New Information
High Blood Pressure (updated 10/29/09) new high blood pressure resources from the American Heart Association
Recall of certain lots of children's Tylenol (updated 10/04/09)
McNeill Consumer Healthcare (maker of Tylenol products) has voluntarily recalled certain lots of children's and infants' Tylenol liquid products. These lots were manufactured between April 2008 and June 2008. Some of these products have been found in this area.
The recall is due to a contamination found in an unused portion of one of the inactive ingredients used in the manufacture of these lots. No contamination has been found in the actual product, but the recall has been instituted as a precaution.
This link shows a chart with the lot numbers and types of Tylenol liquid products which have been recalled.
Information on acetaminophen (Tylenol) (updated 6/30/09)
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the FDA issue rules decreasing recommended doses of acetaminophen. This is an advisory and has not been adopted yet by the FDA. Acetaminophen may cause significant liver problems if taken in too high a dose. This problem is compounded if a patient has 3 or more drinks per day.
The new recommendation is to decrease the maximum single dose of acetaminophen for an adult to 650 mg, down from 1000 mg. This would be the equivalent of 2 regular strength (325 mg) tablets. You should only take one extra strength tablet (500 mg) at a time.
The new recommendation is also to decrease total daily dose to under 3250 mg down from the current limit of 4000 mg.
Please be aware that many common over the counter medications contain acetaminophen as well as many combination prescription drugs (such as vicodin and percocet). These amounts should be accounted for in the total daily or single dose limits.
Information on Adult Vaccinations (updated 10/04/09)
We now have both hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines available.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases opened a new website about adult immunization rates. There is information on the 13 vaccine-preventable diseases and questions and answers about the vaccines for each.
CDC recommended schedule of adult immunizations
Adult vaccination fact sheet
Ask us about immunizations at your next office visit. Please contact the office if you are coming in specifically for an immunization as our supply of certain of the vaccines is variable.
My Family Health Profile (updated1/31/09)
This is a link to the Surgeon General's new web tool for recording your family medical history. Below is a part of the FAQ section.
Why is family health history useful?
Your family health history can help your health care practitioner provide better care for you. It can help identify whether you have higher risk for some diseases. It can help your health care practitioner recommend actions for reducing your personal risk of disease. And it can help in looking for early warning signs of disease.
What are the key features of the Surgeon General's family health history tool?
The Surgeon General's "My Family Health Portrait" is an internet-based tool that makes it easy for you to record your family health history. The tool is easy to access on the web and simple to fill out. It assembles your information and makes a "pedigree" family tree that you can download. It is private--it does not keep your information. It gives you a health history that you can share with family members or send to your health care practitioner.