Technology, teamwork and telemedicine to the rescue

As a critical care physician, there’s not much Boston Children’s Hospital’s Melody Duvall, MD, PhD, hasn’t seen, but even she is surprised by a case from time to time. “Cameron Shearing’s story is truly amazing,” she says. “It’s a real testament to the power of technology and teamwork in crisis.” Last December, two-year-old Cameron’s airway suddenly became blocked by a chocolate-covered pretzel he was eating. It didn’t take long before tiny bits of pretzel found their way into his lungs, complicating his breathing even further. Despite the mounting snowstorm outside, Cameron was quickly rushed to the South Shore Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department (ED), which is staffed by Boston Children’s physicians and South Shore Hospital providers. But by the time Cameron arrived, he wasn’t breathing—he didn’t have much time. The odds of a good outcome were not high. Pretzel is one of the worst foods to have lodged in your throat because the tiny pieces can block multiple small airways, and the salt topping can very quickly irritate the throat and lungs, causing dangerous inflammation. At the South Shore Hospital ED, doctors rushed to Cameron’s aid, but treating the small child turned out to be a big issue. “Cameron was one of the sickest patients I ever cared for as an emergency physician,” recalls Galina Lipton, MD, a Boston Children’s Department of Emergency Medicine doctor who staffs the S...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Department of Emergency Medicine our patients' stories TeleConnect telemedicine Source Type: news