Medical Updates

February 26, 2016  Mumps information

Recently there have been some cases of mumps at several Indiana college campuses.  Cases are being investigated by public health department personnel.  If you have not been notified, there is no medical reason to believe you were at risk for potential exposure.

Symptoms of mumps include swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides, fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite.

Mumps is spread from direct and indirect contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets, which can be transmitted by sneezing and coughing.

People with mumps can spread their infections for up to two days before and five days after the onset of symptoms.  Therefore, anyone with symptoms should stay home and avoid others to prevent the further spread of illness.

Because the mumps is a virus, it does not respond to antibiotics or other medications.  Symptoms typically appear 16 – 18 days after exposure to the infection but can range from 12 to 25 days.  Generally, mumps is a mild illness, and some people may not have any symptoms.  While complications and more serious issues can result from a mumps infection, they are generally rare, with a 1 percent to 3 percent complication rate.  Treatment for mumps is geared toward alleviating symptoms.  Bed rest, a soft diet and a pain reliever for aches are often recommended.

What should you do? :

  • Check your vaccination record with your doctor.  Currently, the best way to prevent mumps is to be vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR.  Two doses of vaccine are only considered around 80 percent effective at preventing infection, so some people who have been fully vaccinated with two MMRs may still contract mumps.  The two doses are generally given at age 1 and age 5, but can be given as close as two months apart.  if your child is one year old and hasn’t received an MMR vaccine, please call and get vaccinated immediately.
  • Practice good hygiene habits – such as regularly washing your hands with soap and water; sneezing and coughing into a tissue or your elbow; and avoiding the sharing of drinks, food and utensils – are a good way to prevent illness and transmission.
  • Stay home if you have any symptoms.  If you have any of the symptoms, even if you received your MMR vaccine, stay home, away form others and call your primary care provider or campus health department.
  • For more information see the following website (http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/)

 Randall D. Stoesz, MD

September 28, 2015

FLU VACCINE  2015 -16  We have flu vaccine for 2015-16 available for children 6 months  through 35 months of age.  Unfortunately, we have no more flu vaccine for children over 3 years of age.

To receive a flu shot each child must have been seen by their Pediatrician for a Complete Physical Exam in the last 12 months. 

ATTENTION PARENTSEach summer appointments for yearly physicals fill up quickly!
Please call our office early to be sure to get a convenient time.
From the Indiana State Medical Association: Many local pharmacies are advertising spring sports physicals at bargain rates. Without the signature of a physician with an unlimited license to practice medicine, however, the physical will not be valid for Indiana high school students. Policies of both the ISMA and the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSSA) call for forms to be signed by a physician if the student is in high school.


June 11, 2012
INDIANA DRUG CARD – FREE
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

  • The cards are FREE to all Indiana residents.
  • There are no enrollment forms, no restrictions, no age or income requirements, no waiting periods, no eligibility required, no exclusions, covers pre-existing conditions, no claim forms to file, no annual or lifetime limits, includes discounts of brand and generic medications, open formulary so that brand and generic medications are eligible for discounts.
  • This program has a “LOWEST PRICE” feature that provides cardholders the lowest plan price on prescriptions at participating pharmacies (Medication Pricing/Discounts are calculated on the plans lowest negotiated contract price and the pharmacy’s “usual and customary” price).
  • This program can be used by people who have Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), High Deductible Plans, and Medicare Part D.
  • The program can be used as a standalone benefit or to get discounts on non-covered drugs.
  • All Indiana residents are eligible to participate in this program.
  • To obtain a FREE card, access www.IndianaDrugCard.com 24 hours a day and download as many cards as needed.
  • If patients do not have access to a computer, patients can walk into any CVS to recieve the discount through the Indiana Drug Card program.


February 16, 2012
Measles Information
We have found that there is an excellent guideline on the hamiltoncounty.in.gov regarding the current situation with measles.

www.hamiltoncounty.in.gov

Call if you are uncertain about your vaccine status. Children are routinely vaccinated for measles at 1 year of age, and again at 4-6 years of age before going into kindergarten, but children as young as 6 months old can receive the measles vaccine if they are at risk.

www.cdc.gov/measles

If you need the MMR vaccine you will need to call our office to make an appointment.


August 15, 2011
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT INFANT ACETAMINOPHEN PRODUCTS
Manufacturers are changing the amount (concentration) of acetaminophen in medicines for infants. These different concentrations have different dosing instructions. During the transition time of 2011-2012 you may find both kinds on the store shelves and in your home.

  1. Infant Drops (concentrated)
  2. Infant Syrup

The concentration for the medicine is listed on the front of the medicine bottle.

To avoid dosing errors:

  1. Always check the correct dose
  2. Always chck the concentration of medicine
  3. Always use the dosing syringe or dropper provided with that bottle of medication

The CDC published “Ten Great Public Health Achievements –United States, 2001-2010 in the May 20th issue of MMWR

The past decade has seen substantial declines in cases, hospitalizatons, deaths, and healthcare costs associated with vaccine-preventable diseases. New vaccines (i.e., rotavirus, quadravalent meningococcal conjugate, herpes zoster, pneumococcal conjugate, and human papillomavirus vaccines, as well as tetanus, diptheria, and accellular pertussis vaccine for adults and adolescents) were introduced, bringing to 17 the number of diseases targeted by U.S. immunization policy. A recent economic analysis indicated that vaccination of each U.S. birth cohort with the current childhood immunization schedule prevents approximaely 42,000 deaths and 20 million cases of disease, with the net savings of nearly $14 billion in direct costs and $69 billion in total societal costs.

The impact of two vaccines has been particularly striking. Following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, an estimated 211,000 serious pneumococcal infections and 13,000 deaths were prevented during 2000-2008. Routine rotavirus vaccination, implemented in 2006, now prevents an estimated 40,000-60,000 rotavirus hospitalizations each year. Advances also were made in the use of older vaccines, with reported cases of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and varicella at record lows by the end of the decade. Age-specific mortality (i.e., deaths per million population) from varicella for persons age