Tetanus, Is It Everywhere?

Tetanus, commonly called lockjaw, is caused by a bacterial toxin, or poison, that affects the nervous system.  It is contracted through a cut or wound that becomes contaminated with tetanus bacteria.  The bacteria can get in through even a tiny pinprick or scratch, but deep puncture wounds or cuts like those made by nails or knives are especially susceptible to infection with tetanus.  Tetanus bacteria are present worldwide and are commonly found in soil, dust and manure.  Tetanus causes severe muscle spasms, including “locking” of the jaw so the patient cannot open his/her mouth or swallow, and may lead to death by suffocation.  Symptoms usually begin 7 days after the bacteria enter the body through the wound, but the incubation period may range from 3 days to 3 weeks.  Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. 

Treatment for tetanus is available, but the process is lengthy and not uniformly effective.  Tetanus may be fatal despite treatment.  The disease is rare in the United States, with less that 100 cases of tetanus reported annually.  The best defense against tetanus is prevention.  The tetanus vaccine can prevent tetanus but its protection does not last forever.  Adults should get a tetanus shot or booster every 10 years.  If you get a bad cut or burn, see you doctor.  You may need a booster. 

Submitted by
Kelly Stout
PharmD Candidate
University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

For additional information on tetanus and tetanus vaccinations:
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/tetanus/default.htm
For printable CDC fact sheet on Tetanus:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/tetanus.pdf

Biggest Winner Challenge

A winning combination of nutrition information and exercise classes helped Grant County residents to lose 370 pounds last year in the first Biggest Winner Challenge.  Grant County residents are being challenged again this year, with a four-week program starting on March 31.  Anyone who lives in Grant County is eligible to participate in the Biggest Winner Challenge, which encourages participants to eat better and be more physically active while monitoring their weight. 

span>The challenge starts on Monday March 31 and runs through Saturday April 26.  Cost to participate is $10 per person or $20 per family.  The fee includes access to a variety of nutrition and physical activity classes being offered during the month, as well as memberships for the length of the challenge to Body Works Gym in Dry Ridge and Curves in Dry Ridge and Crittenden.  The challenge culminates with prizes awarded at the annual Derby Dash 5k Walk/Run in Williamstown on May 3. 

Participants must register for the Biggest Winner Challenge during one of the following dates/times at the Grant County Library, 201 Barnes Road, Williamstown:       

9 am to 7 pm Thursday March 27
9 am to 5 pm Saturday March 29

Participants will be given a calendar of the physical activity and nutrition classes when they register.  Prizes will be determined by a point system, with awards to the participants with the most points accumulated. 

The Biggest Winner Challenge is sponsored by Fitness For Life Around Grant County (FFLAG), the Northern Kentucky Health Department, and Grant County Parks and Recreation.  For more information, visit www.nkyhealth.org, or call Marsha Ball at the Health Department at (859) 363-2095, or Tabitha Fryman of Parks and Recreation at 428-4500.

The Family Nurturing Center®

The Family Nurturing Center®
A Great Resource for Grant County Families.

Family Nurturing Center® is dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse by promoting individual well-being and healthy family relationships.  Their services and programs focus on the education, prevention, intervention, and treatment of all forms of child abuse.  Family Nurturing Center® is a non-profit social service agency serving Grant County and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Many of the their services are provided free.

Direct service programs are offered at their Florence location (8275 Ewing Boulevard) as well as at donated sites across Northern Kentucky, including Williamstown. The majority of services are provided to residents of Boone, Campbell, Grant, Kenton and Pendleton counties in Kentucky, and Hamilton County in Ohio, although there are no geographic restrictions. Strong community support and the spirit of volunteerism allow the Family Nurturing Center to provide quality programs in cost effective manner.

The Family Nurturing Center provides a comprehensive array of programs and services designed to help children and families, including:

Nurturing Parenting Programs – Family-based parenting education programs proven to help families develop healthier, stronger relationships.

Kids on the Block – Child abuse education and awareness program using life-size puppets in local elementary schools and community events, which gives children the tools they need to recognize, resist and report child abuse.

Protect and Comfort Infants – Public education program delivers information on ways to soothe and comfort infants and the dangers of shaking a baby.

Sexual Abuse Treatment – Individual and group therapy for children and families impacted by sexual abuse and other violent crimes.

Visitation – Supervised visitation promotes healthy relationships between children and non-residential parents.

Community Education and Training – Specialized fee-based training programs and seminars covering parenting, child development, child abuse recognition and reporting, impacts of abuse, the nurturing philosophy and more.

For more information on Family Nurturing Center, call (859) 525-3200 or go to www.familynurture.com .

Treating Infants’ Colds

With last fall’s banning of several children’s over-the-counter cold medicines, Richard Harkness, who writes the Pharmacist on Call column for McClatchy newspapers, offers some suggestions for parents treating a child sick with cold symptoms.

The recent widely publicized shelf-pull involved OTC cold and cough products labeled for use in children younger than 2 years old. Product ingredients were antihistamines, decongestants and the cough suppressant dextromethorphan.

The withdrawal was spurred by reports of product misuse that led to cases of accidental overdose and death. Additionally, there was no proof of efficacy in this age group.

Products that remain available include single-ingredient acetaminophen or ibuprofen oral infant drops for pain and fever, nasal spray/drops and rubs labeled for use in infants. (With oral infant drops, be sure to measure doses accurately.)

To answer your question: One FDA panelist, a pediatrician, recommended “love” and “liquids.”

Parents will forever fret, but the common cold runs its course in a few days, so that fills the bill in most cases.

There are, however, other things you can do to safely soothe and comfort your infant. Here are tips from the Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs, from the American Pharmacists Association:

• Keep infants upright to enhance nasal drainage.

• Increase humidity.

• Use saline nose drops/spray to irrigate the nose.

• Use a bulb syringe to clear mucus from the nose.

• Give adequate liquids to prevent dehydration.

Seek medical care when there is persistent fever, a persistent or phlegm-producing cough, severe sore throat, ear pain or other symptoms that fail to get better in a few days. When in doubt, call the doctor, especially for infants younger than 9 months.

For more articles by Richard Harkness on health issues, visit the health link at www.kentucky.com/147 .

Plant Sterols

Promise Active™ Supershots are a new line of fruit and yogurt flavored drinks with natural plant sterols.  Plant sterols and stanols are naturally occurring substances found in plants.  They are present in small quantities in many fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, cereals, and legumes.

Research has shown that plant sterols/stanols included with a heart healthy eating plan may reduce your risk for heart disease.  The sterols/stanols work by blocking the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.  This lowers the low density cholesterol, known as the “bad” cholesterol (LDL), by 6-15%, without lowering the good cholesterol, known as the high density cholesterol (HDL).  Clinical research trials have documented safety and effectiveness for use by the entire family.  Plant stanols/sterols do not interfere with cholesterol lowering medications.  

Submitted by
Kelley Stout, PharmD Candidate
University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

For more information on plant sterols/stanols:

International Food Information Council at http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/sterolfs.cfm
FDA AUTHORIZES NEW CORONARY HEART DISEASE HEALTH CLAIM FOR PLANT STEROL AND PLANT STANOL
http://69.20.19.211/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01033.html