I always feel bad when I see a child (usually about toddler age) who initially seems to really like me. They smile at me, giggle, hand me things (to which I say “Thank you”), play peek-a-boo, etc. They let me listen to their lungs, look in their ears, press on their bellies (which makes them giggle), etc. But then, I tell the parent, they are not going to be my friend any more. Why? I jam a rapid – influenza swab up their nose and into their nasopharynx, making them gag, spit up and scream.
Sorry little guy, I know I am not your friend any more….
If the kid is up to games and giggling why does he need a swab? “Your kid has a virus. Take him home; keep him rested and hydrated; give him Tylenol every six hours; bring him back if he has trouble breathing, becomes lethargic or confused, his fever goes over 104, etc.”
Good question elsi. He had fever for five days with no obvious source, so I did a flu swab, knowing that if positive, I could end the work up right there. In fact, it was positive so I d/c’d him on Tamiflu.
Why did you give him Tamiflu? 5 days into his illness is way outside CDC recs
Right ER Doc. I did mull that one over. I just followed my gut. It seemed to me that five days of fever is a little long for the flu (and the kid was little) so I gave Tamiflu in case her condition worsened. No real good reason for that – just seemed like the right thing to do.
Hi, try to remember that children forget quickly. Long after it is bothering you, the children have forgotten it happened. Also, the discomfort of a swap or a shot sure beats the pain of an untreated infection.
I think you should be satisfied if the child cries when you enter a room and stops when you leave the room. You should play with your own children and treat everyone else’s without trying to make friends with them. It is really not that important that they like you.
Anyone who has children knows they will be sicker then anything but be acting fine whenever you take them to a medical professional ; )
[...] First you Like me, then you Hate me. [...]
I think that if you don’t want to establish rapport with and care about your patients, what are you doing this for anyway? Much easier to treat a cooperative pt that trusts you (in response to the doctor that said the pt liking you is not important). As for sick children who do not “act sick,” my 6-month-old daughter was in the hospital with rsv because of low O2 saturation levels and was laughing and smiling between horrible hacking coughs and asthma attacks. Yes with her it was technically “a virus” but she still had a need for hospital tx.
Unless I’m kicked, hit, cursed (yes, I’ve had a toddler tell me ‘f&*^ you’) or spit on…I’ll rave about how brave the kid was, he/she was my best patient, and yes, what I did was not nice. Then split!