Hello StemSocial Community! Welcome to my blog. Nowadays Diarrhoea and Colic cases are very common in kids after birth. In Pakistan, every Paediatric Physician likes to recommend Anti Colic as well as Anti Diarrhoeal Medicine. I don't know why physicians now go for symptomatic treatment instead of confirmatory because technology is very common. I had experience with a Physician in Punjab to whom I'm not impressed. I'm going to share the details of the history as well as diagnostic tools for these sorts of cases to guide parents here.
Importance of Diagnosis
Without making a diagnosis, we should not prescribe treatment. Diagnosis specifically directs not only a better treatment but also the fastest recovery and fate of a case. Diagnostic Labs are now advanced and fast in processing samples. We should manage the cost and go for specific treatment.
Last week, my cousin's newborn baby was sick and hospitalized in Indus Hospital M. Garh. My mother advised me to visit them and help them as much as I can. I reached out yesterday and asked the physician about the health of the kid. The paediatric physician opened the report and let me see everything.
After careful observation, I was informed that the patient is on treatment, but there was no lab test for a tentative diagnosis. I was surprised to see these things. Patient is getting treatment without a diagnostic route. I was not impressed by the low standards of government hospitals in Pakistan. When I asked the doctor, they blamed it on the fact that the family was poor, hence they avoided recommending any lab tests.
I requested doctors to recommend whatever is essential and I shall afford the cost. Thankfully he recommended Fecal Test as the patient's complaint was Diarrhoea and Colic. I took these samples and visited a private lab near the hospital. It was my 1st interaction with advanced Microscope. To witness my interest in the case, the lab manager invited in the room. After making a smear of fecal sample, manager helped me in tentative diagnosis. What I see was amazing and I admire science in this regard.
I was asking again and again with my full curiosity about the spherical shape objects. He confirmed that there are some air bubbles and some are parasitic eggs to whom he specifies that they are Nematodes eggs. With naked eyes, it was almost impossible to see these eggs in Fecal Sample. All thanks to God and technology.
It was 1st time, I was feeling like a big lab technician and I was moving knobs to find something else. Anyway, it was confirmed that baby has Diarrhoea as well as colic due to Parasitic Infestation. When I returned hospital and discussed the case report with Head of Peads Department. He became angry with staff because they were doing symptomatic treatment while patient needs Deworming. This is how diagnosis helps us to save medicine cost and guide us for full recovery. After getting Deworming, beleive me patient was getting improved a lot.
Final Thoughts
Either we belong to developed or developing country, if we have a disease or health complaint we should not take medicine without getting a specific diagnosis by a physician. It is injustice when we take pile of medicine on symptomatic basis while the real problem still needs confirmation. Diagnosis is as important as treatment even I shall say diagnosis is more important than treatment. It has many advantages. It not only save the medicine cost but also make fastest recovery. Hopefully this guiding article will be a guide for everyone. Thanks!