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Welcome to Our Medicine Information Page
General Information
Medicines are used because they are supposed to help. If they do not produce the desired result, please let your doctor or nurse practitioner know. An adjustment in the medication may be necessary.
Additionally, medicines can sometimes have undesirable side effects which outweigh their benefits. If you have not been warned about any side effects, ask if any can be present. You will be informed of the most common side effects. However, some medicines have side effects that occur so infrequently that it is not appropriate to mention them on a routine basis.
Generally speaking, medicines start working in several different ways. Antihistamines, decongestants and acetaminophen (Tylenol) are usually effective within one half hour and then wear off in three to five hours. As long as the symptoms that you are treating keep returning, you should continue to give the medications as the symptoms reappear.
Antibiotics often take one to three days to start to work. However, if they are discontinued too soon, the illness that is being treated will return. If after four days there is no improvement, call the office. Your child's medication may need to be changed.
Some medications must be given on a regular basis for weeks or months at a time. For these medications, instructions must be followed carefully and repeated blood tests may be necessary.
PLEASE REMEMBER that there are very few medications which help everybody. If your child is not getting better as expected, new medications or another office visit may be required.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics include such drugs as Penicillin, Amoxil, Cefzil, Septra and Biaxin. Antibiotics have been used to treat bacterial infections for more than 50 years. Prior to that, therapy for infections was limited to supportive treatment and the body's own efforts. This is still the case with viral infections. Of course, with the help of decongestants, steroids, and IV fluids, there is more to offer in the way of supportive treatments, but so far, antibiotics have been unsuccessful in treating viral infections. Most of the respiratory and stomach problems seen in the pediatric population are the result of viral infections and will not be improved by the administration of antibiotics.
Not only will antibiotics not help the majority of childhood illnesses, but also the indiscriminate use of antibiotics by physicians and well-meaning parents can lead to a number of problems:
- Confusion-The most serious problem is the cover-up of dangerous infections such as meningitis in children who have not been adequately examined. Small doses of antibiotics may significantly alter a physical exam and results of laboratory tests without curing the underlying cause. A child who starts on an antibiotic prior to proper diagnosis may eventually need prolonged treatment for meningitis or kidney infections, which have been camouflaged. A single dose of oral penicillin can cause a culture for strep throat to appear negative even though strep germs may still be causing serious damage to the child.
- Resistance- Another problem with overuse of antibiotics is "resistance." Children will not become resistant to antibiotics, but the germs they contract can. With each exposure to antibiotics, there is another opportunity for bacteria to change so that they no longer can be killed by antibiotics. Bacteria which were at one time killed by small doses of an antibiotic can change during an infection and then require more of the same antibiotics or a change to a new antibiotic.
- Allergy- A third problem with overuse of antibiotics is drug allergy. Although most of the "drug" rashes we see in pediatrics are actually due to the illness for which the medicine was prescribed, severe drug reactions are still a risk, which increase with overuse.
Medicine Chest Supplies
- Pedialyte or another oral rehydration liquid
- Acetaminophen – Tylenol, Tempra, Generic Brands
- Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin
- Emetrol
- Diasorb or Kaopectate
- Betadine
- Dimetapp decongestant or Robitussin cough syrup
- Neosporin, Polysporin or bacitracin Ointment
- Band-Aids, gauze, and tape
- Hydrogen peroxide 3%
- Saline Nose Drops-like Ocean Spray
- Rubber Suction Bulb Syringe
- Thermometer (if you don’t know how to use one please ask for instructions)
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All of our Pediatric Nurse Practitioners have Bachelor's Degrees as well as Master's Degrees.
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Parents-check this page out. We have Links of Interest as well as Books of Interest. You are sure to find something of interest! Click Here For the Parent's Page
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