WebAdmin-RR

Felines’ sharp teeth can inject harmful bacteria deep into joints and tissue, doctors warn.

Cat bites may look less serious than dog bites, but beware: They can cause dangerous infections, particularly when they involve the hand, new research indicates.

Although cats have no more germs in their mouths than dogs or people, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that when cats bite, their sharp teeth can inject hard-to-treat bacteria deeply into the skin and joints, increasing the risk for serious infection.

Dogs’ teeth are blunter, so they don’t tend to penetrate as deeply and they tend to leave a larger wound after they bite. Cats’ teeth are sharp and can penetrate very deeply. They can seed bacteria in the joint and tendon sheaths.

It can be just a pinpoint bite mark that can cause a real problem, because the bacteria get into the tendon sheath or into the joint where they can grow with relative protection from the blood and immune system.

Researchers studied nearly 200 cat bite cases that occurred between 2009 and 2011. The patients involved in the study were all bitten on the hand. The average of the participants was 49 years old, and 69 percent were women.

About half the patients […]

Every summer these devilish little weeds seem to pop up everywhere and anywhere.  Most people have no idea that they came in contact with the plant.  There are two kinds of poison ivy, two kinds of poison oak, and one kind of poison sumac, which is not related to sumac trees.  They are often difficult to identify in the wild.  Poison ivy starts life as a red three leafed climbing vine.  It climbs other bushes, and trees so prolifically it can literally replace the foliage on a bush or tree with its own, winning the battle for sunlight and nutrients.  It can appear as though it is the naturally born foliage on that bush or tree, giving the appearance of a ‘poison ivy tree’.   

Most people get the rash from touching leaves, while gardening, hiking, or looking for a ball lost in the weeds.  The resin urushiol, the poison in poison ivy, comes off the plant leaves or from the stems, and can be passed to you touching a tool, from a pet, from clothing; from anything that has touched any of these plants.  If you get a rash from ANY […]

Dr. Ramon Rego has recently been promoted to Associate Medical Director at Access Medical Associates. A New Jersey native, Dr. Rego received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Cook College, Rutgers University, and a medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York.

In 1992, Dr. Rego completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Rutgers/New Jersey Medical School, where he was Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. He has more than 22 years of clinical experience in Internal Medicine as well as Urgent Care.

Dr. Rego’s work experience includes Medical Director at Madison Medical Center and also at Fanwood Primary Care. He received the St. Barnabas Excellence in Caring Aware in 2011. In addition, Dr. Rego is a Certified Medical Examiner listed with the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.

Dr. Rego joined our staff in June, 2014, and comes to us with excellent medical skills and compassion for our patients.

Check out our newly painted wall mural in our children’s exam room! Your kids will enjoy all the fun rainforest creatures on the walls. We also have smaller sized blood pressure cuffs, fruit flavored tongue depressors, and other medical equipment that is “kid sized” in our pediatric exam room.