Recently , Kuensel made headline on the death of a child following some local treatment. It is not uncommon for us to see this almost everyday in our practice. In my personnel experience, a lot of children are subjected to such forms of treatmet like sucking and incissions, before actually coming for medical attention.
From my personnel point of view, this practice should be strongly discouraged as it seems to have plenty of harmful effects than any benefit to the patients:
- Leads to delay in seeking medical care.
- Introduces infection through sucking or incissions.
- Can lead to dangerous and life threatening bleeds if cut /incissed over a vessel or if the patient has a bleeding tendency.
- Can lead to transmission of dangerous blood borne infections like HIV/Hepatitis B
- Can lead to pain and unnecessary discorfort in an already sick patient.
- Leads to ugly bruises and scars especially if done in a visible part of the body.
- Patients might be forced to pay some money for an attempt which will not provide any relief.
- Gives false sense of security to the family, thereby further delaying medical attention.
I have here posted a picture of a child who came to me today and complained of headache. He was having an upper respiratory infection. The three bruises on his forhead were created in turn by his father, mother and a sibbling to relieve his headache. Now will this family need a hospital?
Food for thought!
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