WakeMed medication safety officer and pharmacist Alex Jenkins discussed prescription drug safety with WRAL. Pain medications, sleep aids, and anti-anxiety medications can be of concern, especially when a patient is taking a combination of all three. They work on the same brain receptors and can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and difficulty breathing.  It’s important to [...]

Which is the best seat for my baby?
Unfortunately, car seat technicians are not allowed to answer this popular question with a product name or model, because we are prohibited from saying one seat is better than the other implying endorsement.
Our biggest concern is that you have a car seat you can use correctly 100 percent [...]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers of over-the-counter liquid acetaminophen products recently agreed to move toward a single concentration for all liquid acetaminophen. 
All pediatric liquid acetaminophen for infant and children will be 160 milligrams per 5ml (or one teaspoon).  The hope is the single liquid concentration product will reduce dosing errors and create [...]

Having been an orthopaedic surgeon for the past 11 years specializing in trauma surgery, I have treated many different types of injuries – some of which still amaze me.  However, I have come to expect the cause of the many severe injuries.
The biggest injury offenders are:
Trampolines are notorious for causing injures, including fractures of the [...]

What’s Cookin’, Kids?
How to keep youngsters safe in the Thanksgiving kitchen
Some of our favorite Thanksgiving memories center around food and the time we spend together in the kitchen preparing our feast.  This year, don’t let your holiday dreams turn into kitchen nightmares because of a preventable cooking mishap with your kids. Here are a few [...]

Throughout the month of November in celebration of American Diabetes Month, we will bring you facts about the prevention and the management of prediabetes and diabetes.  We started last week with prediabetes and have now progressed to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association in 2011 a total of 25.8 million [...]

They come in all colors, shapes and sizes. They are organized by function in the shoe store and can cost from $20 to over $200, but do shoes really make a difference?
For most people of normal activity level a general, supportive shoe that fits well will work just fine, regardless of whether they are biking, [...]

I will never forget the first potluck I went to at my church several years ago. There was fried chicken, biscuits and potato dishes as far as the eye can see and not a green vegetable in sight, or any other color vegetable for that matter. Of course, being the dietitian in the church, I [...]

Fourth of July weekend means loud sounds and bright flashes of fireworks to light up the night.  Although they add enjoyment to countless people’s celebrations, it’s always important to remember proper firework safety because nothing ruins the 4th of July like a trip to the emergency room.
Don’t think it will happen to you? Each and [...]

A few weeks ago I was approached by a teacher at an elementary school whose student been coughing for weeks and had been tested for whooping cough.  She was concerned about the other students in the class being exposed to whooping cough, but was quite surprised when I explained that she and her teaching assistant [...]