The Flu or a Cold? When to call the Doctor?

From the Sprague School Nurse

	Flu	Cold
Onset of illness	Sudden	Gradual
Fever	High	Rare
Fatigue	Severe	Mild
Cough	Severe, Dry	Common, Mucus-producing
Sore throat	Yes	Sometimes
Headache	Yes	Sometimes
Sneezing	Sometimes	Yes
Stuffy Nose	Sometimes	Common
Appetite	Decreased	May be decreased
Muscles	Ache	Fine, slight aches
Chills	Yes	No
Chest Discomfort	Often severe	Mild

Seasonal flu Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly and are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and congestion of a cold. The main symptoms of the flu are a cough, fever, sore throat and runny nose.

My child is experiencing symptoms, when do I call my doctor?

If your child is experiencing influenza symptoms, it’s not always necessary to see or call the doctor. Below are some guidelines to help with deciding when to call your physician.

Call your child's doctor now (night or day) if:

• Your child looks or acts very sick
• Breathing becomes difficult or fast
• Dehydration occurs (no urine in 12 hours, dry mouth, no tears)
• Your child has bluish skin color
• Your child is not waking up or not interacting
• Your child is being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash occurs

Call your child's doctor during the day if:

• Your think your child needs to be seen
• Your child is considered high risk and has flu symptoms
• Earache or sinus pain occurs
• Fever lasts more than 3 days
• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
• Your child becomes worse

Avoid the spread of the flu -

Influenza spreads easily. If you suspect your child has the flu, keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after the fever has ceased without the use of fever-reducing medications. A fever is defined as 100ºF. 

It is important to teach children how to reduce their risk of getting influenza and protect others from infections by teaching them to frequently wash their hands and to cover their coughs and sneezes. Please be assured that we encourage these practices here at Sprague.

Much of this information is from The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado and may be accessed at http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/topics/index.aspx

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Sharon Kahn RN

Sprague School Nurse

sharon_kahn@wellesley.k12.ma.us

781-263-1969 x 502

Important Flu Information from Sprague Nurse, Sharon Kahn

There's been a lot of discussion about flu lately in the media as communities across our state report an increase in flu-like illness and confirmed cases of influenza. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has developed the brochure “Flu: What You Can Do – Caring for People at Home” as an informational resource.

Click here to download a copy of the brochure.  

It's an excellent source of useful information for all. Please don't hesitate to call me at Sprague if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Sharon

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Sharon Kahn RN

Sprague School Nurse

sharon_kahn@wellesley.k12.ma.us

781-263-1965

Annual Hearing and Vision Screenings at Sprague

From the Sprague School Nurse:

         I have started conducting the mandated annual hearing and vision screenings at Sprague. These screenings help identify barriers that would impede a child's ability to learn because much learning is accomplished through vision and/or hearing.    

        Early identification of hearing and vision problems can prevent problems that relate to speech and language development, social and emotional development, academic achievement, and/or permanent vision loss. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has established guidelines regarding screening procedures and referral criteria for school-age children.

Vision screening checks for

• problems in acuity (sharpness)
• amblyopia (reduced vision in an otherwise healthy eye)
• binocular function (one image using both eyes)
• hyperopia (farsightedness - problems seeing close images)
• myopia (nearsightedness - problems seeing at a distance)
• strabismus (eyes not properly aligned)  
• stereopsis (three-dimensional vision) grades K-3

This helps identify students who may have an unrecognized vision problem that could lead to the development of permanent vision loss if not detected early.

        Hearing screening checks for response to tones in the frequencies most used for spoken communication. A hearing impairment interferes with normal speech development; school age children with even minimal hearing loss are at risk for academic and communication difficulties. Early detection and proper medical treatment insures a better chance of successfully correcting any hearing problems.

        School screening tests are not diagnostic in nature. They are designed to identify students who need further evaluation, with the goal of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of hearing and vision problems before they can interfere with a child's academic success.  Each year here at Sprague the students undergo the mandated screenings. I then contact parents of those children who do not pass the screenings, to refer for further evaluation by their physician.

        Please call me at 781-263-1969 x 502 if you have any questions or concerns.

        Sharon Kahn RN

        Sprague School Nurse

Assessing Medical Complaints of Children

From the Sprague School Nurse, Sharon Kahn RN

             Sometimes parents apologize to me when I notify them that their child is ill and requires dismissal, I feel there’s no need to apologize, since we aren’t able to predict that our children may become sick.  When your child has a good night’s sleep, eats breakfast and tolerates it well, and doesn’t have a fever or other objective signs of illness, then the child should attend school. Some mornings he or she may complain of nonspecific discomfort, but we all know these complaints usually resolve as the child participates in the daily routine. On the other hand, if your child was clearly ill the previous day or evening, required fever-reducing medicine in the preceding 24 hours, had interrupted sleep, vomiting or diarrhea, or is unable to eat breakfast, it is advisable to keep him/ her home from school.

            At school when a child comes to the nurse I make an assessment according to the specific complaint - for example, if a student complains of a sore throat I visualize the throat using a flashlight and palpate for enlarged tender neck glands. I listen to the quality of the voice, ask if he or she ate breakfast (or snack), and check for a fever. I provide a drink of water and watch for signs of pain with swallowing. Often I am told if family members are home sick with a similar complaint.

            If the child does not have a fever or any objective signs of illness, I recommend a return to class. I suggest comfort measures, such as increasing fluids, telling the student, “Keep your throat wet today - be sure to drink lots of water.” I ask what his/her after school plans are and if the child says he feels fine to go to soccer practice, I send him back to class, since he clearly is okay. Please be mindful that if I do make a call to you, your child has already been through this evaluation process.

            This is where I can use your help. If your child has a complaint in the morning before school, it is useful for me to know. I appreciate a heads-up call with a message saying your child complained of a stomachache or headache (or whatever) in the morning, but seemed fine to come to school. Then I know to call you if your child comes to see me complaining of not feeling well at school. Otherwise, I would likely send your child back to class.

            Sometimes a child is not feeling well but doesn’t have a fever or other easily measurable sign of illness. Obviously if I see a child four times in a morning or if the student is clearly unfit for the classroom, I will call a parent or designated caretaker.  As a parent myself, I know I would want to be informed if my child was having such a bad day.

            This is another way you can help. It is essential that we have the correct phone numbers to reach a parent or designated caretaker. If you change your work, cell, or home number, or have a new babysitter, please be sure to let us know here at Sprague so we can keep your information current and reach you or your designee quickly.

            Please call me if you have any questions.  

 

          Sharon Kahn RN

          Sprague School Nurse

          sharon_kahn@wellesley.k12.ma.us

          781-263-1965