nurse

Please click here to read a story about dry drowning at InjuryBoard.com.  According the Center for Disease Control (CDC)  3,600 people drowned in 2005. About 10 to 15 percent were dry drownings, which can occur up to 24 hours after water is breathed into the lungs.

Many parents are concerned about recent news accounts concerning methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of "staph" infection that frequently causes skin infections and can be difficult to treat. Because of this concern, we have received general information from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Ohio Department of Health to help educate parents and students on MRSA and provide answers to common questions. We are assisting with education efforts by sharing answers to frequently asked questions about MRSA:

What are common symptoms of MRSA?

Common signs of a skin infection include redness, warmth, swelling and tenderness. Often a MRSA infection will look like a spider bite, boil, abscess or pimple. If left untreated, it could progress into a more serious illness.

How is MRSA spread?

In outbreak situations, the environment has not played a significant role in the transmission of MRSA. Studies in health care and community settings show skin-to-skin contact, direct contact with infected wound drainage or contact with contaminated surfaces or things such as sports equipment as the likely sources of transmission. MRSA skin infections are not spread through the air.

How can students protect themselves?

Students can protect themselves from infections by:

• Practicing good hygiene (e.g., keeping their hands clean by washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rubs, and showering after games and practices);
• Covering any open skin areas such as abrasions or cuts with clean dry bandages; avoiding sharing personal items such as towels or razors;
• Using barriers (e.g., clothing or towels) between skin and shared equipment; and
• Wiping surfaces of equipment before and after use.

For more information about this infection, please visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Health website at: www.ccbh.net or visit the Ohio Department of Health website at: www.odh.ohio.gov. If you have any questions, please contact your doctor or the Cuyahoga County Board of Health at 216-201-2080.

Sincerely,

Deacon John Gregory

Principal

Click here for the Ohio Department of Health information sheet entitled "Establish Healthy Habits
Now to Prevent Flu and Other Illness" that was distributed in Family Mail on November 21, 2006.

Click here for the Ohio Department of Health information sheet entitled "How to Protect Yourself
From Avian (Bird) Flu" that was distributed in Family Mail on November 21, 2006.

Food allergies affect over 3 million American children and can be life threatening.  The risk of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced in the school setting if schools work with students, parents, and physicians to minimize risks and provide a safe educational environment for food-allergic students.

Normally, parents are notified if there is a food-allergic student in their child's class.  We are providing the following links to The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network for reference.

Food Allergy Basics

http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/FoodAllergyBasics.pdf

Be a PAL!  Protect A Life from Food Allergies

http://www.foodallergy.org/school/PALBrochure.pdf

Common Food Allergens

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html

The Academy also requests the following of its students:

• Don't share your food with friends who have food allergies.
• Wash hands after eating.
• Ask what your friends are allergic to and help them avoid it.
• If a student who has allergies becomes ill, get help immediately.