"poison control center" to identify articles related to energy drinks. Manufacturer Web sites were reviewed for product information. RESULTS:According to self-report surveys, energy drinks are consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults. Frequently containing high and unregulated amounts of caffeine, these drinks have been reported in association with serious adverse effects, especially in children, adolescents, and young adults with seizures, diabetes, cardiac abnormalities, or mood and behavioral disorders or those who take certain medications. Of the 5448 US caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years. Several countries and states have debated or restricted energy drink sales and advertising. CONCLUSIONS:Energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and many ingredients are understudied and not regulated. The known and unknown pharmacology of agents included in such drinks, combined with reports of toxicity, raises concern for potentially serious adverse effects in association with energy drink use. In the short-term, pediatricians need to be aware of the possible effects of energy drinks in vulnerable populations and screen for consumption to educate families. Long-term research should aim to understand the effects in at-risk populations. Toxicity surveillance should be improved, and regulations of energy drink sales and consumption should be based on appropriate research.

Family, school, and community-wide efforts are needed to promote healthful eating patterns and food choices among adolescents. Our research indicates that nutrition education is needed in the elementary and middle school years. In addition, we need to work on improving teens' social and physical environments to encourage and facilitate their choice of healthy foods.

Women with PEC have higher RVSP, higher rates of abnormal diastolic function, decreased global RVLSS, increased left-sided chamber remodeling, and higher rates of peripartum pulmonary edema, when compared with healthy pregnant women.

HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) is a severe variant of preeclampsia whose pathogenesis remains unclear. Recent evidence and clinical similarities suggest a link to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), a disease of excessive activation of the alternative complement pathway effectively treated with a complement inhibitor, eculizumab. Therefore, we utilized a functional complement assay, the modified Ham test, to test sera of women with classic or atypical HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia with severe features, normal pregnancies and healthy non-pregnant women. Sera were also evaluated using levels of the terminal product of complement activation (C5b-9). We tested the in vitro ability of eculizumab to inhibit complement activation in HELLP serum. Increased complement activation was found in participants with classic or atypical HELLP compared to normal pregnancy and non-pregnant controls. Mixing HELLP serum with eculizumab containing serum resulted in a significant decrease in cell killing compared to HELLP serum alone. In conclusion, HELLP syndrome is associated with increased complement activation demonstrated by the modified Ham test. This assay may aid in the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome and confirm its pathophysiology relates to aHUS.