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| Q. |
What is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine(D.O.)? |
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| A. |
D.O.s and M.D.s are complete physicians. Both are licensed by state and specialty
boards to perform surgery and prescribe medication. D.O.s practice a "whole person"
approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses,
they regard your body as an integrated whole. D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal
system- your body's interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds
of its body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding
of the ways which injury and illness in one part of your body can affect another.
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| Q. |
What is a Pediatric Nurse Practioner? |
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| A. |
Pediatric Nurse Practioners are qualified to perform complete physical
exams and diagnose and treat common illnesses and injuries. They can order
and interpret lab results, manage chronic illnesses, suture wounds, and
prescribe medications. Pediatric Nurse Practioners provide comprehensive
care to children by focusing on health maintenance and education.
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| Q. |
What causes vomiting and diarrhea? |
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| A. |
The most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea is a viral infection.
Antibiotics do not treat viruses and are rarely used. Therefore, it is
necessary to treat the symptoms of the illness to prevent dehydration. Drugs
such as Phenergan suppositories (in children over 2 years) or Zofran may
be prescribed for the nausea and vomiting. Immodium may be given to help
control the diarrhea.
Since your child’s stomach is having spasms due to the vomiting, it is necessary to allow the stomach to
rest. Wait one to two hours and then begin introducing clear liquids in small volumes (1 teaspoon to 1
tablespoon) and increase slowly. If vomiting should recur after starting the protocol, wait 30 minutes
and begin again. If your child fails a second time, contact the office.
Clear liquids include Pedialyte for infants and Gatorade, Sprite, 7-UP, Jello, Kool Aid for toddlers.
Do not give milk products or juices. When tolerating liquids for 12 to 24 hours, add soft bland
solids(cereal, toast,crackers, rice, plain pasta or bananas).
Parents should monitor for signs of dehydration (less than 4 wet diapers in 24 hours, no tears, inside of
mouth is dry, dry and cracked lips, lethargy). Contact the office if these symptoms are present. Despite all
effort, some children require intravenous rehydration to stop the vomiting .
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| Q. |
What should be considered a fever? |
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| A. |
• Oral temperature over 99.5 F
• Rectal temperature over 100.4 F
• Axillary (under arm) temperature over 99 F
• Ear (tympanic) temperature over 100.4 F
• Temporal (forehead) over 100.4 F
Causes:
When due to an infection, fever is one of your body’s
responses to fight the cause; either bacteria or a virus. A
high body temperature is not necessarily an indication of a
serious infection. Ear infections rarely cause a fever greater
than 104 F but the flu commonly does. The most important
point is not what your child’s fever is, but how he is acting
(any breathing difficulty, lethargy or a rash with purple
(blood colored) spots or difficulty swallowing fluids).
Home Care Advice
1) Fluids orally in unlimited amounts
2) Dress in 1 layer of light weight clothing (avoid
bundling).
3) Tylenol or Ibuprofen for fever above 102. The medicine
usually lowers the fever by 2 to 3 degrees.
4) Lukewarm bath (not alcohol) for fever over 104 – If
the child is too cold,
dry the child off, warm the water and place the child back in the bath.
Most fevers associated with a viral illness fluctuate between
101 and 104 and last 3 to 5 days.
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| Q. |
What do I do if my child ingests something that may be poisonous?
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| A. |
Call Poison Control immediately. 1-800-222-1222 |
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| A. |
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the tonsils; the most common signs and
symptoms in children include: sore throat, fever, stomachache, headache and
vomiting. Your child may experience all/one/or none of these symptoms. In the
office, we can swab your child’s throat and perform a Quick Strep test with
immediate results. If positive, your child will be prescribed 10 days of
antibiotics. It is very important for your child to finish all 10 days of
the antibiotic – even if they feel completely better by day 5. Not finishing
a course of antibiotics can cause serious problems such as relapse infections,
which are worse than the initial infection, and bacterial resistance to the
medication. After being on the antibiotics for 48 hours your child will no
longer be contagious. He should get a new toothbrush at this time. Good hand
washing and not sharing drinks or eating utensils will help reduce the spread
of the bacteria from person to person.
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| Q. |
Why does my child sometimes have diarrhea while on antibiotics? |
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| A. |
Antibiotics are not selective - they kill the good bacteria in the digestive
tract along with the bad ones that make us sick. When your child has diarrhea
or loose, watery stools while taking antibiotics, there are a few things you
can do: 1) Give your child a few servings a day of yogurt with active cultures
These help replenish the good bacteria in the digestive tract, 2) Give acidophilus,
a probiotic that you can get at the pharmacy or grocery store, once a day while
on the medicine, 3) Refer to our diarrhea protocol for further instruction if
the diarrhea becomes severe (more than 6 stools per day).
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| A. |
Hives are itchy, raised whelps that look like a mosquito bite. They can
range greatly in size, may be localized to one area or cover the entire
body, and may come and go for 3-5 days. Hives occur when your child
ingests or comes into contact with something that they are allergic to.
Hives can be treated easily using an over-the-counter antihistamine.
Administer Benadryl every 6 hours around the clock and for at least 48
hours after the hives clear. If Benadryl is not given every 6 hours around
the clock, the hives will continue to come back, worse than before. If your
child has trouble breathing or swallowing, tightness of the chest, or swelling
of the face along with the hives, these are signs of a potentially fatal
reaction and you should call 911 immediately.
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| Q. |
What are head lice and how are they treated? |
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| A. |
Lice are tiny grayish colored bugs that cause the head to itch, especially
at the nape of the neck. Tiny white eggs, called nits, are attached to the
hair shaft near the scalp. Head lice can be treated easily at home. Buy
Nix 1% crème rinse and follow the directions on the box. After using the
anti-lice rinse, the dead nits will need to be removed from the hair shaft.
The comb included with Nix doesn’t remove the nits very well, so we recommend
using your fingernail to strip the individual nits from the hair shaft.
Check the heads of everyone else in the house. Do not share hairbrushes,
hats, etc. Vacuum the entire house, wash all bedding and stuffed animals
in hot water. Soak combs and brushes for 1 hour in a solution of anti-lice
shampoo and water.
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| Q. |
What is swimmer’s ear? |
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| A. |
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal that occurs when
water gets trapped in the canal. It is most common in the summer, when
children are frequently in and out of the swimming pool. It can usually
be treated at home: Rinse the ear canal two times daily with equal parts
white vinegar and water. Fill the ear canal with the solution, wait 5
minutes, and then drain by tilting the head to the side. This will restore
the normal pH of the canal and reduce swelling. An over-the-counter pain
reliever may be given for discomfort. Avoid swimming until symptoms are
gone, and plug ears with cotton during bath time. Call the office if
the problem persists longer than 3 days, as antibiotic drops may be
needed to clear the infection.
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| A. |
Pink eye is an infection of the sclera or white part of the eye. There
are two types of pink eye: bacterial and viral. Bacterial pink eye
symptoms include red/pink itchy eyes, a yellow or green discharge from
the eye, and matted eyelashes. This type can be treated with antibiotic
eye drops, and the child should not be contagious after 24 hours on the
drops. Follow the directions on the bottle, put the drops in BOTH eyes,
and do not touch the tip of the bottle to the eye, as this will contaminate
the bottle. Viral pink eye, on the other hand, includes pink/red itchy
eyes, and increased tearing or watery eyes, but will not include yellow
or green eye drainage. Antibiotic drops will not help viral pink eye;
symptoms will go away on their own after about 5-7 days. Good hand washing
will decrease the spread of pink eye from one person to another. Call the
office if the eyelid or eye socket becomes red, swollen, or painful.
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| Q. |
Does my child need antibiotics if she has green nasal drainage? |
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| A. |
Antibiotics may be needed if the nasal drainage has been present for 7 to
10 days. Otherwise, it is normal for nasal drainage to progress from clear
to green and/or yellow. Colds are caused by viruses and do not resolve with
antibiotics.
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| Q. |
What are the symptoms of a sinus infection? |
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| A. |
A sinus infection is swelling in the sinuses. It is usually caused by a
bacteria. The most common symptoms are: headache, runny nose, congestion,
tender cheeks, and eyelid swelling. An antibiotic may be prescribed if
the symptoms have been present for more than 7 days.
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| Q. |
How can I get information on vaccines? |
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| A. |
We do not accept patients who choose not to get immunizations as
recommended. The following websites will provide you with science-based,
non –biased information so that you can make informed decisions about
immunizing your child. These sites should clear up any misconceptions
and address concerns that you may have regarding vaccines. Although we
want you to be well informed on the subject, we caution against “surfing”
the Internet for information because other sites may give misleading,
incorrect, or biased information.
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American Academy of Pediatrics – www.aap.org
Center for Disease Control – www.cdc.org
Allied Vaccine Group – www.vaccine.org
TX Dept of State Health Services – http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/public.shtm
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