Its a great time of year to be a kid- swimming, biking, hiking, camping,and exploring. TVs, computers, phones, and other screens should be off when the sun is shining, and the kids should be outside playing and exercising. With…
Every day families bring their kids into the Emergency Department with non-emergencies- runny noses, fevers, rashes, diarrhea. Many of those times mom is a little embarrassed, and says "I called my doctor and they were booked,…
It is discouraging when a parent checks their child into the Emergency Department for a rash. Rashes are rarely an emergency and should be seen by the child's regular doctor. I often go into these patient's rooms feeling grumpy…
It is no secret that doctor's offices and Emergency Departments are extremely busy these days. It is the "cold and flu" season, and RSV season, and that makes for a lot of sick kids. In other columns and blog entries, I have…
Its happening a lot this time of year. Parents rush their kids into the Emergency Department- for fever. When I get to the bedside, mom is sick with worry. The child, however, is walking about the room, opening cabinets,…
Sometimes we emergency doctors are called upon to temporarily be dentists. Teeth get knocked out in injuries, and we have to tend to the tooth as well as the other, more doctory injuries. It makes us a little uncomfortable-…
A common reason for parents to bring their kids to the ED is belly pain. Doctor’s offices and “quick care” urgent care clinics also send us a lot of kids with belly pain. Everyone has the same basic concern- is it appendicitis…
Every day several families bring their kids in to the Emergency Department with non-emergencies- runny noses, rashes, diarrhea. Then many times the mom, perhaps sensing our impatience with the inappropriateness of that visit,…
Occasionally I am surprised by some parent’s beliefs. There are a lot of “old wive’s tales” out there which I am used to: fever curdles milk in baby’s stomachs, fever will cook baby’s brain, blowing cigarette smoke in ears is…
We can tell by the paramedic’s voice on the radio if a child is truly sick. This time his voice has that urgency that says “be ready.” Moments later they come trundling in, oxygen cylinders hissing, monitors beeping, and the…
One of my most dramatic cases recently started like this: The police were called to the home for a domestic dispute between drunken parents. When they arrived, they found a home littered with liquor bottles, trash, and pills. …
