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Ped-E-News: Special Thanksgiving Edition

Food Safety Tips for the Holidays

This article comes from the Life Script website, http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Food/Cook/Food_Safety_Tips.aspx

Bacteria silently multiply and cause doom and gloom to the unsuspecting. They love improperly stored and prepared foods. Moreover, when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the time perishable food should be left outside the refrigerator or freezer drops from two hours to one hour.

Many people do not think about food safety until a food-related illness affects them or a family member. While the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, the Center for Disease Control [CDC] estimates that 76 million people get sick.

Rules for Food Safety
Three rules of food safety are to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold; keep it clean; and if in doubt, throw it out. Raw meat, fish, poultry and dairy products are most susceptible to food-borne bacteria so they should be as fresh as possible at the time of purchase. Then, keep foods refrigerated below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Experts suggest that the all foods be well wrapped and kept away from other foods, cooked or raw. At all times avoid cross-contamination. When grilling or roasting, meat, poultry and seafood place them on a clean plate after cooking rather than the plate on which it was carried to the grill or marinated.  A food themometer is the best investment in family health to ensure that safe foods, well prepared and safely stored, are cooked to the proper temperatures.

Since many people have busy lives, cooking additional servings can save time preparing another meal. Think of leftovers as “planned-overs.” That roast chicken from the night before can be made into a salad, stir-fry or taco. Although everyone agrees that leftovers may help in family time management, if they are not stored properly, there can be health consequences. Food safety should always in the mind of everyone. Another is a strong immune system to fend off food-borne illness so consider supplementation to keep your immune system strong.

Drinking and Driving

In America on average, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents. 900,000 are arrested each year for DUI/DWI and a full 1/3 of those are repeat offenders. During the holidays, please DO NOT drink and drive!

Buckle Up for Safety

Vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of children ages 2-14 in the United States. Safe Kids Buckle Up teaches parents and caregivers how to buckle up children the right way, on every ride. 

There are many tools parents and caregivers can use to help reduce the risk of injury and death to children who ride in vehicles. Click through the steps on the website below for more information.

http://www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/cps/index.html

Special Heimlich Maneuvers for Infants

Choking is an emergency. Call 911 emergency medical services. Do not attempt to drive a choking person to a hospital emergency department.

Infants can't tell you they can't breathe. But if they are coughing and crying, it's a good indication that they are not choking. Let them try to work the object out themselves, but be on guard.

If a baby's cough or cry is faint or nonexistent, first aid must be given. The Heimlich Maneuver is slightly different for infants under 18 months in trouble:

1. Before performing the Heimlich Maneuver, open the baby's mouth. If you can see the object that is causing the choking and you can reach it, perform the “finger sweep” to clean the mouth instead.
   
   The “finger sweep” is a technique that can be used if you can see the object causing the choking (in adults and children). If the person in trouble is not someone in your family, don protective gloves. Open the mouth and if you can see the object, literally sweep your fingers in the throat area, using feather-like, gentle movements to “rake” up the object and remove it. But never reach blindly into a choking victim's mouth. You can force the object down further!
   
   
2. Place the baby face down on your forearm, your hand supporting the head (as shown in the first drawing below).
3. Give the same four “hits” with the heel of your hand, but more gently, of course !



The Heimlich Maneuver for an infant.


4. Turn the baby so he or she is facing you. Use both forearms and hold the head in the cup of your hand (see the third drawing).
5. Using only your fingertips, press down on the baby's chest four times (as shown in the fourth drawing).
6. Repeat the procedure until help comes.

Pregnant women and obese persons also need special care. The blows to the back remain the same, using the heel of the hand. However, when you put your arms around them for the forward thrusts, you must adapt to the excess weight. Instead of pressing your hands between the waist and ribs in the second part of the Maneuver, push your hands against the breastbone.

Article borrowed from - http://life.familyeducation.com/emergency/first-aid/48250.html

Heimlich Maneuvers: Self-Care at Home

From www.webmd.com

Choking is an emergency. Call 911 emergency medical services. Do not attempt to drive a choking person to a hospital emergency department.

What to do if a person starts to choke:

• It is best not to do anything if the person is coughing forcefully and not turning a bluish color. Ask, "Are you choking?" If the person is able to answer you by speaking, it is a partial airway obstruction. Stay with the person and encourage him or her to cough until the obstruction is cleared.
• Do not give the person anything to drink because fluids may take up space needed for the passage of air.

Someone who cannot answer by speaking and can only nod the head has a complete airway obstruction and needs emergency help.

The treatment for a choking person who begins to turn blue or stops breathing varies with the person's age. In adults and children older than one year of age, abdominal thrusts (formerly referred to as the "Heimlich maneuver") should be attempted. This is a thrust that creates an artificial cough. It may be forceful enough to clear the airway.

The quick, upward abdominal thrusts force the diaphragm upward very suddenly, making the chest cavity smaller. This has the effect of rapidly compressing the lungs and forcing air out. The rush of air out will force out whatever is causing the person to choke.

How to perform abdominal thrusts

• Lean the person forward slightly and stand behind him or her. Make a fist with one hand. Put your arms around the person and grasp your fist with your other hand in the midline just below the ribs. Make a quick, hard movement inward and upward in an attempt to assist the person in coughing up the object. This maneuver should be repeated until the person is able to breathe or loses consciousness.

Volume No.1, Issue No. 7

November 20, 2009

After Hours
Pediatric Urgent Care
Holiday Hours

Open Evenings ~ Weekends ~ Holidays
On-site Lab and X-rays

We provide a caring environment for you and your child. There’s always a pediatrician on-site to quickly address your child’s urgent health care needs.

Two locations for your convenience —

Galveston
Island After Hours Pediatric Urgent Care
2027 61st Street, Galveston
Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Holidays, Noon-8 p.m.
(409) 744-KIDS (5437)

League City
After Hours Pediatric Urgent Care
3023 Marina Bay Drive (FM 2094),
Suite 101, League City, Texas 77573
Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Holidays, Noon-8 p.m.
(281) 334-6578

ECI Launch's 1st Annual Halloween ‘Spooktacular’

Pictured is patient Rokhaya Seye participating in ECI Launch's 1st Annual Halloween ‘Spooktacular’ with physical therapist Laurie Farroni and social worker Linda Perez.  Numerous families from across the county and ECI staff participated in a fun, safe evening of trick or treating.  Early Childhood Intervention (UTMB ECI Launch) provides developmental and therapeutic services to children from birth to 3 years old in natural environments. 

Copyright 2009 The University of Texas Medical Branch.
Published by UTMB Department Pediatrics    •   Phone: (409) 772-5273  •   Fax: (409) 772-4599
301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, 77555-0351  •  UTMB Maps & Directions