Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Public Restrooms: I am glad I am not the only OCD....
OK, so I am not OCD - according to this unofficial online test - (although this one says otherwise!).
I hate touching that bathroom sink handle and the door handle on the way out, never mind a lot of other public items....
Oh, well.
This is just a great "Handwashing" song.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hold the Tylenol! Fevers do NOT cause Brain Damage!
If your little one has a fever, what is the first thing you do?
Get out the acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil), right?
It is a known fact that fevers help a body FIGHT an infection. It is a NORMAL and HEALTHY reaction to illness and shows your immune system is working the way it is supposed to. Giving Tylenol unnecessarily may lengthen the healing process.
For low grade fevers, you can even hold off on the antipyretic (fever reducing medicine) and instead treat with sponging off or bathing with tepid water (DON'T use cold water, ice, witch hazel or rubbing alcohol!), hydrating with extra fluids, and dressing lightly - and don't pile on the blankets either!
All you are trying to do in treating a fever is - make your child comfortable. Fevers do not cause brain damage despite what your well-meaning neighbor/relative/internet source tells you. Research says otherwise.
It's the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Symptoms of concern:
1. Breathing: If your child is struggling to breathe, has flaring nostrils, sucking in between or under the ribs, muscles straining on the neck while sitting in a "sniffing" position....you will want them seen by an MD, it doesn't matter what the fever is. Blue lips, earlobes and nail beds are serious emergency symptoms, it doesn't matter what level of fever.
2. Dehydration: If your child has not had a pee in 12 hours or more and it is dark in color and less in amount and dwindling....that is a cause for concern. They should pee every 6-8 hours. You might want to consider switching over/adding Pedialyte if they are not taking in much. Get it into them in whatever way you can - using a spoon, dropper or whatever. Dehydration is serious - no matter what the fever is.
3. Lethargy: If your child is limp like a rag doll, not responding and muscle tone poor and no matter what you do - they don't respond - it is a serious emergency - no matter what the fever is. Yes, your child will not want to play as normal or be as active when they are ill - that's their bodies telling them to slow down so it can heal itself - but they should still respond to you and recognize you and know where they are.
You can see the theme developing here.
A fever in of itself is not harmful. Once again: it is the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Children do tend to run higher fevers than adults. A body will self-limit a fever. Your body has a thermostat that self-regulates, and despite what some well-meaning person told you - your fever only will go so high....unless of course you are in an enclosed space with the sun beating down to over heat you - and that is something that is entirely different from a fever.
If your child is comfortable, drinking sufficient fluids and peeing normal amounts and seems to be improving - you don't even need to give Tylenol/Motrin. Remember: all you are trying to do is keep your child comfortable with the Tylenol/Motrin for the 3 or 4 days it takes to get better.
On the other hand, if your child has any of the symptoms above, or has a high fever that doesn't come down no matter what you do to treat it - that may mean your child may need to see an MD.
So, remember.
A fever can be your friend. Don't panic at every little fever. In an age that has Tylenol/Motrin as one of the main causes of liver damage - it might be a better idea to hold off on the medication.
If there are NO OTHER SYMPTOMS, you can safely treat an axilla (underarm) fever of 40C (104) at home with medication, as long as it comes down with treatment by one degree in an hour. If it goes up above 39.5 (103F) again after the effects of the medication wear off, take the little one to see your family MD before the end of the day or the following morning.
Plan ahead. If the fever lasts for 72 hours, make a trip to your family MD or Local walk-in clinic just to keep ahead of the game and avoid a possible Emergency Department visit. Don't be disappointed if the MD tells you your child is "OK" or he/she "doesn't do anything" - after all, the last thing you want the MD to do is give an Rx that your child doesn't need or say is that your child is deathly ill, right?
If you do decide to give medication: READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. Acetaminophen/ibuprofen, although seemingly innocuous - can - if used incorrectly - cause more damage than a fever. Remember to give the medication an HOUR to work.
AND - NEVER NEVER NEVER give aspirin/asa to anyone under age 20.
Disclaimer: Always follow your MD's advice. The above info is GENERAL info ONLY. I am only a blogger, a retired nurse, not your doctor. I am not a substitute for a visit to your MD. For babies under 6 months old, please consult your MD, as different standards/symptoms apply. Information taken from reliable up-to-date sources.
Get out the acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil), right?
 |
| thanks to Purdue University |
For low grade fevers, you can even hold off on the antipyretic (fever reducing medicine) and instead treat with sponging off or bathing with tepid water (DON'T use cold water, ice, witch hazel or rubbing alcohol!), hydrating with extra fluids, and dressing lightly - and don't pile on the blankets either!
All you are trying to do in treating a fever is - make your child comfortable. Fevers do not cause brain damage despite what your well-meaning neighbor/relative/internet source tells you. Research says otherwise.
It's the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Symptoms of concern:
1. Breathing: If your child is struggling to breathe, has flaring nostrils, sucking in between or under the ribs, muscles straining on the neck while sitting in a "sniffing" position....you will want them seen by an MD, it doesn't matter what the fever is. Blue lips, earlobes and nail beds are serious emergency symptoms, it doesn't matter what level of fever.
2. Dehydration: If your child has not had a pee in 12 hours or more and it is dark in color and less in amount and dwindling....that is a cause for concern. They should pee every 6-8 hours. You might want to consider switching over/adding Pedialyte if they are not taking in much. Get it into them in whatever way you can - using a spoon, dropper or whatever. Dehydration is serious - no matter what the fever is.
3. Lethargy: If your child is limp like a rag doll, not responding and muscle tone poor and no matter what you do - they don't respond - it is a serious emergency - no matter what the fever is. Yes, your child will not want to play as normal or be as active when they are ill - that's their bodies telling them to slow down so it can heal itself - but they should still respond to you and recognize you and know where they are.
You can see the theme developing here.
A fever in of itself is not harmful. Once again: it is the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Children do tend to run higher fevers than adults. A body will self-limit a fever. Your body has a thermostat that self-regulates, and despite what some well-meaning person told you - your fever only will go so high....unless of course you are in an enclosed space with the sun beating down to over heat you - and that is something that is entirely different from a fever.
If your child is comfortable, drinking sufficient fluids and peeing normal amounts and seems to be improving - you don't even need to give Tylenol/Motrin. Remember: all you are trying to do is keep your child comfortable with the Tylenol/Motrin for the 3 or 4 days it takes to get better.
On the other hand, if your child has any of the symptoms above, or has a high fever that doesn't come down no matter what you do to treat it - that may mean your child may need to see an MD.
So, remember.
A fever can be your friend. Don't panic at every little fever. In an age that has Tylenol/Motrin as one of the main causes of liver damage - it might be a better idea to hold off on the medication.
If there are NO OTHER SYMPTOMS, you can safely treat an axilla (underarm) fever of 40C (104) at home with medication, as long as it comes down with treatment by one degree in an hour. If it goes up above 39.5 (103F) again after the effects of the medication wear off, take the little one to see your family MD before the end of the day or the following morning.
Plan ahead. If the fever lasts for 72 hours, make a trip to your family MD or Local walk-in clinic just to keep ahead of the game and avoid a possible Emergency Department visit. Don't be disappointed if the MD tells you your child is "OK" or he/she "doesn't do anything" - after all, the last thing you want the MD to do is give an Rx that your child doesn't need or say is that your child is deathly ill, right?
If you do decide to give medication: READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. Acetaminophen/ibuprofen, although seemingly innocuous - can - if used incorrectly - cause more damage than a fever. Remember to give the medication an HOUR to work.
AND - NEVER NEVER NEVER give aspirin/asa to anyone under age 20.
Disclaimer: Always follow your MD's advice. The above info is GENERAL info ONLY. I am only a blogger, a retired nurse, not your doctor. I am not a substitute for a visit to your MD. For babies under 6 months old, please consult your MD, as different standards/symptoms apply. Information taken from reliable up-to-date sources.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Post operative Incision Care Drama
HOWEVER.
It's amazing what people will do with their wounds - including scrubbing the incision with a rough facecloth, applying outdated polysporin they fished out of their "medicine drawer" that they had used previously on a dirty wound from ages past (applying with their fingers!), picking off their steri-strips the day after, taking a bath the same day, applying hydrogen peroxide or Mercurochrome or iodine to their incisions.........
People! Don't do it!!! Leave it alone! And just because you see a teeny spot of blood on a dressing doesn't mean you need to rip it all off!! A tiny bit of blood does not equal "dirty"....
Watch, of course, for increased swelling, pain, warmth, red streaks leading away from a wound, fever, drainage of pus, excessive bleeding (and ask what is excessive if you don't know!) or a wound that is gaping or extending. ASK about when you need to change the dressing, if at all and make sure you get a print-out of instructions upon release from the hospital or MD office......and clarify anything you don't understand before you leave.
And, please - if your wound HURTS increasingly so - rather than taking handfuls of ibuprofen or Tylenol - there is a REASON for the pain....please go back to your healthcare provider for an assessment (don't wait until you have left yourself no choice but emergency care ). Excessive amounts of these drugs can harm your liver /kidneys/stomach and overdosing (intentionally and unintentionally) on these OTCs are the number one cause of hepatic (liver) disease/failure in the USA. Especially if you are liberal with your alcohol consumption or have Hep C and the like.
Please. If you are taking medications - read the instructions. You would not believe how many people think that MORE is better. It isn't.
There. That's my public service announcement for the day.
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