Zika Virus: What Do You Know About It #ZikaVirus

Just what do you know about the "Zika Virus", that mosquito- borne illness that is in the news all the time now it seems? Did you know that it has actually been around since 1947? Yep that's right, it started in Africa and spread to Asia and the Pacific islands, then to Latin American and the Caribbean where it is rapidly spreading now.

So what are the symptoms of Zika? 

• Most people don't know they have been affected with the virus at all, they will have no symptoms
• The most common symptoms can be fever, rash, joint pains, conjunctivitis (redness of the eyes) , muscle pain and/ or headaches possibly. 
• The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.
• It is best to see your doctor or healthcare provider if you are pregnant and develop any of the symptoms above within 2 weeks of traveling to any of the affected countries/areas.
• Zika virus is usually a mild illness with symptoms lasting only a short time after being bit by an infected mosquito. 
• People infected with the Zika virus do not usually need any kind of hospitalization and very rarely are ill enough to die from the virus. Please to not present to the Emergency room in a panic because you think you have symptoms of the Zika virus. 
• There is no cure and no vaccine available yet, although they are working towards the vaccine. 

Prevention:  "Education is the key to prevention"

• There is no cure and no vaccine for Zika, so prevention is the best cure we have right now.
• Avoiding mosquito bites especially in areas that are know for outbreaks of the Zika virus.
• Prevent sexual transmission of the virus by using condoms or abstaining from sexual contact. 
• Wear long sleeve protective clothing and pants to keep bare skin covered, be aware that mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus usually bite more in the day-time hours. 
• Stay indoors in air conditioned rooms or keep screened doors closed to limit exposure
• Sleep under a mosquito net if you are in a heavily infested Zika area
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol. Choosing an EPA-registered repellent ensures the EPA has evaluated the product for effectiveness. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Always follow the product label instructions.
Reapply insect repellent as directed.
Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.

• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent.
• Protect children from mosquito bites (they need special care with chemical bug repellents)
• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old.
• Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
• Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.
• Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
• Be sure to check your yard often, daily even for standing water and keep it dumped out. Mosquito's can breed in a tiny little bit of water, like the size of a bottle cap (sneaky little boogers), so be a detective and get rid of them.
• Protect your family and your community, it's just the right thing to do!
• Be smart about planning a pregnancy if you are going to travel to South America or the Caribbean , talk to your doctor first. It might be a better option to wait or delay your travel plans.

Below is a great infographic I found that explains the Zika virus in detail (with a timeline) , symptoms, treatments and preventative measures.

Do you want more information about the Zika Virus? Here are a few links to visit and learn more. 

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/fs-posters/index.html

http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/en/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/13/health/cdc-zika-virus-microcephaly/index.html

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/zika-virus-symptoms-prevention

Please educate yourself and be smart this summer about mosquitos, they can carry numerous virus's and diseases. With some prevention and a dose of smartness we can be smarter. 

Have a great and safe weekend

What Can You Do To Stop The Flu #flu #wellness

Simple.......Wash Your Hands!
Stay Home if you are sick...... Please!
The ER is not the place to go if you have the flu! You are just filling up the waiting rooms, exposing others that might be at risk for worsening illness.
The flu is a virus and we all know that viral illness's are miserable but we really can't fix them in the ER. Sorry to say that you just have to suck it up buttercup and move on.
The flu can treated just fine at home, unless you have complications such as pneumonia or worsening problems.
If you have a fever, don't rush to the ER, for Pete's sake take some over the counter medicine and treat your fever. Use your brain!

Need Health and Wellness supplies? Get them here--- Soap.com 

A US & Global View Of Child Injury #prevention #safety

Parents Are The Key : To Teen Driver Safety

Letting my oldest child drive a car has to be the single hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life, as a mom it is gut wrenching to see your babies grow up and get behind the wheel. But as an ER nurse it is terrifying to know the statistics that are out there're concerning teen drivers. The what if's run thru your head all the time. So what can you do as a parent?
Get yourself informed and stay informed! Education is the key to the prevention of injury. Teach your teen how to respect the road, the car, the cell phone and other motorists on the road. No respect for those things.....no keys at my house. Keep the conversation going consistently and daily.
Learning to drive is often considered a rite of passage for teenagers. But with the reward of being a new driver comes real risk. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, taking the lives of eight teens a day. CDC's Injury Center is committed to preventing teen crashes and related deaths and injuries.

According to a CDC study, Drivers aged 16 or 17 years involved in fatal crashes—United States, 2004–2008 [PDF - 1.92 MB], published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the annual number of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes decreased by 36% from 2004 to 2008. The study states that graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws, or teen driving laws, that exist in 49 states can be credited at least in part for the reduction in death rates. These laws limit driving under high risk conditions for newly-licensed drivers, such as driving at night and transporting other teen passengers.

However, since one out of every three teen deaths is the result of a motor vehicle crash, further reductions in teen crashes and related injuries are essential. CDC's new "Parents Are the Key" campaign and "Policy Impact: Teen Driver Safety" issue brief can help parents, policymakers, and others take steps to save young lives.

"Parents Are the Key" Campaign Launched Nationally

As a parent, you have the greatest influence over your teen's behavior. In fact, leading experts believe parents play a key role in preventing teen car crashes and deaths. Take the first step: Talk with your teen about staying safe behind the wheel. Then, keep the conversation going. You can steer your teen in the right direction, and "Parents Are the Key" has proven steps that can help.

CDC developed the "Parents Are the Key" campaign to help inform parents across the nation about the key role they can—and should—play in protecting their teen drivers. Individuals and groups can use the "Parents Are the Key" campaign materials to help parents learn about the most dangerous driving situations for their young driver and how to avoid them. All of the campaign materials—including a parent-teen safe driving agreement, posters, fact sheets, video, social media tools, implementation guide, and more—are available free of charge atwww.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey.

Policy Impact Brief Focuses on Teen Driver Safety

Policy Impact: Teen Driver Safety is the first in a new series of issue briefs highlighting key public health issues and important, science-based policy actions that can be taken to address them. In a simple, at-a-glance format, this new brief features critical information on the tremendous toll that crashes among teen drivers take, as well as CDC's recommendations for improving new driver safety. Highlights include 

By making these new resources available, CDC aims to provide parents, policymakers, and others with proven information on how to help teen drivers live to their full potential.

More Information

• MMWR: Drivers aged 16 or 17 years involved in fatal crashes—United States, 2004–2008 [PDF - 1.92 MB]
• Parents Are the Key: Campaign for Safe Teen Driving
• 
  Policy Impact: Teen Driver Safety
  
• Facts and Resources about Teen Drivers
• Protect the Ones You Love: Road Traffic Injuries
• Parents Are the Key Facebook Page
• CDC TV Video: "Parents Are the Key to Safe Teen Drivers"

Credit to: CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. A US federal agency, CDC helps make the healthy choice the easy choice by putting science and prevention into action. CDC works to help people live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

Stay safe and drive smart today!

Heard You Got a Bad Bug....

Don't put off flu shot, there's plenty for all, CDC says

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu shots for everyone over 6 months old.

Yet relatively few get them. Last year, only 43% of Americans got a flu shot, and that was a record year. In developed countries, flu kills more people than any other vaccine-preventable disease, says pediatrician Jon Abramson of Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

This year, 42% of consumers say they plan to skip the flu shot, according to a new survey of nearly 1,500 adults by CVS pharmacy, which shared survey results exclusively with USA TODAY.

In the United States, flu season runs from October to May, with most cases occurring between late December and early March.

Signs and Symptoms of the flu

The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms usually are more severe than the typical sneezing and stuffiness of a cold.

Symptoms, which usually begin about 2 days after exposure to the virus, can include:

• fever
• chills
• headache
• muscle aches
• dizziness
• loss of appetite
• tiredness
• cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• nausea or vomiting
• weakness
• ear pain
• diarrhea

Infants with the flu also may seem fussy all of a sudden or just "not look right."

Duration

After 5 days, fever and other symptoms have usually disappeared, but a cough and weakness may continue.

All symptoms are usually gone within a week or two. However, it's important to treat the flu seriously because it can lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening complications, particularly in infants, senior citizens, and people with long-term health problems.




Experts talk about some of the most common myths about the flu and the flu shot

Myth 1: The flu is just a bad cold.

A cold is an annoyance. The flu kills up to 49,000 people a year and hospitalizes 200,000, the CDC says. Last year, 114 children died. Flu symptoms tend to appear suddenly, unlike a cold. People who get H1N1 (swine flu) are often laid up for a week with fever, body aches, sore throat, fatigue, headaches and a runny or congested nose, says the CDC.

Myth 2: The flu shot causes the flu.

About 35% of consumers think the flu vaccine can cause flu, CVS found. But that's impossible, CDC says, because the viruses in the flu shot are dead. Its most common side effect is a sore arm. Mist nasal spray contains weakened viruses, so they don't cause severe symptoms, either. Side effects in kids can include a runny nose, wheezing and headache.

Myth 3: New "combined" shots are riskier than older ones.

This year's shot, which protects against both H1N1 and seasonal flu, was made the same way as every other flu shot, says Randy Bergen of Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, Calif. Every year, vaccine makers include viral strains that are most likely to cause illness. Typically, these include two influenza A strains — an H1N1 and an H3N2 — and a strain of influenza B, Abramson says.

Myth 4: Only sickly people need a flu shot.

Half of consumers think flu shots are only for kids or sick people, CVS found. Actually, the most vulnerable members of society, such as newborns or those with weak immune systems, often can't get flu shots. The only way to protect them is to vaccinate everyone around them, keeping flu viruses out of circulation, Bergen says. Because babies can't be vaccinated until they're 6 months old, they depend on vaccinated friends and family members to create a "cocoon" of protection , Bergen says.

Myth 5: Flu shots contain toxic chemicals such as mercury.

About 14% of those surveyed said flu shots were dangerous. Concerns about mercury have revolved around a preservative called thimerosal, once commonly used in vaccines but mostly phased out since 2001 . Today, no thimerosal is added to FluMist nasal spray or to flu shots from single-dose containers, says Paul Offit, infectious-disease expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Companies add thimerosal to only flu vaccine stored in multi-dose vials, to prevent fungus or other potentially dangerous germs, Bergen says. There's no evidence that the low levels of thimerosal in shots cause any harm, says Offit. Thimerosal contains ethyl mercury, not methyl mercury, the type that can cause brain damage, he says. The low levels of ethyl mercury found in multi-dose flu shots have never been shown to cause harm, Offt says. There's also no data to prove that thimerosal causes autism, either, Offit adds. In fact, seven studies now refute that idea. Offit notes that flu shots don't use aluminum, which is used in other vaccines as an "adjuvant" to stimulate a stronger immune response.

Why not get protection from the flu?

Simple protection from a potentially deadly problem, a flu shot every year is all that it takes. Yet so many people make excuses not to get one, I used to be one of those people even as a healthcare worker,and I got the vaccine for free for Pete's sake. I would make up every excuse under the sun to avoid getting a "shot" , such a baby, until I actually got the flu and was so miserably sick I could not move. I did some reading myself, educated myself about the flu types, causes, vaccines and potential effects if not vaccinated and I was quickly sold on the fact that I was being crazy not to vaccinate myself as a healthcare worker and endangering my patients also. I have never gotten the flu from a flu shot, not possible, it is not the live vaccine you are getting unless you get the nasal spray.

I read a good article today via NBCNews vital signs that talked about how the number of people in the US getting the influenza vaccine has declined, so we will no have many more very ill patients to treat this year I guess? Below is excerpts of that article.

“Influenza is five times more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than women who are not pregnant,” said Dr. Laura Riley of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

But a CDC survey released Thursday showed that just 47 percent of pregnant women had a flu vaccine last year. If their doctors both recommended and provided the vaccine, nearly 74 percent of pregnant women got the shot. Just 11 percent of women whose doctor said nothing got immunized.

Even though doctors have been stressing for years that flu vaccines cannot give people the flu, a full quarter of the pregnant women who refused the vaccine said they believed it would infect them. Another 13 percent thought their babies were at risk.

“Pregnant women worry about everything,” Riley said. “We spend a lot of time in this country talking about you can’t eat this, you can’t eat that. It takes us a little while to get the message out about how efficacious (the vaccine) is. We are preventing a very severe disease potentially and we are protecting your baby.” Vaccination does not raise the risk of miscarriages or birth defects.

Flu may be off many people’s radar because the last two years haven’t been especially bad, and because the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic didn’t turn out to be as bad an initially feared.

Yet, 1,300 children died from H1N1 that year and about 100 U.S. children die every year from flu, half of them previously perfectly healthy, CDC says. The CDC estimates that anywhere between 3,000 to 49,000 people a year die from flu in the United States. A lot depends on the strains circulating.

“Flu is unpredictable. Just because we got off easy last season does not mean we will get off easy this season,” Riley said.

The other group that should have 100 percent vaccination is health care workers. The CDC data show that more than 86 percent of physicians are vaccinated, followed by more than three-quarters of nurses. But the numbers plummet to just half of workers in long-term care facilities, where patients are especially vulnerable to flu.

“I believe that the immunization of the health care provider community is both an ethical and professional responsibility,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University in Nashville and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “It’s a patient safety issue so that we do not transmit our influenza infection. When an outbreak strikes, we need to be vertical, not horizontal.

As with the pregnant women, health workers were more likely to get vaccinated if it was easy for them. More than 78 percent of health care workers got immunized if free vaccine was made available for several days at work. And 21 percent of the health workers said getting flu vaccine was now a condition of employment. More employers should consider making it a requirement, said Litjen Tan of the American Medical Association.

This year, 135 million doses of flu vaccine will be available to the U.S. market. People can get vaccinated at pharmacies, at big-box stores, grocery stores, doctor’s offices and often at their places of employment. Most private insurance companies and Medicare pay for the whole cost of the vaccine.

And while the vaccines are not specifically formulated to protect against some new flu strains that a few people have caught from pigs, they may offer some help, health officials said.

So far, the three new variants identified this year -- H3n2v (the little v stands for “variant”), H1N1v and H1N2v -- don’t spread easily from person to person. Almost everyone infected has been close to pigs. One person has died from the new H3N2v virus, but everyone else has recovered. The CDC’s Dr. Daniel Jernigan says people alive in the 1990s have some immunity to the H3N2 version, and the new H1N1v is close to the strain that the current vaccine targets, although the protection is not perfect.

credit:By Maggie Fox, NBC News

Please protect yourself and your loved ones, most of all our unborn babies and get your flu vaccine this year I am!

~~Leslie RN

 

 

Extreme Heat and the Dangers! Summer Safety Series

With the temperatures rising and summer now upon us we have got to be more cautious and think, I myself almost got overheated yesterday simply being outdoors to long and not drinking fluids like I should have. Felt tired, dizzy and my body was not producing sweat much anymore, my husband could look at me after we got home and said sit!! drink now! and I did. Even nurses are not so smart some days, busy and forget to pay attention to the temperature gauge in the car.
Credit to CDC website for some great information shared:

These are the main things affecting your body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather:

• High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won't evaporate as quickly, which keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to.
• Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.

Here are some facts about which people are at greatest risk for heat-related illness and what protective actions to take to prevent illness or death:

• People who are at highest risk are the elderly, the very young, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases
• But even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather.
• Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death. If a home is not air-conditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned.

 
You can take these steps to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths during hot weather:
Stay in an air-conditioned indoor location if that is possible.

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and sunscreen.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully.
• Pace yourself.
• Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
• Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
• Do not leave children in cars.
• Check the local news for health and safety updates

What happens to the body as a result of exposure to extreme heat?

People suffer heat-related illness when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating. But under some conditions, sweating just isn’t enough. In such cases, a person’s body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs. Several factors affect the body’s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. When the humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly. Other conditions that can limit the ability to regulate temperature include old age, youth (age 0-4), obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug use and alcohol use.

Who is at greatest risk for heat-related illness?

Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to four years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications.

What is heat stroke?

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.

What are the warning signs of a heat stroke?

Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include the following:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness

What should I do if I see someone with any of the warning signs of heat stroke?

If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:

• Get the victim to a shady area.
• Cool the victim rapidly, using whatever methods you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of cool water; place the person in a cool shower; spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose; sponge the person with cool water; or if the humidity is low, wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously. 
• Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102°F.
• If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.
• Do not give the victim alcohol to drink.
• Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

What is heat exhaustion?

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, those with high blood pressure, and those working or exercising in a hot environment.

What are the warning signs of heat exhaustion?

The warning signs of heat exhaustion include the following:

• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache 
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

The skin may be cool and moist. The pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. See medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.

What steps can be taken to cool the body during heat exhaustion? 

• Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages.
• Rest.
• Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.
• Seek an air-conditioned environment.
• Wear lightweight clothing.

What are heat cramps and who is affected?

Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms – usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs – that may occur in association with strenuous activity. People who sweat a lot during strenuous activity are prone to heat cramps. This sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture. The low salt level in the muscles causes painful cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion. If you have heart problems or are on a low-sodium diet, seek medical attention for heat cramps.

What should I do if I have heat cramps?

If medical attention is not necessary, take the following steps:

• Stop all activity and sit quietly in a cool place.
• Drink clear juice or a sports beverage.
• Do not return to strenuous activity for a few hours after the cramps subside because further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Seek medical attention for heat cramps if they do not subside in 1 hour.

 Stay tuned for next in a series of topics about summer safety, see ya tommorrow!
Leslie

Is it Squishy Candy? or a Real Dangerous Mess?

Tide’s reinventing the way you do laundry!
1 pac = 1 laundry load
Works in all machine types
Dissolves quickly in hot & cold
Like any household detergent, keep away from children. There ya go, it says on the Tide website, Keep away from Children! That means yours!
I actually have seen and take care of a couple cases in the ER already of kids that
got a hold of one of these pods, put it in their mouth and tried to eat it. You have to admit, they are pretty, colorful and candy looking, even the plastic container they come packaged in looks like a "candy" container.
As a parent, you will have to be more diligent with these and lock them up, put them up higher since they are highly concentrated and cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,even hospitalizations in children.

AAPCC Laundry Detergent News Release
On May 18, 2012, the AAPCC sent out a news release warning parents about highly concentrated laundry detergent packs and urging them to keep their detergents up and away and out of reach of children. Read the news release here. Click here for an AAPCC factsheet about the issue. Click here to access safe laundry information from the American Cleaning Institute.

The experts at your local poison center urge parents
and caregivers to:
 Always keep detergents locked up, high, and out of the reach of children.
 Follow the instructions on the product label.
Call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately if you think a child has been exposed to a
packet of highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent
                       

 

Be a smart cleaning parent and keep those products put up!
Leslie