Archive for September, 2008

Head Lice Are Bad Enough But Now Super Lice?

Posted by skhc on September 24th, 2008. Published in Health Room. No Comments »

What does head lice look like?

Head lice, or pediculosis, are tiny insects that crawl from head to head, latch onto hair follicles, and then feed on tiny droplets of blood. Sounds gross, right? School nurses, teachers and parents know these little pests are no strangers to day care centers and elementary schools. Young people are in close quarters making it easy for these sesame seed-sized-insects to spread. Adults aren’t exempt from these annoying little critters but the itchy condition is most common in school kids, particularly girls. Head lice are bad enough but now there’s the fear of super lice.

Super lice are the same as head lice except they are believed to have become resistant to over-the-counter lice treatment and medications. For years researchers have been warning that head lice not only in the United States but around the world are developing immunity to the strong insecticides used in over-the-counter and prescription shampoos. Shirley C. Gordon, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University who studies persistent head lice, notes it takes only three to five years for the bugs to adapt to a new product. Manufacturers of these over-the-counter products beg to differ and health officials continue to recommend products such as Nix and RID. Health officials agree that the permethrin in Nix, the pyrethrin s in RID, the lindane in Kwell and the prescription malathion in Ovide may not work on everyone but it still works on some people.

Whether you’re dealing with a case of head lice or the feared super lice what product are you using to get rid of lice? Are you using RID? How about NIX? Are you removing lice the old-fashion way with a tried and true fine-toothed nit comb? There are many new products that you may or may not have heard of such as Lice B Gone which is a non-toxic shampoo, Accu-Life Lice Cure which is a lice and egg removal system, or the urban legend of mayonnaise – HeadLiceInfo.com suggests you opt for olive oil which is easier to remove from hair. If you’re a school nurse checking students for head louse do you use the wood applicators AKA “chop-sticks” or have you tried the new Neon Nits Head Lice Locator? For a light-hearted book to read to your students or children check out Yikes-Lice! by Donna Caffey. Share your best remedies, stories and remember to take this week’s democracy poll!

Source: MSNBC

Eye Safety Awareness

Posted by skhc on September 8th, 2008. Published in Health Room. 2 Comments »

Did you know Prevent Blindness America declared September as Sports and Home Eye Safety Month? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) half of all eye injuries take place when doing everyday chores such as cleaning, doing yard work or working in the garage. Wearing eye protection helps prevent 90% of eye injuries. However, the AAO reports that a staggering 78% of injured people were not wearing protective eyewear when the accident took place.

Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America commented, “All too often, when we’re working around the house and doing chores that we’ve done a thousand times before without incident, we forget about the risks we take by not protecting our eyes. But all it takes is one split-second accident that could damage your vision for a lifetime.”

Prevent Blindness America strongly supports the AAO and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT). In their recommendation every household should have at least one pair of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved eyewear. The eyewear should have the “Z-87” logo stamped on the frames and are relatively inexpensive.

Safety eyewear should be worn when working with chemicals (bleach, acid, etc.) or equipment (car, yard, etc.) After working with any of these products it’s also important to thoroughly wash your hands or use a strong hand sanitizer.

Although accidents can and will happen you can always take extra precautions to avoid them or limit the potential damage. Safety glasses and eye care products are a small investment to pay for a lifetime of vision.

Sources
Occupational Hazards
Prevent Blindness America

ASHA Conference Scholarships for School Nurses

Posted by skhc on September 3rd, 2008. Published in Health Room. No Comments »

School Kids Healthcare is excited to announce that 20 scholarships are being provided for school nurses to attend the 82nd Annual ASHA School Health Conference in Tampa, Florida, November 12 – 15, 2008. This is the third consecutive year School Kids Healthcare has provided school nurse scholarships to the ASHA Conference.

This offer - available to school nurses practicing at the school or district level - includes complimentary registration, an ASHA Basic membership, and complimentary continuing nursing education contact hours - a $365 value.  Please note lodging, transportation and meal expenses are not included.

This is a wonderful opportunity for school nurses. Due to the value of this offer, school nurses who apply are required to attend the entire conference. For more information about the 82nd Annual ASHA School Health Conference please click here.

ASHA is coordinating the scholarships - to apply please email Mary Bamer Ramsier at mbramsier@ashaweb.org. Include your name, professional title, school or district address, daytime phone number and email address. Respond no later than September 26, 2008. Applicants will be notified the first week of October so you can make your hotel reservations by October 13, 2008.

Act now! Scholarships will be awarded to the first respondents.

School Kids Healthcare offers a complete line of school nurse supplies and school nurse equipment to help school nurses fulfill their mission.

School Health Blog - Blog of the American School Health Association



Join and share your favorite links / photos / videos - PEOPLECORPORATION.ORG
Close
E-mail It