Top Cold & Flu Related Articles & Blog Posts

Note: Dr. Greene works with Scanadu, a participatory medical device company that is currently running an exciting Indiegogo campaign for Scanadu Scout, the first Medical Tricorder. The first generation of medical students that went to medical school with smartphones in their pockets is still in training. They’ve just finished their second year of residency and [...]

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic used to treat many different types of bacterial infections in children. It does not help in viral infections such as a cold or flu. It’s often called “the pink stuff” or “the bubblegum-tasting one” by children. You might see a brand name such as Trimox, Moxatag, or Amoxil on the label. [...]

Amoxicillin-clavulanate is a strong combination antibiotic used to treat many different types of bacterial infections in children. The clavulanate makes it difficult for some resistant bacteria to withstand the amoxicillin, resulting in a very powerful antibiotic. Nevertheless, it does not help in viral infections such as a cold or flu.

My school-age son has a terrible cold. I have him rubbing with mentholated ointment and breathing in steam, but he is so miserable! Is there anything else that will help?

Related concepts: Rhus dermatitis, Contact dermatitis Related concepts: Respiratory syncytial virus Introduction to RSV: Very few things are more frightening than watching a small baby struggle to breathe. What is just a common cold to an adult can be a major threat for some small babies. What is RSV? RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is [...]

Related concepts: Whooping cough, Bordatella pertussis Introduction to pertussis: I stood outside the closed door of the hospital room where an adorable 6-week-old baby lay all alone in her crib. As I scrubbed my hands in the sink outside the isolation room, an electronic monitor allowed me to hear her breathing peacefully. Suddenly the quiet [...]

Related concepts: Influenza Introduction to the flu: For many people, cold and flu have become an inseparable pair, like salt and pepper or New Year’s and weight loss. Walking down the “cold and flu” aisle of any drugstore, you will find stacks of bright boxes with bold claims of help for those suffering from a [...]

Introduction to cough: Your home calms at night, the children are tucked into bed – but then loud coughing replaces the silence. It’s impressive that a body so small can cough so loud. What is a cough? Coughing is an important part of the body’s defense system. It forcefully propels unwanted invaders up and out [...]

Related concepts: Laryngotracheobronchitis, Infectious croup, Spasmodic croup. Introduction to croup: Picture this scene: A couple is spending a quiet evening at home with their one-year-old daughter, who has had a bit of a cold. At about 8 o’clock she begins coughing — an unusually loud, resonant cough. Over the next few hours, the sporadic cough [...]

Many of the most common and most dangerous infections spread via germs on the hands that make their way into the mouth, nose, or eyes. How best to keep our children’s hands clean? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued October 25, 2002 guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare settings, where spread of [...]