How to Stay Healthy during Spring/Summer Travel

Healthy Tips from Dr. Tom Brown (Medical Director of Urgent Care in West Hartford & Danbury) on Fox CT morning news…

What should people be aware of before taking a trip?

• Medical preparation for travel is increasingly important.
• Not only are there more serious health risks present around the world, but there is more available for prevention and treatment.
• offers immunizations for many types of diseases.
• To expedite your care, we have set up an on-line questionnaire for you to complete prior to your visit.
• The physician will then customize an immunization program for you based on the information you provide and can help you assemble the medications necessary that will help protect you against diseases such as malaria, typhoid, hepatitis, and  food and water borne diarrhea illness.

What should parents do to get their kids ready for all of the outdoor activities?

• A comprehensive physical can detect any issues that may affect a child’s ability to participate in strenuous sports or activities.
• Almost every camp program requires an updated physical form.
• Our physicals ar every affordable and also fulfill school requirements, therefore saving time and money in the fall.
• If the child is trying a sport for the first time, teach him or her about playing safely.
• Wear appropriate protective gear, including goggles, helmets, and padding.
• Check that equipment is working properly prior to use.

What else can you tell us about sports injuries?

• Of course, the best treatment is prevention of the injury.
• Warming up before a sports event with stretches, keeping fit and wearing proper protective headgear goes a long way to avoid an injury.
• After the physician performs a history and exam, if an x-ray is felt to be necessary we offer x-rays on the spot in our clinics.
• If necessary, we offer splinting and casting.  The center is fully stocked with splints, crutches, walkers and canes.
• We also work very closely with local orthopedic surgeons so even with bad fractures we are able to stabilize patients and coordinate same day or next day care with orthopedic surgeons, thereby avoiding a lengthy and costly ED visit.

• We commonly see a spike in sprains, fractures and head injuries, as a result of injuries from various contact sports and running.

What other injuries require immediate medical care?

• A head injury to a child is one of the more frightening episodes a parent can experience.
• Concussions are much more serious than previously thought.
•  There are 1.7 million head injuries annually in the US.
• About 19% are potentially serious, requiring hospitalization.
• The remaining 81% are treated in an outpatient setting, and released the same day of injury.
• Parents need to be aware of the “serious” kinds that require immediate care.
• First and foremost, if the head injury has resulted in persistent loss of consciousness or the patient wakes up and is persistently disoriented, complaining of severe headache or repetitively vomiting, then call 911.
• An immediate cat scan of the head will be arranged to rule out the most serious issue- a bleed in or swelling of the brain.
• Any other head injury that excludes the above does not need Emergency treatment but could be evaluated in a very rapid fashion.
• In the case of a minor head injury, parents should be assured to know that there is a better than 99.5% chance that the CT will be normal.

Experts are predicting an especially bad mosquito and tick season.  If you’re unfortunate enough to be bitten by a tick, how do you remove it?

• As it is rather difficult for   non-medically trained personnel to this properly  it is recommended people bitten by ticks go to a facility such as ours  to extract the tick completely

At what point should you be concerned about Lyme disease?

• A circular rash, typically within 1-2 weeks of infection, often is the first sign of infection
• Flu-like symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and most importantly joint pains.

• it’s important to treat Lyme as soon as possible as there can be major neurologic damage or at worst death
• It should be noted, 30% of people with Lyme disease don’t have recollection of  a tick bite, as these tick can be very tiny
• IV antibiotics can make a big impact early on in severe disease
• If left undiagnosed or delayed treatment permanent damage can ensue

About urgent care…

• Urgent Care provides treatment for injuries and illnesses – offering a convenient, lower-cost alternative to visiting a hospital emergency room.
• The facility is equipped with the most sophisticated digital x-ray equipment and its laboratory meets the highest industry standards for fast and accurate testing.
• has an onsite pharmacy so you can leave with your prescription.
• You don’t need to be a regular patient, nor do you need an appointment.

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