Suffer the Children is a well done, insightful book look at the practice of pediatrics from the inside out. As a practicing pediatrician, I have seen many patients who have been run through the ringer of false pediatric ideas from other practitioners. I am fortunate enough to work with a group of doctors who are thoughtful and are always looking out for the best interests of our patients.
Just this weekend I saw patients who were given amoxicillin for their swimmer's ear and another baby who had been on 6 different formulas for their happy spitter trying to stop spit up.
As Palmieri describes, many of these simple mistakes and mismanagement are committed by full-time pediatricians and I fear that as we migrate towards a more urgent care/retail model of ill visits we will only see these problems progressively worsen.
During residency, I observed how primary pediatricians had had an erosion of skill in treating even common illnesses. Patients were sent to the ER with a promise of "quick admission for their (insert serious problem)" only to be seen by the triage nurse and placed at the bottom of the list. I currently practice in a smaller town in west Texas and take care of my own nursery, NICU and pediatric inpatients but I will be moving to a clinic in Dr Palmieri's backyard in Lewisville, TX. My prayer is that I don't become "that doctor" and maintain the level of intellectual integrity that his book calls for.
Well done Dr Palmieri! Thanks for the honesty and transparency!
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