Erin Pressley, PA-C
You're midway through a busy day when a patient walks in with “just another pneumonia” — fever, cough, perhaps shortness of breath. They mention recent travel to NYC. That should immediately raise the question: Could this be Legionnaires' disease?
As an urgent care clinician, I’ve handled my fair share of foreign body ingestions. But nothing quite prepares you for when the patient is your own child. One late night, just as I had finally settled in with Netflix, my seven-year-old son appeared at the top of the stairs—wide awake when he should have been fast asleep. If you’ve read my previous blog about Mycoplasma Pneumonia, you won’t be surprised to hear it was the same child. Out of...
Unfortunately, my son was part of the initial Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreak that hit in the fall of 2023. We had just returned from a family cruise – bringing back more than just souvenirs. While most of my family tested positive for COVID post-cruise, my son kept testing negative. However, his cough and fever lingered just enough to keep my PA instincts and Mom Radar on high alert. Let’s dive into reviewing a condition that has made an...
Did you know that ticks can’t jump or fly? They simply lie and wait on the top edge of plants with their front legs stretched out. As soon as a warm-bodied being passes, they simply walk onboard. The practice is called “questing,” and it is the kind of knowledge that is perfect for your next water cooler conversation.