New and Improved Website

Greetings! We at Elm Street Pediatrics are thrilled to announce that we have updated and improved our website, www.elmstreetpediatrics.org. As of now, we are moving our blog to our website homepage, where it can now be found amongst lots of other fascinating and useful information. Please follow our blog over to our new home, and please also let us know how you feel about the change. We hope you will be as excited about it as we are. Thanks and enjoy the rest of the summer!!

- esp

Almost Summer 2010 !

• As we get closer to the end of the school year there seem to be many pressures on parents, children and doctors alike. This can lead to significant stress, and many may notice behavior issues surfacing. The 1-2 week break between school end and summer camps starting can be a great time to rest up and loosen the daily schedule.
• For those with teens, please monitor parties and get-together times. Alcohol use though illegal is common, and a little forethought and parental control can hopefully avoid tragedy.
• We offered a parenting work-shop last week in the office. Those who came found it helpful. If there is another format you would prefer- for instance- earlier in the evening with child minding please let us know.
• Updating the website- we are in the process of doing this. We aim to make news more easily accessible and up to date.
• Schedule your sports physicals and school physicals as soon as possible. While we aim to see all our patients when one is needed, rather than them need to go to a CVS or Walgreen's walk in clinic, we are more relaxed and less rushed in June and July than in the second half of August.
  
• While some colleges do not require a physical we really recommend it. We have a wealth of advice, both medical and psychological to give, as well as doing the physical itself. We enjoy seeing our young people all the way through college, as long as they feel comfortable too.
• New parents- an updated Tetanus vaccine- the Tdap is recommended, if you have not had one in a few years. While the hospital seems to take care of new Mothers often the Dads are overlooked. This vaccine prevents both Tetanus and Pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough. This disease has surfaced again over the last few years, and while to older children it is mild, though prolonged cough, to newborns it can be fatal. We do carry this vaccine, while your internist may not, and can administer to you. We will provide papers for you to submit to insurance.
• Please tell your friends, who might be pregnant, that we do offer free prenatal 'get to know you' visits with all the doctors. Just call the receptionist.
• Dr Nelson is out of the office until June 24th
• Dr Goodman will be away June 25th - July 7th
  

March News from Elm Street Pediatrics

It is only 3 weeks to the official start of Spring, but as those of us who have lived in Chicagoland for a while now are aware, winter seems to hang around for several more months, along with many winter illnesses.

• We are continuing to see many children with nasal congestion and wheezing, most of which is due to the respiratory syncytial virus. This usually affects preschoolers, and can be concerning in infants under 6 months. It usually presents with nasal congestion and low grade fever, but soon may progress with a wet chesty cough and some respiratory distress. Sometimes we are able to diagnose in the office with a nasal swab, and this does help us to be able to predict the course. Ear infections and very occasionally pneumonia can be associated. It is important to watch whether a child is having difficulty breathing, and to make sure that fluid intake is adequate. Usually the acute phase of the illness lasts 3-5 days but the cough can really linger for 2 weeks. An appointment is always recommended if you are worried.
• Also there seems to be still a significant number of children with gastroenteritis. This typically starts with vomiting and usually is followed by diarrhea within a few days. If the vomiting is persistent please always call the doctor on call, as younger children can become dehydrated quite quickly. Small sips of clear fluids containing sugar, preferably pedialyte in younger children, are recommended -even if your child is not too interested in drinking. Do not worry about eating for a few days. Once again watching the urine output is very important. As mentioned in previous blogs these are usually viral illnesses, that will get better with supportive care, and do not need antibiotics.
  
• The new Prevnar vaccine has been licensed. This vaccine will cover 13 antigens as apposed to 7 in the current vaccine. One important serotype - or variety of pneumococcus that is resistant to amoxicillin is included in the new vaccine. The Prevnar vaccine is usually given at 2, 4, 6, 12-18 and 24 months. Pneumococcus can cause ear infections, sinusitis, pneumonia and meningitis, among other illnesses. We hope to have supplies of the new vaccine within a month
• We will continue to offer 'Walk-in hours' everyday through March- including THURSDAYS - please give us your feedback about this service, and any recommendations are always welcome. As usual if you show up before 10am being seen is guaranteed, and if we are not too busy we are flexible with this time. Dr Miki continues to see children for check-ups starting at 9 am on Thursdays.
• Dr Nelson will be back in the office starting March 18th.
  

End of January Office Update

1. Infections going around...

• RSV: we are seeing LOTS of RSV around. RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It causes fevers for 4-6 days, congestion, cough, and ear infections. It can also cause wheezing in certain kids, and can occasionally lead to pneumonia. It most often affects younger children under age 3, though we have seen it in some toddlers/ preschoolers/ school aged kids as well.
• Gastroenteritis (the stomach flu): we are seeing lots of kids with vomiting, many with diarrhea as well. In general these are caused by viruses, and do not require antibiotics. It is important to monitor hydration status for these kids. Signs of dehydration include dry lips, lethargy, significantly decreased urine output, and fast heart rates.
• Influenza: we have not seen much influenza this month. It typically worsens in February and March. We suspect that there will be a resurgence of H1N1 Influenza this winter, so it is still a good idea to get immunized or receive a booster if you have not already done so.

2. Office Information...

• Walk-ins: we continue to offer walk-ins starting at 830 AM throughout all of January and February. We hope this helps you as we try to provide easy access to us during the difficult winter months.
• Blog: we will continue to update our blog with information as we have it. Thanks for reading.

Stay warm and stay healthy!
- esp

Happy New Year 2010!

Happy New Year to everybody! We are sorry we havent posted any info in awhile, but we do plan on providing information here on a monthly basis, so stay tuned!

What we are seeing in the office:

• we have seen a nice decrease in the amount of H1N1 influenza seen in the area
• if history holds true, we should start to soon see an increase in Seasonal influenza
• we have started to see RSV, which is a fever/ runny nose/ cough/ wheezing/ ear infection illness that tends to affect younger children under age 3
• we are also seeing lots of gastroenteritis, also known as "stomach flu"

Vaccine reminder:

• we do have H1N1 vaccine, and as a reminder, a second (booster) dose is recommended for all children aged 9 or younger who received the first dose of vaccine
• the booster should be given 3-6 weeks after the first dose was given

Please stay tuned and stay warm!
We will be providing updated information again soon in the near future!
And... Happy New Year!!!

-esp

H1N1 Recalls, Holiday Hours, and Booster Info

H1N1 Vaccine Recalls

• Some of you may have read or heard on the news that certain lots of Thimersol-free H1N1 injectable Vaccine given to patients ages 6 mos-35 mos were recently recalled
• None of the Nasal Mist was recalled
  
• We are happy to say that we did not have these lots at Elm Street Pediatrics, so if you received the vaccine at our office, this does not affect your child!!
• In addition, please note: the recall did NOT happen because the vaccines were unsafe in any way, but rather due to questions of their effectiveness; thus, do not let this news worry you about the safety of the vaccines your child received

H1N1 and Influenza Booster Info

• As noted previously, we are currently offering booster doses for both the H1N1 and Seasonal Flu vaccines
• All children under age 10 are recommended to receive boosters of the H1N1 vaccine, ideally 4 weeks but as soon as 3 weeks after the first dose
• All children receiving the seasonal flu shot for the first time under age 9 are also recommended to get a booster shot at least 4 weeks following the first dose
• In order to make scheduling smoother and easier, please do NOT call to schedule the booster until your child is due to receive it... we cannot schedule all children for boosters several weeks in advance as our flu clinic schedules are not set that far ahead of time!!
• Thanks for your understanding with that issue!

Holiday Hours:

• A reminder of our holiday hours:
• Thurday Dec 24 and Thursday Dec 31: 8:30 am-1:00 pm with walk-ins from 8:30-10 am
  
• Friday Dec 25 and Friday Jan 1: closed for holiday, but available via pager/ on-call as needed
• Saturday Dec 26 and Saturday Jan 2: open as regular Saturday hours starting at 9:00 am

Thank you!
Happy holidays!!
Stay Warm!!!

-esp

Boosters Galore

Good news from Elm Street Pediatrics regarding Flu vaccines....

H1N1 Vaccine

• First dose and booster doses now available for the following ages: 6 mos-35 mos, 4 years and older
• For kids aged 36 mos-4 years old (i.e. 3 year olds) please discuss with one of the physicians to determine the best approach
• For the booster: it is ideally given 21-28 days after the first dose; also, if the first dose was a mist, it is preferred that the second is a mist -- likewise if the first dose was a shot, it is preferred that the second is a shot -- however, if for availability reasons it is necessary to get the other form of vaccine, that IS acceptable
  
• Please call the front desk to schedule
  

Seasonal Flu Vaccine

• The seasonal flu vaccine is available for ALL kids 6 months of age and older on a first come, first serve basis
  
• Please call the front desk to schedule

What illnesses are going around now??

• We are still seeing H1N1 Influenza circulating in the community
• It is true that we are seeing less H1N1 flu than we had seen in previous months
• December is typically the beginning of Seasonal Influenza
• We are starting to see seasonal Influenza this month; this typically peaks in February and extends into the spring months, however every season is slightly different.
  

The AAP has launched a new website for parents, with tips and links.

• If you are interested: http://healthychildren.org/
  

A special thanks to all the extra work put in by our front office and nursing staff during this busy time, as we try to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible...

Thanks for reading!

Happy holidays!! Our Holiday hours will be posted next week.


Please don't hesitate to call with ANY questions, comments, or concerns!!!

- the doctors at Elm Street Pediatrics