Hiccups » fever

RECALL: Infant Tylenol recalled due to bottle problems

hiccups — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:32:23 +0000

When your child is sick, a nonprescription medicine is sometimes all that is needed to help your young one get better.

But some parents have encountered challenges of trying to understand dosing information as well as defective bottles that were supposed to help ensure correct dosage.

Read the following Associated Press story for more information on this nationwide recall:

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Johnson & Johnson is recalling all infant Tylenol on the U.S. market because some parents have had problems with newly designed bottles — just introduced three months ago — that the company had touted as a big improvement to make measuring the correct dose easier.

Instead, some parents have complained that a protective cover on the top of the bottles meant to limit how much liquid pain reliever could be drawn into a plastic syringe didn’t work correctly. When those consumers inserted the plastic syringe, it pushed the protective cover, or flow restrictor, into the bottle.

J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare, plagued by about 25 product recalls since September 2009, said Friday that it is recalling all 574,000 bottles of a grape-flavored version of the liquid medicine on the market. The product, which was distributed nationally, was introduced in November.

It’s one of the first nonprescription medicines reintroduced after all the recalls and an ongoing factory shutdown have kept most of McNeil’s medicines off the market for well over a year, costing the company well over $1 billion in lost revenue, plus many millions for ongoing factory improvements.

The new infant Tylenol bottle comes with a plastic syringe that’s to be inserted into the flow restrictor at the top to help measure the right dose. The syringe has an opening in the tip but no needle. Consumers are to insert the tip of the syringe into the flow restrictor, turn the bottle upside down and then draw out the right dose. That’s then squirted into the baby’s mouth.

McNeil changed the design to make it easier to get the dose right and to limit spillage if the bottle is knocked over, McNeil spokeswoman Barbara Montresor said. The prior version had an open-topped bottle and a dropper with a flexible bulb at the top, similar to a turkey baster.

McNeil is part of the consumer health business segment at J&J, which is based in New Brunswick, N.J. The company’s prescription drug and medical device divisions each have issued at least two recalls in the last couple years.

Be on alert for RSV illness – Virus can affect little children and adults

hiccups — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:50:03 +0000

When my son’s daycare posted a note that two children had been diagnosed with RSV, I wasn’t concerned about him catching the illness.

I had always thought the virus was only an illness babies contracted, not children as old as my 4-year-old.

In reality, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) can affect babies through adults. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), RSV is a “respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages.” Healthy people can recover within one to two weeks, but some babies, young children and even adults can have more severe reactions to the virus.

When my youngest daughter had RSV as a baby, we were lucky she didn’t have to be hospitalized, but I remember sitting and holding her, counting how many breaths she was taking per minute. Her pediatrician had told me it would be dangerous for her to take more than 60 breaths a minute. So, I sat in the rocking chair, staring at her, focusing on every breath and counting …. 50 … 55 … 60 …. 50. It was nerve-racking.

My 4-year-old’s symptoms started Sunday: Crying, loss of appetite, 101-degree temperature, extreme sinus drainage. Today, his temperature has decreased, and though he is not his usual rowdy self, he is feeling better.

For more information about symptoms and treatment, go to the CDC Web site.

–Linda Lynn

llynn@opubco.com

When to go to the ER

hiccups — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:01:24 +0000

Last January, my toddler woke up in the middle of the night crying inconsolably. He started thrashing his body across the bed and became very hot to the touch. I immediately took his temperature and there it was – 105 degrees. He asked for water but couldn’t keep it down. He started shaking uncontrollably and I called 911. He was having a febrile seizure, which can happen in young children with high fevers. He was transported to the hospital and they got his fever down and got fluids in him. In my situation, I reacted on instinct. At the time, I worried that I was overreacting, but it turned out that going to the ER in this case was the best choice.

Sometimes we can panic when it comes to our kids and we don’t know how to handle fever or sickness. Sometimes we feel it may not warrant a visit to the ER but in some cases it does. The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center had an article in their most recent OK Kids newsletter to help guide parents on what to look for. They say children need to be seen by a doctor if:

-Is younger than 2 months old and has a temperature of 100.4 or higher.

-Is 6 months old or older and has a fever higher than 101.

-Is younger than 2 years old and has had a fever for more than 24 hours.

-Is 2 years old or older and has had a fever for more than 72 hours.

They also stress that the way a child is acting is far more important than what the thermometer says. If a child is lethargic, can’t stop crying, can’t hold down food or liquids, or shows signs of dehydration, contact a doctor. And if you’re ever in doubt about what to do or what a fever means, or if your child is acting in a way that concerns you, always call your doctor for advice.

~Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com