A View from The Treehouse - Treehouse Pediatrics Newsletter


WALK-IN CLINIC Did you know we recently began to offer an early morning walk-in clinic? Remember, if you've had a rough night with a sick child, you are welcome to walk-in the following morning to be seen on a first come basis. Our nurse practitioner is available Mon-Thursday from 7 a.m-10 a.m. During the rest of the day, appointments are still required. Remember, phones aren't open, but our doors are!

FLU SHOTS Appointments are still available on Fridays for either flu shots or flu mist. Don't take a chance on missing school or work during this coming flu season. Get protected now - we want to help you stay healthy!


BIG THANKS! Quite often we forget to say thanks in recognition of a good deed. Right now, it's time to say how much we appreciate the SAM BASS FIRE DEPARTMENT for all they do for us. On several occasions they have had to quickly respond to our phones calls for EMS support. Recently, we found it necessary to call for a "crow bar" when little Andrew was locked in his mom's car by accident. (A little birdie told us this is the same vehicle he was born in while on route to the hospital.)



MY THROAT HURTS!
Did you know that complaints of a sore throat are one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor? Sore throats can be aggravating, bothersome, and sometimes, serious. Let's take a minute to talk about some of the more common reasons children can complain of a sore throat and, more importantly, what can be done about them.
What causes sore throats?
Most sore throats in children are caused by viruses. In fact, 85% of sore throats are caused by the most common viruses in upper respiratory infections: adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and Epstein-Barr virus are among the most common offenders. While most sore throats are caused by viral infections, bacteria can also play a role. The most well-known among these is group-A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, or more affectionately known as "strep." The primary concern for children with strep throat is rheumatic fever, a rare but serious side effect of strep infection. Since the advent of antibiotic therapy, rheumatic fever is much, much less common than before, but still warrants careful consideration and treatment in children with a positive strep test. Children with strep throat will often present with one or more of the following complaints: sore throat, odynophagia (hurts to swallow), fever, headache, stomach ache/abdominal pain, nausea and/or vomiting, and rash. In contrast, viral infections are often accompanied by nasal congestion, runny nose, red eyes, and hoarse, raspy voice. However, children with viral sore throats can also have fever, headache, and rash, making it difficult to determine what the cause is by symptoms and exam alone.
How do you figure out what it is?
The primary method of determining if a sore throat is caused by bacteria vs. a virus is by performing a throat swab. Your provider can order a rapid strep screen to be done in the office, which is effective at picking up 75-85% of strep throat cases. In other words, it can give a false negative 15-25% of the time; in those cases, a throat culture is sent, and those results take 2-3 days to finalize. If the strep screen is negative and your provider is suspicious that your child has strep (i.e., the way the throat looks, or the symptoms your child has), he/she will often treat with an antibiotic pending the results of the culture. If the illness appears more viral, he/she may wait until results are available to determine treatment; this helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
What should you look for and when should you call?
If your child is complaining consistently of a sore throat, they should be examined in the office. In children with viral infections, dehydration can be an issue, especially in smaller kids. If your child will not drink well due to throat pain, call our office and speak with one of our triage nurses, who will help you determine if your child needs IV rehydration. In children with strep infection, we expect them to be feeling significantly better in 24-48 hours after starting antibiotics. If this is not the case, call the office. Occasionally, bacteria other than strep can cause sore throats, and an antibiotic change may be warranted. Children with strep will be contagious until on antibiotic therapy for 24 hours and should change their toothbrush 48-72 hours after beginning their medication.
What can you do to help the child feel better?
Lots of fluids, rest, and Tylenol or Ibuprofen will help in most cases. Cool foods and liquids often go down easier, and if your child has strep, taking the antibiotic for the full 10-day course is important, even after your child feels better. For viral infections, we expect symptoms to last anywhere from 3-7 days. With strep, your child should feel better after 24-48 hours of antibiotics. If this is not the case, or your child will not drink fluids well, contact our office.

Jen Tiller, Nurse Practitioner

Pumpkin carving is a great activity for dads and kids to do together. Below you'll find some handy tips, but the two most important things to remember - create lasting memories and have lots of fun!

(Dr. Unite, Dr. Chang and Dr. Travis. Oops, where's the one that looks like Dr. Addy???)

Place the pumpkin on newspaper

Pumpkin seed and innards are slimy and sticky and make an awful mess, so putting paper down first does make it much easier to clear up afterwards. Get the kids to put on aprons or an old T-shirt.

Cut a big hole in the top

Carefully cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin, using a knife with a long strong blade. Make the hole big enough to comfortably get your hand through. Make sure that you cut round at an angle so that the top can not fall through when you put it back on later. It also helps if you make a short flat edge, so that you can easily see which way round the lid goes on.

Scoop the seeds out with your hands

Err gross... those seeds are really slimy, if scooping them out doesn't get you in the Halloween mood, then nothing will and it has a really memorable yuk factor. Don't hog this part! Your children should be doing this "hands on" part. Don't throw the seeds away. Put them in a colander, rinse them and lay them out on a baking tray. Drizzle some olive (or other cooking oil) on them, sprinkle them with some salt and pepper and bake them in a hot oven for about 5 or 6 minutes for a very tasty nibble.

Scoop out the pumpkin pulp

Scoop out the insides with a very strong spoon, or better still a sturdy ice cream scoop. Let your children do this as much as they can, but be prepared to help and to finish off, because it does get boring and it can take quite a bit of strength; those pumpkins don't give up easily.

Select the best looking side

Pumpkins are natural and they will often have blemishes. Rotate around until you find the smoothest side. Begin by drawing an image or transfer from a pattern.

Copy the image above to print and use as a transfer pattern

Having either designed your own jack-o-lantern on using our pattern, trace your design on the pumpkin before carving.

Carve the pumpkin using a hacksaw blade

This is Dad's time to shine�.show them what you can do!

Set the candle and make a smoke hole

Cut a small hole in the lid, behind the stem to let out the heat and smoke from the candle. As it gets dark, place a tea light candle inside the pumpkin and carefully light. Remember to treat tea lights with respect. Even though they are small, they get very hot and they can set fire to soft furnishings and curtains. Never let children play with lit candles.

Doctor (during an exam): "Do you fight with your brothers?"

6 year old: "Yes, but I'm trying to quit."

Doctor: "I'm going to prescribe you a cough syrup."

7 year old: "Can I use it on my pancakes?"

Nurse (while weighing a 3 year old): "You are 37 inches."

Mom: "Look, you're over 3 feet!"

3 year old: "Not me�I only have 2 feet."

Remember, back to school means staying informed and knowing what's going on. For up-to-date news and calendars, please connect to the following school district links:

We could all use a little help, especially when it comes to homework and projects!