Yesterday my wife and I were walking our dog on a grey, wintery day. Though only 45 degrees, it was a damp chill that felt like 39, what my wife's Cajun family calls "dat wet cold." She was grumbling about it, having grown up in…
I walk into the room, introduce myself, and ask my usual lead-in question: "When did things first start going wrong?" The mom answers "She started with this rash last night, and this morning it has spread all over. Just look at…
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…
Very few rashes belong in the Emergency Department. Just about all rashes can wait until the next day to see the doctor. Parents bring their kids in anyway, often because they are afraid: afraid of infection, allergy,…
