Real Talk with Kid Docs

In Episode 36 of Real Talk With Kid Docs we tackle the oh so common complaint of earache. 

We discuss ear anatomy, etiology of ear pain and infections, common predisposing factors, exam findings, complications and treatment. Not all ear infections need to be treated and we discuss the variables that inform our treatment recommendations with antibiotics or supportive care. 

Come join us and I promise you will hear a lot of useful and practical information!

We are back again and this time addressing a question from a parent who wonders, "Do kids get sick more often in the back-to-school season and what can I do to keep my kids healthy?”  The short answer is “yes”.  It IS common for kids to get more frequent infections anytime they are around other people. Hand hygiene, social distancing, vaccines on top of a healthy foundation of adequate rest, good nutrition, movement are your best defenses. 

Viruses certainly predominate and can be recognized by general symptoms of fever, runny nose, cough, muscle aches, headaches, tummy aches and sore throat. 

A sore throat is a feature of VIRAL illness but what about strep throat? Strep throat is a BACTERIAL infection in the back of the throat (the pharynx) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (also known as Group A strep). Pediatricians start to think about a bacterial infection when it is seen in isolation-a sore throat only or maybe with a headache or tummy ache but WITHOUT the more commonly recognized URI symptoms like runny nose and cough. 

When your doctor is concerned for strep throat, an easy throat swab done in the office with or without a bacterial culture is all that is needed to confirm or refute the diagnosis of strep throat. We treat strep throat with antibiotics (usually amoxicillin) to treat the infection but more importantly, to reduce the likelihood of post-strep sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease and post-streptococcal kidney disease.

Is my kid getting sick too often? Check out Episode 5: House calls: “My child is always sick.” Frequency of colds and when to think it might be something else. 

Our first parent question episode!

Sara is a mom to five and one of her children has a chronic illness that requires the care and coordination with a lot of doctors. She wrote to us with these questions. In this episode, we discuss some tricky parent-medical team situations:

1. How much, how often and just how do I communicate with my child's primary care doctor when we also have many other specialist doctors that we are seeing?

2. Sometimes the doctors that know the most about a disease don't have a communication style that works for me and my family. It can feel like I have to chose "brains" or "bedside manner"? How do I navigate that?

3. When do I get a second opinion? How do I do that without offending anyone and keeping the relationship with my doctors in tact while still seeking the best care for my child. 

This episode is great for anyone who has chronic disease or has a child with chronic disease. 

The short answer: you are in charge as the patient and as the parent. You chose what feels best to you and the provider who meets your needs. You are worth it. Your child is worth it. You know you and your child better than anyone else. 

Check out:

-Episode 15: How to choose a doctor for your child

-Episode 25: Advocating for your child. Navigating the healthcare system

We would love to answer your questions! Send us an email at [email protected] or hit us up on our Instagram @RealTalkwithKidDocs. Let us know if you or your child would like to be on the show as we answer your questions!

In episode 33 we are joined by Dr. Laura Bennett Murphy, a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the University of Utah. Dr. Laura Bennet Murphy received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duke University. She completed a Pediatric Psychology internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University.

Our conversation centers on how to talk about death with our children. All living things will one day die - plants, pets, friends, family members - and being honest with our words and emotions is important to teach kids ways to understand their grief. 

Dr. Bennet-Murphy explains 'leaning into' the grief process to feel solidarity and emotional security with our kids; teaching appropriate vocabulary to describe the feelings associated with grief and using words as tools to work with our understanding of it; and, recognizing grief as a part of life and living.

Episode References:

Books:
-The children’s book series "A Little Spot of Emotion" by Diane Alber. This series features different emotions as the start of each book. Some of our favorites are Sadness, Frustration, Anger and Anxiety.

-"Good Inside" by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Movies: 

-Inside Out

-Inside Out 2

Youtube video:

-Good bye Mr. Hooper from Sesame Street, https://youtu.be/gxlj4Tk83xQ

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It is September 2024 which marks a few milestones for these two Pediatricians:
-It has been one year since Beth decided to take a break from a fast paced career in academic medicine to focus on her health and be a stay at home mom. 
-It has been almost 1 year (1 year next month!) since Joe left private practice Peds to hang up his own shingle as a Direct Primary Care (DPC) Pediatrician. 
-We are six months into this podcasting and coming in to our groove. 

Taking the road less traveled can happen for many reasons. You might want a change. You might be forced to make a change. You might be tired, frustrated or burntout from what you are doing. There might be a really exciting noew oppourtunuty. Changing course and taking the road less traveled can be scary and can also be the start of the path you have been needing. 

Join is as we talk about what we have learned in the year since Joe and I both left traditional medicine. 

Have you ever felt distressed by something that happened at work? Something you witnessed, something you felt forced to do, something you did not agree with? In healthcare, we see distressing things regularly. Sometimes we passively or actively participate in things we believe to be wrong. When it upsets us, that is moral distress. When we carry that hurt in a way that negatively impacts our lives, that pain becomes moral injury.

We are honored to welcome back our guest, Dr. Amy Locke, M.D.

Dr. Locke is Chief Wellness Officer, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah.  She has internationally recognized expertise in professional well-being.  (More about Dr. Locke below.)

In this episode, we discuss why moral distress happens, how to recognize it and what to do when it happens to us. 

 Book Reference:
 - "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle," by Emily and Ameila Nagoski
 

More about Dr. Locke!
Dr. Locke's research, education and clinical roles focus on helping people lead healthier lives through a focus on whole person health. She serves as Immediate Past Chair of the board of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health and is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Michigan. She strives to increase education around wellness and integrative health topics both locally and nationally with a goal of increased access to services and a shift towards prevention and integrative health in conventional medicine. She is recognized for innovative curriculum design and transformative clinical programs to address lifestyle and prevent disease.

Guests: Dr. Deanna Barry D.O. and Dr. Phil Boucher M.D.  Both are pediatricians and owners of DPC practices

-Dr. Barry owns Barry Pediatrics in Bath, Ohio

-Dr. Boucher owns Frontier Pediatrics in Lincoln, Nebraska 

Our co-host, Dr. Joe Vukin owns Wayfaring Pediatrics, a DPC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

 This is a follow up episode to Episode 23: Direct Primary Care (DPC), Part 1where we first talked with Drs. Barry and Boucher as to why they made the move to Direct Primary care from a conventional practice. 

Follow along in this episode as we outline the pros and cons of DPC to see if it is the right fit for your family. 

PROS:

1.    DPC offers better medical care because it allows a fluid conversation back and forth between doctor and patient as well as frequent touch points. 

2.    The care provided is more efficient due to better access and ease of communication. It cuts out the middle management of a front desk staff and nursing triage and allows families direct access to their doctor. 

3.    There's less hassle. Because the care is more efficient, there's time saved. Imagine being able to text your doctor directly rather than having to take a day off of work to make a clinic visit. 

4.    It often allows for the ability to save money in other ways like being able to avoid the ER and urgent care visits when they're not necessary. 

5.    In an era where medical bills are piece-meal, and confusing, it's a flat fee model that's transparent with cost and pricing upfront. 

CONS:

1. It is a different model and change, in general, can be hard and scary.

2. It costs additional money that is outside of conventional insurance coverage.

Welcome to our first Quick Hits! This episode is meant to be a QUICK buzz through our most commonly asked questions. 

Here are our most commonly asked questions in that first two weeks of life:

1.       How often should my baby eat?

2.       Is it ok that they spit up? How much is too much and when should I be worried and call the doctor?

3.       How often should my baby poop and what should it look like?

4.       What is jaundice and what do I need to know about it?

5.       My baby is losing weight in that first week of life. Is that ok? How much is too much weight to lose?

Want us to dive more into any of these topics? Have other questions? Send us an email at [email protected]!

We would love for our podcast to reach more people so please share an episode with someone you know!

We are hearing a lot about wellness these days, both at home and in the workplace. 

Today we are joined by our guest Dr. Amy Locke. 

Dr. Amy Locke, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah.  She has internationally recognized expertise in professional well-being, innovative curriculum design and transformative clinical programs to address lifestyle and prevent disease. (More about Dr. Locke below.)

People are leaving the medical profession at an alarming rate. Healthcare is a caregiving profession much like parenting is a caregiving role. In the seemingly high pressure / high stakes job of parenting, we often neglect ourselves and our personal wellness. 

In this episode, Dr. Locke explains how a culture of wellness can improve organizational outcomes and personal wellbeing. We discuss identifying personal values, the importance of self-awareness and being deliberate about where we spend time.

Tune in as this episode is applicable to medical professionals and really, anyone in the caregiving space! 

Book References:
- "The Family Firm," by Emily Oster, PhD
- "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle," by Emily and Ameila Nagoski
- "Unlearn Your Pain," by Howard Schubiner, MD

Dr. Locke's research, education and clinical roles focus on helping people lead healthier lives through a focus on whole person health. She serves as Immediate Past Chair of the board of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health and is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Michigan. She strives to increase education around wellness and integrative health topics both locally and nationally with a goal of increased access to services and a shift towards prevention and integrative health in conventional medicine.

Welcome to our latest subset of Real Talk! 

KIDS QUESTIONS!

Beth's son James (11 years old) is on the podcast as a guest questioner! Join us as I answer his question in a way that is scientific and also entertaining. 

This is meant to be listened to by the whole family! Bring us along on your next car ride!

Send us your questions and you too can be on as a guest questioner!