Concussions and Head Trauma

Sorry for the absence from the blog world! Clearly, residency has been making it tough to write! Anyway, I have been working in the outpatient world lately and I saw a teenager after being released from the ER after sustaining a head injury. It was a head to head collision in which the child started slurring his words and had neurological signs! No imagining was done and he was sent home after being watched for about 6 hours.  I think this management is debatable and could be talked about below.

I think we have all noticed an increase in the amount of press coverage of head trauma over the past few years. I thought about writing this article after seeing the following story: College Athlete Died of Head Trauma, Father SaysWe as pediatricians are much more careful about return to play now and in fact all patients should return to play in a step-wise fashion after first taking a full week off. It is sad to see another person die because of possible mismanagement and/or under appreciation of the severity of head trauma.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all Followers! I know I have had very little activity lately, but as the year goes on, I should have more time as I have been through the meat of my schedule. We have seen a very interesting year in the medical field, especially with the H1N1 affair. It seems that we have been spared/done a wonderful job with the vaccination program. In fact, there is a wonderful Times article on this very subject:Swine Flu.  I urge anyone out there that would like me to cover any specific subject to drop me a line. Happy New Year again to you all!!

Cash and Money

You sometimes I just wonder about people and what has happened to healthcare. I saw a nice family this week who's child had an allergic rash. When I came back to the room to talk about our plan and told her that she was going to need to get some over the counter steroid cream she responded.."wait, wait, I am going to have to pay for something?!?!" I honestly didn't know what to say and we are certainly not talking about an expensive item that is likely going to take the rash away. Is that how the public thinks healthcare should work? All the care should be free and all the medications free? Let's see what healthcare reform has in store for us.

90%?

While this post is not about the rumored Apple tablet PC, I do find it pretty cool and maybe it would even have possible benefits to the healthcare industry. Today in the ER, I asked one of the financial experts and she claimed that 90%, yes 90% of the ER visits to our Pediatric ER get paid for! I was shocked by this number...could it actually be this high? I do think that it is good that the hospital is actually getting paid when kids come in with nothing, there needs to be a line drawn. Maybe you should be charged for ER visits that could be seen at your community MD. I still am amazed by how many people actually have primary doctors and yet they do not actually go to them! They only go for well child visits. I don't know, once again it all seems wrong to me.

ER Continues!

Yes I am still in the ER!! The Monday's are always crazy around here...my muzing for the day has to be the visit to the ER for "coordination of care." 2 patients came in for this today. What is this you ask? It is when people come to the ER not for any complaint, but in order to get hooked up to the referring service. The scary thing is that patients are often actually referred from their primary doctor! Now this is instead of the way I would think to go to a specialist...I would go to my primary doctor and have them refer me. I sometimes just don't get it. I would love to hear people's thoughts. Happy Monday!

The Emergency Room!!

Talk about the front lines of medicine! This is where people go when the healthcare system fails. It really is amazing as 90% of the families that I see come for a fever for 2 hours...and at 3am! Go figure! Hey, it is often free because it is an emergency right. I do not know what the answer is, but we will see what ObamaCare brings us!

A large problem where I work is immigrant care and what to do about it. It certainly is costing America and arm and a leg, but will the new and improved system that is going through Congress do anything for the problem? It remains to be seen. Any thoughts on this internet world: Undocumented Immigrant Care.

Stay tuned for future healthcare related posts!

Back in New York and Happy Mother's Day

So I have started spreading the news (you know the song)! So the big day is finally near and graduation is this Friday! I started my first night back in NYC like anyone would with hitting the town! It was the latest that I stayed out in like 6 months, wow. So I am still like out of money! So sad that a 28 year old guy still has to ask his parents for money. Well, hopefully those times are nearing and end. But hey, if anyone is looking for a bright minded, young lad with some medical knowledge..then this is the place. Oh yes, you can follow me on twitter, my tag is sharkoff. Happy Mother's Day mom!

p.s. don't forget to at least call you mom