Our team of dedicated doctors include internists, a family practitioner and infectious disease physicians.
Internal Medicine:
Internal Medicine physicians are specialists who use their clinical expertise to diagnose, treat and care for their patients with a variety of illnesses. Internists are often called upon to act as consultants for other doctors in helping solve diagnostic problems. These problems can be common or rare, simple or complex.
Internists handle chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. In addition, they help patients with an understanding of wellness and disease prevention. They are also trained to handle women’s health, substance abuse and mental health.
For patients seeing several different specialists, the internist will help navigate an often complex medical environment. Internists take pride in having a relationship with their patients both in the office and during hospitalizations. They help coordinate their patients’ care and manage the medical problems associated with that care.
Infectious Disease:
Infectious Disease specialists pursue further training after completion of a residency in Internal medicine. They are experts in the diagnosis, and treatment of a wide variety of infections. Our ID specialists treat the whole spectrum of infectious disorders including bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, and tropical diseases. Doctors Weisholtz, Kocher and Jathavedam have extensive experience treating chronic viral infections such as chronic hepatits and HIV infection.
They are experts in the diagnosis and management of common bacterial infections as well as difficult, resistant bacterial infections that may complicate hospitalization or surgery. Our ID physicians are routinely asked by other doctors to provide their expertise in treating more complicated cases of infection. Other conditions where our doctors have particular expertise include: Lyme Disease, bone and prosthetic joint infections, bacterial endocarditis (infection of heart valves), complicated pneumonias and other chronic pulmonary infections such as tuberculosis and fungal infections.
The doctors are also experienced in the treatment of infections caused by defects in immunity such low antibody levels, effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and immunosuppression caused by organ transplantation or treatment of various inflammatory diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease and other collagen vascular diseases. As acknowledged experts in their field the doctors have been frequently recognized by various publications as among the most outstanding regional Infectious Disease specialists
What are anti-coagulants?
Anti-coagulants are medications that reduce or prevent formation of clots in blood by inhibiting the production of Vitamin K; part of the body’s clotting mechanism.
Two most commonly used anti-coagulants are heparin and warfarin.
Disease conditions requiring anti-coagulant use:
Anti-coagulants are prescribed in any of the following conditions:
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Atrial fibrillation
Stroke
Heart attack
Artificial heart valve
Clotting disorders
Anti-coagulation monitoring program
An anti-coagulation treatment needs to be adequately monitored so as to provide maximum benefit to the patient without adverse side effects such as bleeding.
Anti-coagulation treatment is monitored based on the INR (International Normalized Ratio) of your blood test. INR ratio is a measure of the additional time taken for the blood to clot when oral anti-coagulantsare used. That is, if the INR ratio is 3, it means that the time taken for blood to coagulate is three times more than the normal coagulation time. The anti-coagulant dosage is unique for each individual and depends on that particular disease condition of the individual. Your physician will determine an appropriate therapeutic range for you, which will also indicate the target INR. The target INR would be halfway between the upper and lower numbers of the therapeutic range. If the blood test resultsshow an INR which exceeds the therapeutic range, the individual would be at an increased risk of bleeding. Your physician would, therefore, decrease the dosage of the anti-coagulant. On the contrary, if the INR falls below the therapeutic range, the individual would be at an increased risk of clotting.Consequently, the anti-coagulant dosage is increased by the physician.
Always rely on your physician’s advice for the anti-coagulation dosage and duration of dosage. Take the exact prescribed dosage and follow the exact prescribed duration (may be a month, a few months, or a life time) as per physician instructions.
Side Effects
Anticoagulant therapy side effects include bleeding and bruising. Notify your doctor if you notice blood in sputum, stools, or urine; unexplained bruising, nosebleeds or bleeding gums.
Rapid Diagnostic Tests
Leonia Medical Associates provides testing for influenza, streptococcus pharyngitis, urinary tract infections, anticoagulation monitoring.
Rapid diagnostic tests are cost effective and time saving diagnostic tools that provide immediate information for the clinician and patient. They allow for quick and convenient diagnoses.
These tests include: urine analysis, rapid Group A strep testing, influenza testing, prothrombin time/INR testing, finger stick glucose, tuberculosis skin testing and screening.
Travel Counseling / Immunizations
Travelling can be safe and enjoyable if you take time to plan ahead. You should make an appointment and discuss your travel plans with our doctors. At your appointment, we will provide you information about appropriate vaccinations, preventive medications, and counselling to reduce your risk of illness as well as resources to use in case of an emergency.
Leonia Medical Associates stocks the full range of vaccines routinely needed for safe travel. We are a designated New Jersey State Yellow Fever Vaccination Site. Very few medical practices in our area offer complete travel consultation services, and our outstanding Infectious Disease expertise allows us to manage any travel related illnesses.
We provide a comprehensive travel medical consultation to educate patients regarding the health risks and precautionary care to be taken at their travel destination. Make us a part of your pre-trip planning to ensure a safe and pleasurable travel experience.
Internal Medicine:
Internal Medicine physicians are specialists who use their clinical expertise to diagnose, treat and care for their patients with a variety of illnesses. Internists are often called upon to act as consultants for other doctors in helping solve diagnostic problems. These problems can be common or rare, simple or complex.
Internists handle chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. In addition, they help patients with an understanding of wellness and disease prevention. They are also trained to handle women’s health, substance abuse and mental health.
For patients seeing several different specialists, the internist will help navigate an often complex medical environment. Internists take pride in having a relationship with their patients both in the office and during hospitalizations. They help coordinate their patients’ care and manage the medical problems associated with that care.
Infectious Disease:
Infectious Disease specialists pursue further training after completion of a residency in Internal medicine. They are experts in the diagnosis, and treatment of a wide variety of infections. Our ID specialists treat the whole spectrum of infectious disorders including bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, and tropical diseases. Doctors Weisholtz, Kocher and Jathavedam have extensive experience treating chronic viral infections such as chronic hepatits and HIV infection.
They are experts in the diagnosis and management of common bacterial infections as well as difficult, resistant bacterial infections that may complicate hospitalization or surgery. Our ID physicians are routinely asked by other doctors to provide their expertise in treating more complicated cases of infection. Other conditions where our doctors have particular expertise include: Lyme Disease, bone and prosthetic joint infections, bacterial endocarditis (infection of heart valves), complicated pneumonias and other chronic pulmonary infections such as tuberculosis and fungal infections.
The doctors are also experienced in the treatment of infections caused by defects in immunity such low antibody levels, effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and immunosuppression caused by organ transplantation or treatment of various inflammatory diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease and other collagen vascular diseases. As acknowledged experts in their field the doctors have been frequently recognized by various publications as among the most outstanding regional Infectious Disease specialists
What are anti-coagulants?
Anti-coagulants are medications that reduce or prevent formation of clots in blood by inhibiting the production of Vitamin K; part of the body’s clotting mechanism.
Two most commonly used anti-coagulants are heparin and warfarin.
Disease conditions requiring anti-coagulant use:
Anti-coagulants are prescribed in any of the following conditions:
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Atrial fibrillation
Stroke
Heart attack
Artificial heart valve
Clotting disorders
Anti-coagulation monitoring program
An anti-coagulation treatment needs to be adequately monitored so as to provide maximum benefit to the patient without adverse side effects such as bleeding.
Anti-coagulation treatment is monitored based on the INR (International Normalized Ratio) of your blood test. INR ratio is a measure of the additional time taken for the blood to clot when oral anti-coagulantsare used. That is, if the INR ratio is 3, it means that the time taken for blood to coagulate is three times more than the normal coagulation time. The anti-coagulant dosage is unique for each individual and depends on that particular disease condition of the individual. Your physician will determine an appropriate therapeutic range for you, which will also indicate the target INR. The target INR would be halfway between the upper and lower numbers of the therapeutic range. If the blood test resultsshow an INR which exceeds the therapeutic range, the individual would be at an increased risk of bleeding. Your physician would, therefore, decrease the dosage of the anti-coagulant. On the contrary, if the INR falls below the therapeutic range, the individual would be at an increased risk of clotting.Consequently, the anti-coagulant dosage is increased by the physician.
Always rely on your physician’s advice for the anti-coagulation dosage and duration of dosage. Take the exact prescribed dosage and follow the exact prescribed duration (may be a month, a few months, or a life time) as per physician instructions.
Side Effects
Anticoagulant therapy side effects include bleeding and bruising. Notify your doctor if you notice blood in sputum, stools, or urine; unexplained bruising, nosebleeds or bleeding gums.
Rapid Diagnostic Tests
Leonia Medical Associates provides testing for influenza, streptococcus pharyngitis, urinary tract infections, anticoagulation monitoring.
Rapid diagnostic tests are cost effective and time saving diagnostic tools that provide immediate information for the clinician and patient. They allow for quick and convenient diagnoses.
These tests include: urine analysis, rapid Group A strep testing, influenza testing, prothrombin time/INR testing, finger stick glucose, tuberculosis skin testing and screening.
Travel Counseling / Immunizations
Travelling can be safe and enjoyable if you take time to plan ahead. You should make an appointment and discuss your travel plans with our doctors. At your appointment, we will provide you information about appropriate vaccinations, preventive medications, and counselling to reduce your risk of illness as well as resources to use in case of an emergency.
Leonia Medical Associates stocks the full range of vaccines routinely needed for safe travel. We are a designated New Jersey State Yellow Fever Vaccination Site. Very few medical practices in our area offer complete travel consultation services, and our outstanding Infectious Disease expertise allows us to manage any travel related illnesses.
We provide a comprehensive travel medical consultation to educate patients regarding the health risks and precautionary care to be taken at their travel destination. Make us a part of your pre-trip planning to ensure a safe and pleasurable travel experience.
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