In 1905 pediatricians made a valiant attempt to simplify the medical nomenclature by giving the then known six diseases which caused rashes numbers instead of cumbersome, and sometimes embarrassing names. We spoke about the Numbered Diseases of Childhood in a previous article.
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About the last time I can see that anyone in the field of medicine attempted to make things a bit easier on ourselves was in 1905 when pediatricians tried to describe the six then known diseases which cause rashes by giving them numbers.
After all, unlike today, back then physicians weren’t so much the type of people who were (more…)
It was a much, much less complicated world back “then.” Back then nearly EVERY grandparent had seen and knew about rashes. None of them were a good sign.
There was no “real” treatment as we know it today and even less understanding about causes OR prevention. What they did know was that babies died of them… routinely!
There was, however, enough experience with them that they knew at least six different syndromes of illness associated with rash types, clinical course, and sequelae. Here are the six… they were given numbers instead of names.
Pretty much everyone has had a headache at some time or other. Unfortunately it is principally viewed as an adult disease when, in fact, it frequently occurs in children and adolescents as well.
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Let me let you listen in on a typical conversation between a pediatrician and parents of an infant, child or adolescent who is quite ill.
“Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Adam looks very ill, but I can’t be sure about what’s causing it until we run some tests.”
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The summer is full of things that bite, have you noticed? Bees, wasps, fire ants, snakes, spiders, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and scorpions. Some areas have these threats to health and sanity all year long.
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I once heard a tape of an old-time radio broadcast where Costello was telling Abbot that “I once had the seven-year-itch.” Abbot asked, “Well, what did you do?” to which Costello replied, “I scratched real fast and got rid of it in four years.”
The seven-year itch was given its nick-name not because it lasts for seven years but because it occurs in epidemics nearly every seventh year.
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Ok, lets see how astute you are about summer medical problems in children.
You are the doctor and an adolescent comes into your office with swollen eyes and a rash over his face and arms with blisters which itch terribly.
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[This article on power mower injuries in children was originally published in the spring]
I’ve had some information from the American Academy of Pediatric meeting in Chicago about a favorite past-time of summer which I have been saving until this spring to pass on.
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Would all of you who have had “growing pains” please raise your hands.
Just as I thought, most of you have. You should know however, that even though many doctors use that as a “talking with parents” diagnosis, most of us realize there should really be no such thing as (more…)
Children face a number of medical issues when they leave the relative ease of summer in favor of the more crowded environment of school each year. Here is part two of a list of common illnesses and issues facing us at “back to school” time.
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Ask any medical student, intern or resident: “where is the place where you get sick most often” and you’ll be told “the hospital.”
The problem is that the relationship also holds for “adults” with “work” and “children” with “school.” That’s because (more…)