"Sick Kids, where does it end?"
In my line of work, I can see a slight change in the health complaints kids are having. I am not getting quite the volume of of kids with vomiting, Diarrhea and RSV/Bronchilitis symptoms, but I must confess I am still amazed how many calls related to Croup that I am still getting. 
With the weekend forcast for more wet, cool weather, I am anticipating a busy weekend on the phones.
I do keep my eyes on the foriegn press for any trends that might be coming our way in the USA. One story that has me more than a little concerned is the deadly outbreak of a "Hand-Foot-Mouth disease virus" that is hitting China hard. Normally, this virus is an irritant-in the USA, it goes through daycares in a big way-but for whatever reason, viruses in China seem to have a nasty tendancy to morph and change into genuine killers.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/07/china.virus/index.html
With modern air travel able to bring somebody from almost any part of the world into the USA, all it would take is one strategically placed sick kid to go from China to the USA and wreak havoc over here.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/03/china.virus/index.html
It does not have to be a Chinese person coming over here. With all of the Americans doing business in China, or media or athletes going to China to do coverage of the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics, one of these American travelers can just as easily bring it home.
One other issue that we have been tracking at my work has been a measles outbreak.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/05/01/measles.outbreak/index.html
One of the big culprits in the US is the number of parents who are refusing to vaccinate their kids. I have had more than a few parents tell me over the phone "I don't believe in immunizations." To which I respond: Well, you had better believe in Whooping Cough, Diptheria, Tetanus and Measles-because those illnesses used to kill a lot of kids before they could even reach school age. " The increased numbers of non-immunized kids is putting other kids at risk. This is one of the parts of my job that is a good news, bad news thing. I love patient education. I hate it when parents pick up some questionable information off the internet, and they take it as pediatric medical gospel.
Anyway, I have my first night shift of 5 in a row tonight. Later on Friday, I gotta find some time and get with my kids so that we can get their mom her Mother's day gift. We don't have anything fancy planned-eating out is getting so expensive, that I decided just to grill some steaks on Mothers Day this Saturday. Hope everybody in my house stays healthy.
