knowing your weakness...

ENT

There were a few coxsackie virus critical case lately causing a few lifes....one of the senior paediatric infectionist had gone to the media and claimed that the victim was seen by ENT surgeon instead of paediatrician leading to delay of treatment. The ENT society was fury about this statement and threaten to sue the infectionist, they claimed that they are capable of treating flu and could diagnosed coxsackie...

Indeed this is a very wrong concept here. A lots of parents who took their child with flu-like symptom to ENT OPD instead of paediatrician clinic. The ENT OPD had 2 "special skill" -
1.the throat washing
- the ENT surgeon would swab  some solution the throat after throat examination, I think some anesthesia is added ,because the pain is better after the swab(I tried it before during my college's days...).

2.nose washing
- washed you nose with some saline solution - may improved nasal congestion...

Well, I do believed the above 2 "skill/treatment" may eased the disomfort of flu-like symptom but it won't shorten the duration..
As for abilities of ENT surgeon - no doubt, some of the coxsackie virus infection present with nose,throat symptom, but to complete asess of such patient, a doctor might need to auscultate and search for rashes...key point : for a ENT trainee who have the chance of doing 1 months elective posting in paediatric ward - can they mastered the skill of cardiac auscultation / rash differential diagnosis ? I doubt it....but for income sake, they are defending themselve and protecting their income...a pity and over confident act...

As a physician I questioned the abilities of ENT surgeon to properly managed paediatric patient who presented with flu - these kinda patient should not be their key income...many ENT surgeon just ended in OPD washing thraot/nose and not doing their proper part as a head,neck surgeon...

I recalled a senior emergency physician who claimed that the training of ED physician is very up todate in a forum of a newspaper...Well, they did not realize how weak they are - in the O+G and ortho/trauma field....similiar situation - over confident . .... I wander if they dare to raise their hand when a doctor is needed on a public transport...