Coping with Sick Children: What Questions Should You Be Asking?

Have an appointment with the paediatrician? Here are the questions that every parent should be asking himself and the paediatrician when coping with an ill child

Whenever a child is diagnosed with a serious illness or any condition that requires treatment or follow up, parents are often faced with a myriad of decisions: Should they follow all of the recommendations? When should they come back for a check-up? When should they go directly to the emergency ward?

The next time you have an appointment with the paediatrician, bring along this list and save yourself future dilemmas. Make sure to write down the answers for future reference in case you forget anything.

 What is the medical problem? What is the term for the official diagnosis? Are there any doubts regarding the diagnosis?

 Under what conditions should we come back to see the doctor/ contact the call centre service/ go straight to the emergency ward?

In complicated cases, it is advisable to have the doctor write down the name of the condition on a piece of paper. In cases where the diagnosis is problematic, you can inform yourself via the Internet.

After the diagnosis is confirmed, the physician will recommend a course of treatment.

It is important to remember that often, the doctor will prescribe a certain medication in order to help the sick child. However, on occasion, the paediatrician may prescribe something in order to “treat” (relieve) the parents’ feelings of anxiety and helplessness. Thus, the question: “Is this medication truly necessary?” is a useful one.

As frustrated parents can attest to, sometimes just patience combined with observation can yield the same results.

It is also worth noting that every medication has its side effects and that sometimes a physician will prescribe a certain medication for precisely that effect. For example, anti-allergy medications are often prescribed as a remedy for the common cold, because their primary side-effect is the drying out of the mucous membrane.

In any case, never leave the doctor’s appointment, prescription in hand, without answers to the following questions:

 What is the medication and why is it being prescribed?

 Is this medication necessary or will the condition disappear without any intervention?

 What, exactly, does the medication do? Will it truly abbreviate the duration of the condition or merely ease the symptoms?

 What side-effects can be expected once the child starts taking the medication?

 What steps should be taken if side-effects do appear? Should the medication be continued? Should we continue administrating the medication, notify the physician or discontinue the medication immediately?

 Can the prescribed medication be taken with other medicines that the child is already receiving? For example, a very common question is: “If I’ve already given some paracetamol to lower the child’s temperature, but the fever hasn’t subsided, is it alright to follow with ibuprofen (Nurofen)?” Are there any drug interactions? (For those who are interested: It is indeed possible to give both paracetamol and ibuprofen to the child, but each medication must be administered at the dosage and frequency recommended).

 How long should the child continue taking the medication?

 What happens if one dose is missed or forgotten?

 How soon can an improvement in the child’s condition be expected? For example, some medications have an immediate effect (paracetamol, antihistamines etc.), while the effect of others is cumulative and takes longer to be noticeable. (antibiotics; certain medications for the treatment of asthma etc.)

 Should medication be stopped as soon as the child shows improvement?

Are there alternative medications or treatments that could achieve the same healing effects?

There are times when a parent of an ill child will say "Yes, I understand." but when they get home, they have forgotten what was said or they don't know how to answer their spouse's questions. "What exactly did the doctor say? When do we have to go back? "

Often, when I see a parent standing in front of me, looking helpless or confused, I come to their aid and call the other parent on the phone. Then, as I’m examining the child or writing up the prescription, I can inform the other parent at the same time. Parents, whilst dealing with an ill child can be distracted and don't absorb all the information being given.

Lastly, after purchasing the medication, verify that it is indeed what has been prescribed and check the expiration date. The chemist generally indicates the recommended frequency and dosage for the medication right on the packaging. If you don’t understand or have any questions, ask the chemist. If the answers don’t satisfy you, consult your physician.

Dr. A. Barak is Medix' Medical Consultant