Dr. Josyann Abisaab

Head Injuries and the ER

Many people are not sure when a visit to the ER is necessary. Some people are more inclined to play it safe and go regardless of the severity of the condition, while others prefer to wait things out. ER doctors such as Dr. Josyann Abisaab stress that it is important for people to be familiar with different levels of emergency, to avoid unnecessary visits or lack of necessary care.

Head injuries are common in sports. Parents often see their children take a blow to the head, and then get up and continue playing. They may even sit out for a few minutes. It is important to understand that concussions are a type of brain trauma, and they do not always result in unconsciousness. While an ER visit is not always necessary, it is important that you take the hit seriously and pay attention to any changes in the child’s demeanor. Sudden drowsiness, vomiting, uneven pupil dilation and even a split second of unconsciousness are probably signs of a concussion. Consult a doctor before making the trip, if you’d like, but don’t brush the occurrence off. Also, if a laceration occurred at the time of the blow, the child should definitely be examined.

Dealing with Nighttime Croup: Tips from the E.R.

Any parent who has heard a child with croup knows how terrible the sound is.  Croup is almost always worse at night because blood flow to the respiratory tract changes when a child lies down.  Dry air can also aggravate the cough.  Many parents end up in the E.R., being seen by doctors like Dr. Josyann Abisaab, for croup.  Here are some suggestions for ways to avoid that E.R. visit.

Dr. Andrea Leeds, a pediatrician in Bellmore, New York explains that you should first give the child a dose of children’s ibuprofen (if they are over 1) to reduce the swelling in the airways.  Then, turn on the shower full blast and sit in the steamy bathroom for fifteen minutes with your child.  Finally, dress him warmly and go out into the cold night air (or stand in front of the freezer if it’s the heat of summer).  The steam will relax the airways and the vocal cords and the cold air will reduce the swelling.

This combination of activities will usually help to control symptoms enough until the next day, when you can get to the doctor.

Emergency Eye Care: Dr. Josyann Abisaab

Most of us are fortunate enough to have healthy eyes. We don’t pay a great deal of attention to our eyes and we don’t think about issues that might occur.  However, eye emergencies are quite common, with nearly 2 million people in the United States seeking care in any given year for eye trauma.  Eye trauma is the number one cause of vision loss in people who are under 25, according to the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.  Eye trauma may be due to an object penetrating the eye, to chemical injury, and to other issues.

Along with trauma, it’s important to know about other eye emergencies that might cause you to visit your primary care physician or to make your way to the emergency room for care from doctors like Dr. Josyann Abisaab.

If you experience a sudden loss of vision, either with or without pain, you should certainly seek assistance.  Sudden vision loss can be due to stroke, vitreous hemorrhage, bleeding into the clear gel in the center of the eye, inflammation of the blood vessels and more.  If you experience flashes of light or large amounts of specks that seem to appear in front of the eye, you also need to seek help.  These can be retinal tears or detachments.

Summer Safety with E.R. Doctors Like Josyann Abisaab

During the summer months, the American emergency rooms see a great deal of injuries and deaths from the same sources.  If you are informed of these situations by doctors like Josyann Abisaab and you take precautions it should help to cut down on these tragic situations. 

Make sure to protect yourself and your family against sunburn and heat stroke.  Wear sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and continue to apply more throughout the day.  Drink plenty of water throughout the day as well and if you feel faint or nauseous, make your way to a cool place and drink something.

If you travel this summer, make sure to wear your seatbelt at all times and not to travel with anyone who has been drinking.  Check that the vehicle that you are taking has been fully serviced.  When you get to your destination, make sure that you find out where the nearest emergency room is, just in case an emergency arises.

Josyann Abisaab: The Dangers of Water

Most of us lead very busy lives, and we have probably all turned our backs on our children in a shallow pool or in the bathtub.  Parents are often shocked to learn just how quickly a child can drown and just how little water it takes for the drowning to occur.

A child can drown within seconds and can do so with as little as 2 inches of water if they fall headfirst into a cleaning bucket or into a bathtub.

To take the proper precautions, make sure to install a four-sided 5-foot fence with an automatic childproof gate if you have a pool.  Make your child wear flotation devices when he’s in a pool.  Never take your eye off of your child in the bathtub or even in a shallow, baby pool.

Certainly, emergency room doctors such as Josyann Abisaab want parents to understand the dangers of even small amounts of water for children.

Josyann Abisaab & Poison Prevention

More than one million children under the age of 6 are poisoned each year as a result of accidents.  Certainly, emergency room physicians like Josyann Abisaab who have to deal with these poisonings urge parents to be vigilant in the home.  Here’s how.

Make sure to purchase child safety tops on all medicines and chemicals, whenever possible.  Lock up caustic cleaners so that children can’t reach them – but keep in mind to also secure vitamins and mouthwashes, as these can also poison children.  Vitamins with iron can be toxic to kids and mouthwashes can be poisonous from the alcohol content.

Don’t ever store chemicals in a familiar food container.  For instance, don’t put your antifreeze in a soda bottle or your paint thinner in an ice cream container.  Keep all vitamins, medicines, liquor, cleaning products, pesticides and fertilizers locked and in their original packaging.  Keep toiletries out of a child’s reach and make sure to flush expired medicines down the toilet, rather than throwing them in a wastebasket.

Post numbers in an obvious place for the poison-control center and keep activated charcoal or ipecac syrup on hand.  Make sure not to give your child the ipecac syrup, however, without speaking to your doctor or to poison control first.  

Get Organized Before an ER Visit

Certainly, no one wants to end up in the emergency room.  However, it's always a good idea to be organized and prepared before something happens. This means that you should take a few precautions in case you do have to go to the emergency room.

Such precautions include the following:

1. Put an emergency contact list by the phone.  This should include 911, and two phone numbers for people you would call in case of an emergency.

2. Have all of your health materials in one place and ready to go in the event of an emergency. This would include your health card, a list of medications you take and allergies you have and any other relevant materials.

3. Know which emergency room you want to go to.  Speak to your primary care physician about this so that you'll know which hospital he is affiliated with or which one he recommends.

4. Know how to get to the emergency room.  You won't necessarily need an ambulance to go to the ER.  Knowing how to get there will cut down on your stress in the event of an emergency.

Visiting the Hospital with a Child

You may not realize how intimidating the hospital can be for a small child, since you’ve probably been to one before and you know what to expect.  Your child, however, does not. The more that you can predict what will happen during the process and help to reduce your child’s stress, the more successful the process will be for all involved.

Before a procedure, be honest and straightforward with your child.  Let her know if something is going to be cold, hot, or slightly uncomfortable.  Explain the names of equipment and explain what it does. If your doctor is explaining things, don't get in the way. Try to be as much of a team as possible, together with the emergency room doctor such as Josyann Abisaab.  

Try to patiently and respectfully listen to any questions or child may have and answer them.  It doesn’t help to lie to a child; if you tell them the shot won’t hurt, and then it does, you will decrease their trust in you.  

Emergency Room Care Advice

You’ve had an accident in the house and need to get to the emergency room.  Are you prepared?  Do you have all of the materials that you need to take with you? Do you know how you are getting there?

Here, we offer recommendations for things that you should know before this situation happens.  Hopefully, by reading this information now, you’ll be ready should a real accident occur. 

First, find out what urgent care facilities are in your area.  You might actually find that a 24-hour walk-in clinic or a minor emergency center is a better option for your injury.  You may find this option to be less expensive and faster than the actual emergency room of a hospital.  Check on your insurance coverage for these issues as well.  These facilities are often a good option when you want someone to see your sick child in the middle of the night.

Make sure that you know whether or not you need prior approval from your general care doctor to go to the hospital. Have the number of your doctor easily accessible and have someone who is not in pain call for you.

Know which hospital is associated with your insurance plan.  You want to go to the right place, and not get sent to another location when your time matters.  You should designate someone that you’ll want to come with you to the emergency room, as well.  Ask someone ahead of time if they will be willing to accompany you; it’s very helpful to have someone to navigate the system for you who isn’t in pain.