Head To Toe Assessment

A couple times a year local and national mass media put the spotlight on problems connected to antibiotic overuse. Some people consider those problems to be real and serious, and others think that the discussed topics are nothing more than new “fashionable” subjects to talk about, distracting people from “real” problems, such as climbing gas prices or war expenses. Meanwhile, antibiotic overuse continues as a common practice among US doctors and agribusinesses for the last 20 years. The practice of antibiotic overuse has put patient’s health at risk, contributed to antibiotic resistance and increased bacterial mutation to a new, stronger level; as well as it hitting the economy with new costly expenses in health care. It is time to stop

M.C. is a 4 week old Caucasian male and was assessed on 2/3/2015. M.C. was awake and crying in his mother’s arms. He appeared to be well-nourished, well developed and in distress. M.C.’s mother stated his full name and date of birth, which matched his ID band. His mother was sitting in the hospital bed holding him in her arms and attempting to comfort him. His father was laying on the couch in the room. A complete head to toe assessment was not done during this time but the following results were obtained based on a focused assessment. M.C. was on contact-droplet isolation. M.C. had a temperature of 37.2C, his blood pressure was 33/47 with a MAP of 68 taken on his left leg. His respirations were 40 breaths per minute with an oxygen saturation of 100%. His pulse was 178 beats per minute. M.C. was on room air and had a PIV located in his left hand. There was no presence of tubes or drains. Pain was not assessed at this time however, M.C. was fussy and crying. The anterior and posterior fontanels were inspected. The anterior fontanel was soft and flat. M.C.’s lung sounds were clear to auscultation. His mother reported that he had some nasal congestion but had no

Nutrition has recommended that children should not go to sleep with bottles (AAP, 1998). The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has recommended that an infant oral health evaluation should be performed within 6 months of the eruption of the primary tooth but no later than 12 months of age (AAPD, 1999).

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a more prevalent issue. This is a growing dilemma because, not only do patients have the potential to develop resistance, but they also can transmit the resistant bacteria to others (McKellar, 2014). Additionally, it is estimated that over one-third of all antibiotics prescribed to patients are unnecessary (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Overutilization of antibiotics is a growing problem due to some patients’ inappropriate demands for antibiotics or misdiagnoses by prescribers, however, underutilization of antibiotics can be just as problematic. Physicians are trained to use good antimicrobial stewardship when prescribing antibiotics; only giving them to patients who truly do have a bacterial infection. This becomes an issue when providers are too cautious and do not prescribe antibiotics in an attempt not to contribute to antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, this caution could have a detrimental effect on the health of patients who actually need the antibiotics. To combat this issue, we must find a balance between good antimicrobial stewardship to minimize resistance while also taking underutilization into consideration. We, as pharmacists, are at a unique position between the physician and

It is also possible for parents to give their child small doses of pain medicine. Infant Tylenol can be helpful in ameliorating the symptoms of teething. Overall, it is best for parents to remember that teething is a natural process and is just a phase. Teething pain relief can help with the process but it will resolve itself on its own

Thinking back to when I have done a health history I have luckily had good experiences. As a nurse I do not have much to compare to but I have had a dew admissions where I have obtained a health history. For one I can remember the patient was not verbal. He was in his 60’s and had multiple CVA’s. His 87 mother took care of him, along with his medications, doctors’ office and any car he needed. She had great family support with her other children so this made it a lot easier for her. At first when I received report from the ED that the patients mother would be providing the health history and medication history I was worried but I was wrong. The patient’s mother knew, off the top of her head, exactly what medication her son was on. To

Your first step is an evaluation of your child’s teeth, jaw, and bite. Dr. Takacs will thoroughly review treatment options with you and answer any questions

Rather than just providing general information for when teething should begin and when it should end, most of these charts are detailed drawings where each tooth is labeled with the age at which it should develop. It is important to remember, though, that the ages listed are just an average. Since each child develops differently, minor differences should not be a cause for concern. If you child is developing teeth at a rate that is much different than what is shown on a chart, though, it may be a good idea to be seen by your pediatrician or a dentist who specializes in pediatric

Babies are different, some baby may have all the symptoms of teething while others may not have any symptoms at all

Schedule a dental appointment before your baby’s first birthday. At this time, your dentist can answer any questions you have about teething or sucking habits, and your baby can get used to the dental environment. And after the first appointment, regularly scheduled visits are important for the dentist to monitor the development of your child’s jaws and teeth as they are rapidly growing.

Even though all your baby is eating at this point is milk, you still need to take care of your child's mouth. At this point, you don't even need to use toothpaste. Just wipe a clean soft washcloth over your baby's gums or wipe them down with some gauze. This will prevent bacteria from accumulating on your baby's gum and infecting their baby teeth when they start to come in.

In the U.S. alone, the amount of prescribed courses of antibiotics per year far exceeds the the population, indicating that some people are getting more than one course of antibiotic treatment per year. In relation to that, the treatment indication and duration of antibiotic therapy has been found to be incorrect in 30% to 50% of cases studied and 30% to 60% of patients in intensive care units were found to be given unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic treatment (Ventola, 2015). Another subject of concern is the lack of regulation in other countries. Many are able to purchase antibiotics without a prescription which leads to cheap and easy access, eventually encouraging misuse of the drug. Also, these same countries are able to sell antibiotics online where people residing in regulated countries are able to purchase them, contributing to the problem even further (Ventola, 2015). The lack of education and concern for the regulation of antibiotics can have dire consequences not only for patients but for the rest of the population, as

Department of Health and Human Services 2013). The dependency of antibiotics can also be reflected by the over consumption of antibiotics in pediatric care. Patients in the pediatric care unit are also being overprescribed antibiotics at a much higher rate, “a study showed that doctors prescribe antibiotics 62% of the time if they perceive parents expect them and 7% of the time if they feel parents do not expect them.” (H, Brook et. Al. 1999). Antibiotics are meant to heal patients however when misused by the population, ”antibiotic-resistance mostly happens in the general community.” (World Health Organization 2013). The view that antibiotics act is an antidote for anything that causes illness is a dangerous perception. This problem begs for a program that can regulate the impulse to give into antibiotics.

You might want to have the child place some ice on the gums or suck on an ice pop to keep the swelling

Teething is the natural process during which your baby. For first time parents, nothing is more worrying than not knowing why your baby is kicking up a storm by crying. Those who already have experience would probably not bat an eyelid because they know what to do.