If your hospital system is like mine, it has a dedicated pediatric emergency department. A place connected to a larger children’s hospital, where all of the providers, including nurses are certified in pediatrics. They also offer a whole host of other pediatric support, like child life specialists, without whom I would not be able to suture a laceration or obtain cerebrospinal fluids samples. All of the people have one goal, the safety and well-being of the child. This system, as you might expect, fosters a unique culture of medicine; a culture which I assert is heavily steeped in paternalism…
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16-year-old male presented to the LBJ Tropical Medical Center with a complaint of fever, chest pain, body achesmyalgias and sore throat for three days. The patient also endorses diffuse joint pain, particularly in his hands, knees, elbows and shoulder and reports pleuritic chest pain intermittently that has been worsening over past three days. Patient He denies any new rashes. Denies any , bleeding gums or easy bruising. Mother has been giving aspirin every four hours at home without any noticeable relief…
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