Pediatrics
When I started consulting MD’s back in 2007 the pediatric patients were only 1/5 of the total cases. Ten years later I had more toddlers and infants than adults. Before explaining this increase in pediatric cases I feel the need to address 3 important aspects of a pediatric patient treatment that every parent and practitioner should take into consideration for a treatment to be successful. Pediatric patients are difficult to manage for reasons that differ from those of an adult patient. Adult patients have the conscious capability of making lifestyle changes but resist due to social and habitual reasons.
Why can’t I figure out what’s wrong with junior?
Communication gap
The site of the symptom, the exact magnitude and timing of the pain or even the feeling itself are interpreted totally different by each child. And when trying to assess a symptom, even toddlers cannot express themselves properly in order to help the physician find out what is going on. This is why parental observations and correlations are very important in the diagnostic process.
Sampling
While many pediatric cases may be solved without the need of advanced diagnostic tests, in several cases difficult procedures are warranted, lile MRI or CT scan. But even when these tests are absolutely indicated, parents must be persuaded for their necessity before they give their consent. Storytelling and simple explaining are important
I don't want broccoli
And now that we know what’s going on we have to treat the children. And they have to stop eating candy, and dissociate dinner from sleep, and take that stinky medicine…. Parents and practitioners should work together and find smart and easy ways to incorpοrate whαt’s needed into kids’ daily routines. Otherwise the result is usually meager
But it worked on mom
Several parts of a child’s metabolism differ from that of an adult. The enzymatic reactions that a kid’s microbiome may carry out, for example, are different, as a 12 moths old baby possesses many times more lactase activity, than a 30 years old adult
But it worked last month
Children grow, differentiate, and mature not only in physical size, but in body proportions, body composition, physiology, neurology, and social development. These changes are extremely important when it comes to child’s development, response to disease and drugs and efficacy of therapeutic modalities
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