The tests used to check for a UTI are urinalysis and urine culture. A urinalysis is a preliminary test that indicates whether there is any likelihood of a UTI. It can be done in a laboratory or using a simple dipstick method in a doctor’s office. It takes only a few minutes and can suggest Read more
Whether tests need to be done depends on how your child looks. If your child is eating and sleeping well and has periods of playfulness, and if his fever is low or can be well controlled, it is likely that he has only a mild illness. If, however, the fever is high or your child Read more
If there is any doubt as to whether your child is having a breath-holding spell and you do not know why your child has turned blue and stopped breathing, you should begin CPR. Usually, by the time you make this snap decision, the breath-holding spell will be over, and your child will be coming to. Read more
If your child has mild constipation that is readily resolved with dietary changes, prune juice, a rectal thermometer, or over-the-counter treatments, no tests need to be done. However, if the constipation is not easily treatable, or if it worsens despite attempts to treat it, tests should be done. An X ray can show how much Read more
Influenza vaccine is an optional vaccine offered each year at the beginning of the flu season (usually between October and December). It is not part of the routine childhood immunization schedule and is not required by schools for admission. Since 2004, however, it has been strongly recommended by both the CDC and the AAP for Read more
A breath-holding spell is precisely what it sounds like: a child holds her breath until she turns blue or even passes out. The spell is triggered by a stimulus that causes the child to be angry, frustrated, surprised, frightened, or uncomfortable. She will begin to cry, but shortly thereafter she will become quiet, exhale, and Read more
Vaccines, also called immunizations, are designed to boost your child’s immune system against specific infectious agents, protecting him from serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Vaccines come in many varieties. Some are lab-manufactured replicas of a piece of a bacterium or virus. These are called recombinant vaccines. Others are made by attaching proteins to parts of Read more
The decision of whether to do lab tests will depend on what the -tool looks like (Is there a little blood or a lot? Is it bright red or brown? Is it occasional or persistent?) and on how your child appears. In general, if there is blood only around the edges of the stool id Read more
Surgery and radiotherapy deal with cancers directly at the site of the tumor ; chemotherapy differs in that it is a generalized treatment that affects the whole body. By the nature of the disease, cancer almost invariably spreads to other organs unless the rogue cells are destroyed, so it is necessary where possible to kill Read more
A patient called the office, irate because of a medical coding issue that revolved around her age. When we received the phone message from one of the office billing staff, we wondered what on earth the patient could be upset about, as we had routinely referred her to a high-risk specialist (maternal fetal medicine). She Read more
A healthy diet and lifestyle can help to overcome many pregnancy-associated conditions and complement a natural approach to health. What you eat and what you do can have a profound effect on your baby’s development—especially during the first four weeks after conception — often before you are even aware you are pregnant. Research suggests that Read more
Fewer people now leave hospital with a permanent colostomy than in the past. When a section of bowel is removed from the intestine the surgeon will aim to join the two ends of healthy tissue together. If this is not possible, a false opening (stoma) is made onto the outside of the abdominal wall to Read more