Viewpoints: Where Will Kids Go When A Pediatric Hospital Is Full?
Editorial writers tackle this public health issue and more.
The Boston Globe:
Who Will Care For Our Sickest Children? Pediatric Hospitals Are Turning Some Of Them Away.
Emergency physicians like us are comfortable with the initial stabilization and diagnosis of seriously ill or injured children. We do it all year long. But eventually we need to transfer the care of these children to pediatric specialists. (Jon Roberts and Matt Bivens, 10/26)
Bloomberg:
What Can Parents Do As RSV Spikes Among Children?
A surge in cases of a common respiratory virus is filling up pediatric hospital beds around the US. The early and swift arrival of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is stretching the limits of an already exhausted health care system. (Lisa Jarvis, 10/26)
Stat:
Kids With Cancer Deserve More Than A Cure
As an oncologist and a leader at a national cancer organization, I’ve watched countless families celebrate the incredible news that their child has defeated a pediatric cancer. But I often don’t have the heart — at least not right away — to tell them what’s coming next: a lifetime of doctor’s visits, health issues, and stress, much of it related to the treatments that were used to ensure their child’s survival. (Gwen Nichols, 10/27)
Scientific American:
To Fight Misinformation, We Need To Teach That Science Is Dynamic
To become competent outsiders, students need to learn how science produces reliable knowledge. But here our educational system is falling short. (Carl T. Bergstrom, Daniel R. Pimental and Jonathan Osborne, 10/26)
The New York Times:
Protesters So Ill, They Couldn’t Get Arrested
M.E./C.F.S. (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), a condition that’s often postviral and similar to what some long Covid sufferers appear to have, can be so debilitating that it leaves those who have it with a sense of desperation. (Zynep Tufekci, 10/27)
The Baltimore Sun:
Hopkins V. CareFirst: A Resolution Has Been Reached, But Not Before Significant Damage Was Done
This clash of the titans — Hopkins health care system is Maryland’s largest provider, and CareFirst its largest insurer — was finally resolved Wednesday, when the two entities reached a new, multi-year contract. (10/26)
