Author: Admin

December 2008

Nurse’s Notes

Healthy Villages

Van Buren County Hospital surveyed people who live or work in Van Buren County and found that:
45% were overweight or obese.
58% rated weight loss as their top health goal.
55% of women had elevated cholesterol levels.
32% used tobacco.
20% had hypertension.
66% did not exercise on a regular basis.
Starting in January you can participate in a county-wide, team-based program to help you make a positive change to lead to a healthy lifestyle!
Health screenings will be completed prior to the program for free. All participants will receive free incentives and weekly health tips and information will be provided. Mini-fitness centers will be open throughout the county.
To get started:
Become a captain!
Form a team of 2-10 people.
Registration will begin in December.
For more information or to get help finding a team to be a part of, contact:
Melissa Daugherty at 293-6415 or Sara Sprouse at sara.sprouse@gpaea.k12.ia.us

Chicken Pox, Shingles, and Vaccines

Chicken pox (varicella) is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV). After the first infection, the virus can stay in the body and hide in nerve cells. An individual usually will only get chicken pox once in their lifetime. Chicken pox occurs approximately 2-3 weeks after exposure. The symptoms of chicken pox include a generalized itchy rash with blisters consisting of 250-500 lesions, mild fever and tiredness. The symptoms of shingles are the sudden occurrence of a rash and blisters on one side of the body, usually on the chest and lower back. Pain can occur in the area 48-72 hours before developing lesions. (con’t on back)
The varicella vaccine was introduced in 1995. The vaccine efficacy is estimated to be around 80 percent against all infection and 95 percent against severe disease. Breakthrough infection can occur; but it is significantly milder than naturally occurring chicken pox, with fewer lesions (generally fewer than 50). Recently, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends second doses of vaccine for children, with the first dose at age 12-15 months and the second dose at age 4-6 years. A second dose catch-up vaccination is recommended for children, adolescents, and adults who have received only one dose.
Shingles or herpes zoster results from a reactivation of the individual’s first infection and a person may have multiple bouts of shingles. Shingles has a high burden of disease with over one million cases annually. Fifteen to 30 percent of people will develop shingles during their lifetime with the risk being greatest among immunosuppressed and the elderly. A shingles vaccine is available and ACIP recommends routine vaccination with one dose of vaccine for adults 60 years of age and older, regardless of prior history of zoster disease.
For more information about chicken pox and the varicella vaccine, visit, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/default.htm. For more information about shingles and its vaccine, visit, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vac-faqs.htm.

Inside Story Headline

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Inside Story Headline

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Page #

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Page #

Sara Sprouse, RN, BSN

School Nurse
Van Buren Community Schools
503 Henry St.
Keosauqua, IA 52565

Phone:
Douds-641-936-4321
Keo-319-293-3183
Stockport-319-796-4414
E-mail: sara.sprouse@gpaea.k12.ia.us

Happy Holidays!

December 7 – 13 is National Handwashing Awareness Week. Keeping hands clean is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness.

Chicken Pox, Shingles, and Vaccines (...Continued)

The varicella vaccine was introduced in 1995. The vaccine efficacy is estimated to be around 80 percent against all infection and 95 percent against severe disease. Breakthrough infection can occur; but it is significantly milder than naturally occurring chicken pox, with fewer lesions (generally fewer than 50). Recently, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends second doses of vaccine for children, with the first dose at age 12-15 months and the second dose at age 4-6 years. A second dose catch-up vaccination is recommended for children, adolescents, and adults who have received only one dose.
Shingles or herpes zoster results from a reactivation of the individual’s first infection and a person may have multiple bouts of shingles. Shingles has a high burden of disease with over one million cases annually. Fifteen to 30 percent of people will develop shingles during their lifetime with the risk being greatest among immunosuppressed and the elderly. A shingles vaccine is available and ACIP recommends routine vaccination with one dose of vaccine for adults 60 years of age and older, regardless of prior history of zoster disease.
Shingles is not contagious. You can’t catch shingles from someone who has it. You can catch chicken pox from someone with shingles, but only through direct contact with the shingles rash. So, if you’ve never had chicken pox, try to stay away from anyone who has shingles.
For more information about chicken pox and the varicella vaccine, visit, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/default.htm. For more information about shingles and its vaccine, visit, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vac-faqs.htm.
(Information from the
Iowa Department of Public Health)

Rash with blisters due to the Varicella-zoster virus.

Notes From The Nurse