Whooping cough (Pertussis) infection appears to be making a comeback this winter with 444 cases notified to the NSPC as of last December 2012. This is probably an underestimate of the true prevalence of this infection as the swabs and blood tests GPs require to diagnose this infection are not being made available. The main group affected by this years outbreak are young babies and children with almost a third of cases occurring in babies under six months of age. This group are also most at risk of complications from the infection.

The characteristic symptom of whooping cough is a severe cough lasting more than two weeks and associated with a “whoop” or vomiting. Antibiotic treatment can be useful if given early. The HSE are also recommending that pregnant women receive a booster of their Pertussis vaccine between the 28th and 32nd week of pregnancy in order to protect their newborn babies. We are happy to provide this to any expectant Mums or see children with persistent cough for advise and diagnosis.

If you are faced with the prospect of finding a nursing home for a loved one, an article by Anna Patterson who is Director of Nursing at Cairn Hill Nursing Home may help. A link to the article is provided below and it covers a range of topics including the “Fair Deal” support scheme and some tips on what to look for when choosing a nursing home. Anna has a huge amount of experience in this field and the short article is choc full of useful information for families faced with this difficult challenge. You can download the article by clicking here.

With temperatures dropping over the past few weeks elderly people are particularly at risk of Hypothermia. With large number of young Irish people emigrating for work, our elderly people are often left alone and unable to cope in bad weather conditions. If you know an elderly person living alone, please call on them to see if they are OK. A prolonged spell of bad weather can leave an elderly person without food and at risk of hypothermia. Those with Alzheimer’s Disease, Cardiovascular Disease or poor mobility are particularly at risk. In Kilmacud and Stillorgan we have one of the highest concentration of people over 70 so most of us will have at least one person over 70 living alone near to us.

We would like to wish all our patients a very Merry Christmas and a healthy new year!!

You can now request an appointment on line from this web site. Click on the “Make an Appointment” tab at the top of this page and complete the on line form. This will send a message to one of our staff who will then contact you with possible times and dates. The on line appointment service is however only open to registered patients of the practice and is not suitable for urgent problems. If you need a same day or urgent appointment, please contact the surgery by phone.

Flu vaccinations are in full swing at KMC at the moment. The vaccine offers effective protection against the flu and is especially important for those with any chronic medical conditions or those over 65. If you had not had yours and wish to get one, please contact the practice for an appointment with our practice nurse.