economics, focusing on the influence of managed care on pediatric practice. Burris Duncan provides a review of the new National Institutes of Health asthma guidelines, and challenges us to become more involved in patient education. Richard Wahl reviews urinary tract infections, vesicoureteral reflux, dysfunctional voiding, and appropriate imaging studies. Our approach is to provide pediatricians with useful and practical information for their office practices.