It is the beginning of influenza (“flu”) season! Here are some things to be aware of as we enter this year’s flu season: The flu mist, or nasal spray vaccine, is approved this year by the Center for Disease Control and by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This is a change from the 2018-2019...

It is always a tough call for us parents! Your child has been diagnosed with the flu, impetigo, strep, or some other contagious illness. The big question is: when can they go back?We don’t want our kiddos missing too much school, but we don’t want them to infect other children, or just be miserable all...

Short answer: You don’t know! Allergies, colds, flu…it can be hard to tell these different conditions apart. A cold, also known as a URI (upper respiratory infection), is one of the most common childhood illnesses. The main symptoms that accompany a cold are a runny nose, a cough and fever. It is important to remember...

On March 5th, 2019 the first case of measles was diagnosed in San Antonio in recent years. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is urging everyone to be vaccinated against measles, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states the vaccine is 97% effective. People need 2 doses of the MMR vaccine to be fully protected....

As the colder air blows in for the fall and winter months, so do the coughs, sniffles, and sneezes. Croup is most common in these months and may cause a variable amount of respiratory distress to your child, with most of its symptoms worsening through the night or within a brief period. What is Croup?...

School is back in session! And with children packed together at school, contagious diseases are ready and waiting. Hand foot and mouth disease (HFM) is a common childhood virus that is typically seen during the school year, particularly in pre-kindergarten aged children. The disease can cause a fever, sore throat, runny nose, painful mouth blisters,...

RSV, short for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is one of the cold viruses seen every year with a season extending from about October through March. Children may have fever accompanied with runny nose, nasal congestion, and cough. Wheezing often develops with RSV, however; it is more common in children less than two years of age. There...

Imagine your child is ill or has just sustained an injury. How do you know whether you should go to the Emergency Room or a Pediatric Urgent Care? ERs are very busy and many times are overwhelmed with patients who could easily be managed in a Pediatric Urgent Care setting. More seriously injured children are cared...

Katrina Lockwood joined the Little Spurs family in September of 2010. We were her first job as a nurse practitioner after being an pediatric intensive care unit nurse for many years. During her time with us, she was well liked by staff and patients, and influenced all of our lives. She was committed to the...

What is Gastroenteritis? Gastroenteritis, commonly known as “a stomach bug,” or “stomach flu,” is an inflammation or infection of the intestines. It typically causes vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and dehydration. In most cases, the infection clears within a few days, but sometimes it takes longer. The primary risk is dehydration. What causes it? Gastroenteritis can...

If your child has Medicaid and is in need of a doctor, you should always try calling your child’s primary care provider for an appointment. But if their doctor is unavailable, where should you go? Clearly if your child is very sick or seriously injured you should go to a pediatric hospital. But going to...

As the former Medical Director at the largest Pediatric Emergency Center in San Antonio, I became acutely aware of the number of children brought to the emergency room for non-life threatening or non-emergent problems. The child and parents sometimes waited up to 12 hours to be seen by a physician. The parents were usually unable...