I just returned from my yearly medical mission in Honduras. And I thought I had gotten away with it- no missed flights, no lost equipment, no bad stomach bugs for the team. But the next morning I sat down at work and YOW- my…
This week's guest columnist is Dr. Frank Betanski, a Family Practice resident at the University Health Center here in Lafayette. "OUCH!!" (ou-ch); exclamation; a four-letter word indicating urgency and anxiety when children get a…
Last week we saw a 7 year-old girl with eight days of sore throat and fever. Her parents were frustrated: they had seen their doctor twice, another ED once, had three flu tests and two strep tests and blood tests that were all…
Today's guest columnist is Dr. Jesse Livingston, a family practice resident at the LSU-University Health Center here in Lafayette. Kids fall and hit their heads a lot. Though most children with head injuries are fine, some need…
The child had odd markings on his back. He was three years old and being seen in the Emergency Department for coughing. The resident first examined the boy and noted red streaks up and down his back. The rash looked like it was…
This week's guest columnist is Dr. Allan Olson, a family practice resident at the University Health Center here in Lafayette. Allan is 61 years old, yet is on the long and stressful road of residency that makes a doctor. How…
As I write this, elections just happened yesterday, with of course lots of talk about the economy. Despite the political fighting, one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on: government needs to provide infrastructure. To…
It was a case of Physician Heal Thyself, or in this pediatrician's case, Heal Thine Own. One midnight in Baltimore, I was on duty in the Pediatric ED when my wife called: our son awoke struggling to breathe, such that he couldn't…
We see a lot of little babies in the Emergency Department when they get their first colds. They cough and are congested, have noisy breathing, gag and hack on mucus, and sleep miserably. When I talk to the parents about what to…
Some parents are disappointed with the diagnosis "virus" and not getting antibiotics. The only two times in my career a parent has outright yelled in my face were when I didn't prescribe antibiotics. Today's guest columnist, Dr.…
This 16 year-old boy was slipping away. He had come to the Emergency Department sleepy and feverish. Mom noticed that he was covered with red freckles, and new freckles were coming out while we spoke. As the nurses and I worked…
This week's guest columnist is Dr. John Giuffreda, a Family Practice resident at the University Hospital and Clinics here in Lafayette. His column reminds me of when I was playing catch with my son. When he went looking for a…
