Archive for category: Pediatric Medical

By Kelly Kreisler, MD, MPH, FAAP, Chief Health Officer and Pediatrician

With fall right around the corner and more time in close quarters on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about how to protect ourselves from influenza. There are many ways to keep your immune system strong and healthy and prevent illness, such as getting enough sleep, eating a variety of healthy foods, managing stress and consistent exercise. Frequent hand washing or using an alcohol-based hand rub is another good way to prevent illness in yourself and others. Covering your cough with your elbow or a tissue instead of your hand can also help avoid spreading all kinds of germs to others.

Flu Vaccines

Experts agree the best way to prevent getting sick with influenza is by getting a yearly flu vaccine. It’s important to get the vaccine every year to help update your body’s immune system. Your body’s immune system needs updated just like your computer’s software needs updated to prevent new viruses from wreaking havoc. The flu changes every year, so the vaccine also changes yearly to keep your body prepared.

The flu causes millions of Americans to get sick enough to see a doctor every year.  Complications like pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes are common. Over 100,000 people are hospitalized with the flu each year and between 9,000 and 50,000 die each year from the flu in the U.S. More than 100 children died of influenza last season and over half of those deaths were in otherwise healthy children. In addition, healthy individuals can spread the virus to vulnerable people such as children under the age of five, elderly people, or people with compromised immune systems. People can even spread the flu to others before they know they are sick. Getting the flu shot doesn’t just protect you, it helps protect our entire community.

Yearly Flu Shot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) recommends a yearly flu shot for everyone over the age of six months with rare exceptions. There are a few facts to keep in mind when deciding the best timing for getting the flu shot: First, flu activity is generally highest in the U.S. between October and March.  Second, it takes about two weeks for the body to make antibodies after getting vaccinated. And third, children eight years old and younger need two vaccines four weeks apart to be considered protected.

Getting a yearly flu vaccine will reduce your risk of severe complications of the flu, hospitalization and death. I always get my yearly flu vaccine to protect myself, my family, and my patients and recommend the same for all of my patients.

COVID-19 and flu vaccination and testing are offered at HPC, contact us at 913-648-2266 to schedule your appointment.

By: Inessa Sergeyeva, APRN MSN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner

As we head into Fall the common cold, flu, and Covid-19 will return to disrupt your usual routine and keep you from doing the things you enjoy. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) many of the symptoms of the common cold, flu and COVID-19 overlap, so it may be difficult to determine what you have. Overlapping symptoms can include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and body aches.

The good news is there is rapid and laboratory testing available for both flu and COVID-19, and HPC offers flu and COVID-19 testing at all of our clinic locations. It is best to call the clinic so that we can offer the safest way to complete testing.

Please keep in mind that you can dramatically lower your risk of getting the flu and COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. Flu vaccines are 40-60 percent effective, and COVID-19 vaccines are 70-95 percent effective in preventing transmission and illness. Flu vaccination is recommended for children and adults six months of age and older. COVID -19 vaccination is recommended for children and adults 12 years of age and older.

If you do still get the flu or COVID-19 after vaccination, you are less likely to get very sick or die. Getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 also helps protect the people around you who are at high risk, such as older adults, people with medical conditions and pregnant women. In addition, there are effective FDA approved anti-viral medications available by prescription that help reduce the duration and severity of illness for COVID-19 and flu.

Here are some simple healthy habits you can follow to lower your chance of getting a cold, flu or COVID-19:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Isolate from others in your home as much as possible.
• Cover your face with a cloth or other mask when you are unable to maintain a safe physical distance from others (at least six feet) especially when inside.
• Wash your hands (this is best) or use a hand sanitizer that is at least 70 percent alcohol after touching hard surfaces or other people, before eating, and after using the restroom.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes as it is easier for viruses to spread this way.
• Clean the hard surfaces in your home frequently, especially countertops, door handles and tables.
• Keep your immune system in great shape by eating a plant rich diet, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep.
• Vaccinate prior to peak flu and COVID-19 season.

COVID-19 and flu vaccination and testing are offered at HPC, contact us at 913-648-2266 to schedule your appointment.

By Lee Champion, MSN, FCN, RN, Clinic Director/Risk and Compliance Officer at Health Partnership Clinic

The COVID-19 pandemic and increases in flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV cases continue to remind us of the importance of patient safety in everything we do at Health Partnership Clinic. During March 12-18, we celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week. Although patient safety is an integral part of our processes and protocols, March is dedicated to building awareness among our staff and patients. Bottom line, safety is everyone’s responsibility.

To learn more, watch our newest video: 

Improving Patient Safety Begins With You

Here are a few steps to ensure your safety when visiting the clinic:

• Most importantly, wash your hands on a regular basis (before eating, after eating, after using the restroom, etc.) and sneeze in your arms not in your hands.
• Everyone working at or visiting our clinics must wear masks while on campus. Masks work to decrease the droplets that can carry COVID-19 and other germs.
• Chairs are spaced apart in our lobby areas to provide less contact between patients and visitors.
• We offer telemedicine visits if you would prefer to stay at home for your visit. If you are sick with COVID-19, a telemedicine visit allows you to discuss your care with a provider.
• Dividers have been installed in our Olathe Pediatric lobby to separate patients who are sick from patients who have appointments for physicals and preventative care.
• We are participating in the Federal program to distribute COVID-19 Home Testing Kits. You can pick up kits at our clinic locations by asking the front desk. Limit two per household member.
• We also continue to offer COVID vaccines on the second Friday of the month in Olathe. To schedule, call 913-648-2266.
• Keep an eye on your children at all times. Running and playing are not permitted in the clinic.

For updates on how we are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit us  at https://hpcks.org/coronavirus.

By Maureen Caro, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner

This winter is gearing up and along with it are the cold and flu! Everyone is very concerned about COVID-19, and there is considerable overlap with symptoms from cold, flu and COVID-19. Of course, the best information comes directly from your provider! At Health Partnership Clinic, we encourage our patients to utilize the patient portal and email any questions or concerns.

A general rule of thumb for differentiating cold and flu is that you can work through a cold, but you can’t work through flu. Of course, I am not recommending anyone go to work with any kind of symptoms this year! However, people coming in pajamas and uncombed hair and falling asleep in my clinic are likely suffering from flu versus a simple cold. Flu tends to cause a fever (often high grade, over 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit), muscle aches, severe headache, fatigue. Cough, congestion, and sometimes diarrhea (more often in children) is also common. Colds tend to be more of an annoyance, a little cough, post-nasal drainage, feeling tired.

Over-the-Counter Recommendations

For over-the-counter recommendations, it depends on what symptom you are treating. For cough and nasal congestion, I prefer guaifenesin

to loosen up that drainage. The important thing is to drink a full glass of water with each dose. Guaifenesin is also called Mucinex. You can also get a product containing guaifenesin with dextromethorphan, which is abbreviated DM like Mucinex-DM, this is a cough suppressant. This can sometimes make you drowsy; I recommend it at night.

Dayquil/Nyquil are a good daytime/nighttime combination, just be sure you measure the portions! Pseudoephedrine, also called Sudafed, often abbreviated with a D at the end of the medication name, like Mucinex-D, is a good choice for nasal congestion. Sudafed can act as a mild stimulant, so it is labeled non-drowsy, but it can affect mood. I only recommend it for morning time. I also do not recommend it for anyone with hypertension or heart issues.

Sometimes people will take antihistamines to help dry up nasal drainage. Antihistamines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine, the little pink pills) are going to make you sleepy, so don’t take it and then try to work.

As a general rule, I only like one combination product to be used at a time, like Dayquil in the morning, Nyquil in the evening, in addition to plain ibuprofen for muscle aches. It is too easy to take too much of one individual medication if you take multiple combination products. Dayquil and Nyquil both contain acetaminophen, so if you take additional acetaminophen on top of that you can damage your liver. Advil/ibuprofen is in a different drug class than Tylenol/ibuprofen, so it is fine to combine ibuprofen doses with Dayquil/Nyquil. Easiest thing to do is to ask a pharmacist when you are there at the pharmacy!

Testing

For certainty that something is not COVID-19, the best answer is to call the clinic for a test. I have been seeing a fair amount of diarrhea/GI symptoms without a cough or nasal congestion, although cough and shortness of breath are very common. A fever over 100.4 is common, and one of the consistent symptoms I have seen is loss of smell or taste.

We have the rapid test at HPC that can be used on symptomatic patients in the first seven days of symptoms, so please call the clinic directly to see if we can schedule you for a test. Our main number is 913-648-2266. We might need to schedule you for a telemedicine visit, prior to testing, to evaluate further.

Emergency Room

Deciding when to go to the ER, can be tricky. Any of my patients telling me they feel short of breath is always concerning. A patient that is struggling to breathe, using chest and throat muscles to breathe, or running out of air with only talking always gets me worried. A fever that cannot be controlled at home with antipyretics such as Tylenol/acetaminophen or Advil/ibuprofen, or a temperature over 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit is also a good reason to go to the ER. A child that is not drinking normally and has dry mucous membranes is also concerning, and if the parent is concerned for their child, their instincts are usually right on the nose. However, if you have a slight sore throat and/or manageable symptoms, stay home and call the clinic!

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm