We had quite a few folks in here for our flu clinic on Saturday.
We will be doing it again on Saturday morning October 20th from 9:30-12:30
I have been seeing a fussy/ fever reaction in about 20% of the patients. This is usually resolved by the following day. It is actually an immune response that lets us know that the shot is working!
Hand Foot Mouth is still going around. Most of the kids are not terribly ill with it this week, but have the spots on feet, hands, butt and around the mouth.
I have seen tons of diarrhea out there.
Some of the cases seem to be food related, but I think there is a virus out there as well.
Food poisoning usually is accompanied by chills, body aches, fever as well as diarrhea and/ or vomiting.
There are lots of coughs and colds. Many of our kids with sensitive airways are pretty reactive and are wheezing. If your child has a nebulizer this is a good time to make sure you have some fresh tubing and medications on hand before we are hit with the Winter ailments. Call if you need refills!!
I do have some kids with high fevers and congestion, so far they have NOT been positive for influenza. This virus seems to be lasting about 4 days.
We have seen several cases of strep throat.
Nurse Judy Class update:
My next solid foods class will be held Wednesday evening October 3rd at 7:30pm
full class info can be found at www.nursejudy.com
Monday, September 24, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
hand foot mouth is back
I realize that hand foot mouth didn't make the list earlier this week.
Unfortunately this afternoon I have been fielding call after call about it.
It seems to be going through quite a few day cares out there.
Some of the kids have very spotty butts and seem reasonably well otherwise,
Some poor kids seem to be having a lot of mouth pain and are quite miserable.
Time fixes this virus. Your goal is to keep your little one hydrated.
A dehydrated child will have very low energy, decreased urine output and not a lot of tears or drool. They seem dry and droopy.
If you are worried about hydration do make sure to get them seen right away.
If your child is running around, has normal activity level, and reasonably wet diapers, then I am not concerned.
Keeping them comfortable is the best way to get them drinking. Even if they have no fever, it is appropriate to dose them up with tylenol or Ibuprofen ( motrin/advil).
Tylenol comes in a suppository form if they are resistant to taking medicine by mouth.
For older kids with mouth sores 1/2 teaspoon of benedryl mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of maalox..squirted around the mouth every 4-6 hours brings some good relief.
Most of the kids with the mouth sores do much better with cool, creamy foods. Avoid tangy things like orange juice that might sting.
Check out past posts for more info about the virus.
I will check back in next week
Judy
Unfortunately this afternoon I have been fielding call after call about it.
It seems to be going through quite a few day cares out there.
Some of the kids have very spotty butts and seem reasonably well otherwise,
Some poor kids seem to be having a lot of mouth pain and are quite miserable.
Time fixes this virus. Your goal is to keep your little one hydrated.
A dehydrated child will have very low energy, decreased urine output and not a lot of tears or drool. They seem dry and droopy.
If you are worried about hydration do make sure to get them seen right away.
If your child is running around, has normal activity level, and reasonably wet diapers, then I am not concerned.
Keeping them comfortable is the best way to get them drinking. Even if they have no fever, it is appropriate to dose them up with tylenol or Ibuprofen ( motrin/advil).
Tylenol comes in a suppository form if they are resistant to taking medicine by mouth.
For older kids with mouth sores 1/2 teaspoon of benedryl mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of maalox..squirted around the mouth every 4-6 hours brings some good relief.
Most of the kids with the mouth sores do much better with cool, creamy foods. Avoid tangy things like orange juice that might sting.
Check out past posts for more info about the virus.
I will check back in next week
Judy
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Update September 18th
We are seeing a little bit of everything.
Mostly the garden variety back to school illnesses abound.
There are lots of coughs, colds with fevers. Plenty of these have been turning into ear infections.
There are lots of kids with sore throats.
Less than half of these have been positive for strep.
There is a vomiting/ diarrhea illness that lasts for a couple of days..
There is active pertussis out there in the community.
I have had LOTS of head lice calls, Check those heads!
We have NOT seen positive tests for Influenza or RSV yet.
Remember that we do have our drop in FLU shot clinic on Saturday the 22nd from 9:30-12:30 here in the office. ( for our Noe Valley Pediatrics patients and families only)
Stay well, enjoy the last bits of summer
Judy
Mostly the garden variety back to school illnesses abound.
There are lots of coughs, colds with fevers. Plenty of these have been turning into ear infections.
There are lots of kids with sore throats.
Less than half of these have been positive for strep.
There is a vomiting/ diarrhea illness that lasts for a couple of days..
There is active pertussis out there in the community.
I have had LOTS of head lice calls, Check those heads!
We have NOT seen positive tests for Influenza or RSV yet.
Remember that we do have our drop in FLU shot clinic on Saturday the 22nd from 9:30-12:30 here in the office. ( for our Noe Valley Pediatrics patients and families only)
Stay well, enjoy the last bits of summer
Judy
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
General update 9/11
There are a lot of illnesses out there.
We are seeing a fever/cough that has been lasting about 4 days. The fever has been less than 102.
There are quite a few patients with nausea/vomiting. (some have a low fever), once the vomiting subsides along come the loose stools that hang on for 3-5 days.
There are lots of coughing kids around, some wheezing
Strep throat is around as well.
After a fairly quiet summer I am getting lots of calls about head lice.
We do have a fairly comprehensive head lice treatment guide that we will be happy to email you, but there is also a new prescription lice treatment out there called sklice if our plan A doesn't work.
It is also heavy tick season.
If you are out in any wooded areas please check yourselves and children from head to toe for ticks.
West Nile Virus is on the horizon.
Make sure there is no standing water around your house, and make sure your windows are screened!
FLU is not here yet, but we are busily getting folks protected. We will be having a drop in Flu shot clinic on Saturday September 22nd from 9:30 am-12:30pm
Please refer to earlier posts for more details.
Judy
We are seeing a fever/cough that has been lasting about 4 days. The fever has been less than 102.
There are quite a few patients with nausea/vomiting. (some have a low fever), once the vomiting subsides along come the loose stools that hang on for 3-5 days.
There are lots of coughing kids around, some wheezing
Strep throat is around as well.
After a fairly quiet summer I am getting lots of calls about head lice.
We do have a fairly comprehensive head lice treatment guide that we will be happy to email you, but there is also a new prescription lice treatment out there called sklice if our plan A doesn't work.
It is also heavy tick season.
If you are out in any wooded areas please check yourselves and children from head to toe for ticks.
West Nile Virus is on the horizon.
Make sure there is no standing water around your house, and make sure your windows are screened!
FLU is not here yet, but we are busily getting folks protected. We will be having a drop in Flu shot clinic on Saturday September 22nd from 9:30 am-12:30pm
Please refer to earlier posts for more details.
Judy
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
September 4th Weekly update
School has started and we are seeing a big upswing in the number of illnesses out there.
Here is what seems to be going around
We are seeing some croup ( barky cough at night, mostly okay during the day)
This typically lasts 3 days. Lots of fluids during the day and a humidifier at night are your best bets. If your child seems to be having labored breathing..Sit inside a steamy bathroom for a while, if not clearing head to the ER, the night air often helps a lot and more often that not they are much better before you get there.
There are lots of coughs and colds out there. Many of our kids who have a tendency to get wheezy are having a little flare up.
There seem to be quite a few kids with conjunctivitis.
I have seen quite a few kids with fairly intense vomiting that lasted for less than a day and then was gone. This was NOT associated with diarrhea or fever. it remains a mystery but all the kids are fine now.
We also have had a few cases of diarrhea
There is some strep throat out there. Some of the cases are Strep G that is not picked up by the quick test in the office. ( strep G can be treated with antibiotics if your child feels lousy, but it will go away on its own. We don't feel compelled to treat it the same we we do the Group A strep)
FLU SHOT UPDATE.
We currently have all forms of the vaccine in stock.
Call to make an appointment to get the shot, or come by our drop in flu clinic on September 22nd from 9:30-12:30 ( this is for Noe Valley Pediatrics families only)
Stay well!
Judy
Here is what seems to be going around
We are seeing some croup ( barky cough at night, mostly okay during the day)
This typically lasts 3 days. Lots of fluids during the day and a humidifier at night are your best bets. If your child seems to be having labored breathing..Sit inside a steamy bathroom for a while, if not clearing head to the ER, the night air often helps a lot and more often that not they are much better before you get there.
There are lots of coughs and colds out there. Many of our kids who have a tendency to get wheezy are having a little flare up.
There seem to be quite a few kids with conjunctivitis.
I have seen quite a few kids with fairly intense vomiting that lasted for less than a day and then was gone. This was NOT associated with diarrhea or fever. it remains a mystery but all the kids are fine now.
We also have had a few cases of diarrhea
There is some strep throat out there. Some of the cases are Strep G that is not picked up by the quick test in the office. ( strep G can be treated with antibiotics if your child feels lousy, but it will go away on its own. We don't feel compelled to treat it the same we we do the Group A strep)
FLU SHOT UPDATE.
We currently have all forms of the vaccine in stock.
Call to make an appointment to get the shot, or come by our drop in flu clinic on September 22nd from 9:30-12:30 ( this is for Noe Valley Pediatrics families only)
Stay well!
Judy
Monday, August 27, 2012
August 27th Monday update/ illness class
There are 2 spots left in my August 29th illness class.More info at WWW.nursejudy.com if you are interested in attending.
This is the kind of day where kids are eating the hand sanitizer and sticking paper up their nose, but in terms of illnesses the biggest culprits are....
*Tummy Bug
I have many kids out there with several days of on and off vomiting and diarrhea. Most of the kids are not appearing too sick with this, but they have very sensitive tummies for a few days.
Get the probiotics started, do the BRAT diet and watch the hydration.
Check out past blogs for more detailed management.
*Coughs and colds
We have lots and lots of kids with coughs and colds. It is not unusual for colds to linger for a week to 10 days.
*Mystery fevers
I have a few kids with fairly high fevers just starting. I want to see anybody with a fever that is lasting more than 3 days
FLU SHOTS:
We are giving flu shots Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday
Morning 10-11:30
Afternoon 2-3:45
There is a limit to how many patients we can manage in each time slot.
In an effort to take care of the flu shot needs without negatively impacting our patient flow, we are not doing drop in shots this year. Please call ahead for an appointment.
Stay well!!
Judy
This is the kind of day where kids are eating the hand sanitizer and sticking paper up their nose, but in terms of illnesses the biggest culprits are....
*Tummy Bug
I have many kids out there with several days of on and off vomiting and diarrhea. Most of the kids are not appearing too sick with this, but they have very sensitive tummies for a few days.
Get the probiotics started, do the BRAT diet and watch the hydration.
Check out past blogs for more detailed management.
*Coughs and colds
We have lots and lots of kids with coughs and colds. It is not unusual for colds to linger for a week to 10 days.
*Mystery fevers
I have a few kids with fairly high fevers just starting. I want to see anybody with a fever that is lasting more than 3 days
FLU SHOTS:
We are giving flu shots Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday
Morning 10-11:30
Afternoon 2-3:45
There is a limit to how many patients we can manage in each time slot.
In an effort to take care of the flu shot needs without negatively impacting our patient flow, we are not doing drop in shots this year. Please call ahead for an appointment.
Stay well!!
Judy
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Flu shot update
We currently have in stock and ready to give:
*the preservative free baby flu vaccine ( 6 months-36 months)
*Flu mist ( 2 and over...but don't kid yourself. 2 year olds do NOT like to have something squirted in their nose, some times the shot is easier)
Flu mist is a live vaccine.
*Regular flu shots for anyone over three ( this is NOT preservative free, the amount of thimerisol in these is not a concern unless you are pregnant)
We should be getting preservative free flu vaccine for the over three year old crowd in the beginning of September
The first year that a child under the age of 9 gets the flu vaccines, they need 2 doses within the same season to give full protection.
Once they have had a year with 2 shots, they should only need one for future years.
The 2 doses need to be at least 4 weeks apart, ( it is okay if it is a little longer than that)
I am getting reports from parents that this years flu vaccine has packed a bit of a wallop. About a quarter of our babies have had an extremely fussy night after the shot. Some have had low grade fevers.
This reaction has NOT lasted for more than a day or two.
We will be holding a drop in Flu Shot clinic here in the office on Saturday morning September 22nd from 9:30-12:30
This will be for patients and family members.
Cost for parents is $35/shot. We do not bill your insurance. You may find it cheaper to do it elsewhere, but for convenience we are happy to vaccinate you ( and we give cute band aids)
if the demand exists we may do another weekend shot clinic in October.
Once the season is in full swing I will keep you undated on "drop in" flu shot hours during the week.
Stay well, I hope that this coming flu season is a "non Event" but sometimes they are quite horrid and scary ( remember H1N1) I do suggest getting the protection. It is worth a fussy night.
Judy
*the preservative free baby flu vaccine ( 6 months-36 months)
*Flu mist ( 2 and over...but don't kid yourself. 2 year olds do NOT like to have something squirted in their nose, some times the shot is easier)
Flu mist is a live vaccine.
*Regular flu shots for anyone over three ( this is NOT preservative free, the amount of thimerisol in these is not a concern unless you are pregnant)
We should be getting preservative free flu vaccine for the over three year old crowd in the beginning of September
The first year that a child under the age of 9 gets the flu vaccines, they need 2 doses within the same season to give full protection.
Once they have had a year with 2 shots, they should only need one for future years.
The 2 doses need to be at least 4 weeks apart, ( it is okay if it is a little longer than that)
I am getting reports from parents that this years flu vaccine has packed a bit of a wallop. About a quarter of our babies have had an extremely fussy night after the shot. Some have had low grade fevers.
This reaction has NOT lasted for more than a day or two.
We will be holding a drop in Flu Shot clinic here in the office on Saturday morning September 22nd from 9:30-12:30
This will be for patients and family members.
Cost for parents is $35/shot. We do not bill your insurance. You may find it cheaper to do it elsewhere, but for convenience we are happy to vaccinate you ( and we give cute band aids)
if the demand exists we may do another weekend shot clinic in October.
Once the season is in full swing I will keep you undated on "drop in" flu shot hours during the week.
Stay well, I hope that this coming flu season is a "non Event" but sometimes they are quite horrid and scary ( remember H1N1) I do suggest getting the protection. It is worth a fussy night.
Judy
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