Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Others can be harmed when patients lie

Nina Shapiro, MD
Meds
December 6, 2015
1K Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

The other day, the mother of a nine-week-old baby girl called my office in a panic.  Her daughter was having terrible breathing trouble, with coughing and wheezing.  She asked to been seen that day, and of course I said yes. I asked mom how the baby had been doing overall, and she said that she’d had some noisy breathing as a newborn, but all was well until the past few nights, when her breathing became labored, noisy, and she just didn’t seem “right.” On first examining the baby, she seemed well-nourished and was sleeping comfortably. There was no wheeze, noise, or cough.  However, while I looked with a small flexible telescope at her voice box, she began to have a horrible-sounding cough.

As an airway surgeon, my ears have been finely tuned to the sounds of stridor — croup, laryngitis, tracheal (windpipe) abnormalities, vocal cord problems, muscle weakness, cartilage immaturity etc. Most of us who’ve been in practice awhile can distinguish a croup kid from a tracheitis kid from across the street.

But this sounded different. Not something I hear every day or even every year. The child seemed to be in agony from the cough, but there was no structural problem. Her exam was normal.  I mentioned possible etiologies of the cough to her mom, including several viruses and bacteria. I asked her if her five older children (ages 18 months and up) had had their immunizations, and she assured me that they had. I suggested she go see her pediatrician, who would be able to check for certain viruses or a lung problem, and told mom I’d call her pediatrician to let her know that mom and baby were on their way.

“She lied to you,” her pediatrician said. “Nobody in that family has received one vaccine.” She lied. Lied?  This baby could have had pertussis, better known as whooping cough. My waiting room is filled with patients with weakened immune systems, other newborns too young to be immunized, and elderly cancer patients.  If one ever wondered how epidemics start, we had just seen our cute little bundle of typhoid Mary, just west of tinseltown.  We have lived through several whooping cough epidemics in just the past few years, and babies are dying unnecessarily in front of our eyes. And this mom needed to lie about her child’s immune status?  Parts of Los Angeles have immunization rates lower than those of South Sudan, so one would think that this mom would feel utterly comfortable, and perhaps even proud, that her children were not tainted with big pharma-driven, toxin-laden vaccines.

Thankfully it turned out not to be pertussis, but a treatable, short-lived viral illness. I will see the baby again, should she need my care. I will not hold the lying against her mom. Patients lie to their doctors all the time — about smoking, alcohol, diet, lifestyle, you name it.  We don’t want those who care for us to be angry at us, and we want to show them that we’re trying — that we’re all on the same team.  But the vaccine debate has polarized the parenting community.

In a recent piece in the Hollywood Reporter, the writer was unable to find one family to speak on the record about not immunizing their children. Not because they don’t stand by their choice, but because they didn’t want any backlash from those on the “other side.” Vaccine choice has become one of the few health issues that has forced families to fudge their answers, or worse, hide behind them.

Nina Shapiro is a pediatric otolaryngologist.  She is the author of Take a Deep Breath: Clear the Air for the Health of Your Child, can be reached on her self-titled site, Dr. Nina Shapiro, and can be reached on Twitter @drninashapiro.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

4 ways to handle unsolicited health advice

December 6, 2015 Kevin 6
…
Next

A physician reflects on her experience in Rwanda

December 7, 2015 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
4 ways to handle unsolicited health advice
Next Post >
A physician reflects on her experience in Rwanda

More by Nina Shapiro, MD

  • How do we treat the unvaccinated?  And how can they treat us?

    Nina Shapiro, MD
  • COVID vaccine battles are as strange as the disease

    Nina Shapiro, MD
  • Every time you congregate with someone from outside of your home, you are potentially responsible for deaths

    Nina Shapiro, MD

Related Posts

  • Are patients using social media to attack physicians?

    David R. Stukus, MD
  • How the war on opioids has harmed some patients

    Angelika Byczkowski
  • You are abandoning your patients if you are not active on social media

    Pat Rich
  • How to help your patients understand antibiotic stewardship

    Greg Gafni-Pappas, DO
  • When Western medicine fails patients and clinicians

    Kimberly Rogers, MD
  • Cancer patients who want to take unproven supplements

    Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD

More in Meds

  • From Moscow Mule to the opioid crisis: Unveiling the tragic legacy and urgent solutions

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • The deadly consequences of a shortage: The Pluvicto crisis leaves metastatic prostate cancer patients in limbo

    Matt Drewes
  • The real story of Xylazine contamination in street fentanyl and how we can manage it

    Julie Craig, MD
  • The cannabis education gap: Why patients are left in the dark

    Timothy Byars
  • Are doctors ready to discuss psychedelic therapies with patients?

    Thaís Salles Araujo, MD
  • The rise and dark side of fungi: Exploring health benefits and pathogenic threats

    Sandra Vamos, EdD and Deanna Lernihan, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Georgia’s new law promoting truth and transparency in health care credentials

      Carmen Kavali, MD | Policy
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Proactive risk management: a game-changer in preventing physician burnout

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How healthy eating can protect us from extreme weather

      R. Jason Newsom, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unfilled residency spots and the future of emergency medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How excessively regulating doctors can harm patients

      Richard Gunderman, MD, PhD and James Lynch, MD | Physician
    • AI-driven solutions for burnout, patient empathy, and worker shortage

      Harry Severance, MD | Tech
    • How modern lifestyle changes are disrupting our immune systems

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • Empathy and awareness: Unveiling the hidden dangers of food allergies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Hooray! A Clearer Estimate of Your Risk for Death Is Around the Corner
  • Transapical Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement Trial Raises Questions
  • Americans With Heart Disease Less Likely to Use Wearable Devices
  • Residents, Fellows at Mass General Brigham Vote to Unionize
  • Alzheimer's Drug Clears Major Hurdle Toward Full Approval

Meeting Coverage

  • Transapical Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement Trial Raises Questions
  • MitraClip Shines in Real-World, Core-Lab Data
  • Risankizumab Safe in Older Crohn's Disease Patients
  • How to Better Identify HER2-Low Breast Cancer
  • Higher Fetal Cortisol Levels Linked to Sleep Onset Delays
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Georgia’s new law promoting truth and transparency in health care credentials

      Carmen Kavali, MD | Policy
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Proactive risk management: a game-changer in preventing physician burnout

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How healthy eating can protect us from extreme weather

      R. Jason Newsom, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unfilled residency spots and the future of emergency medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How excessively regulating doctors can harm patients

      Richard Gunderman, MD, PhD and James Lynch, MD | Physician
    • AI-driven solutions for burnout, patient empathy, and worker shortage

      Harry Severance, MD | Tech
    • How modern lifestyle changes are disrupting our immune systems

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • Empathy and awareness: Unveiling the hidden dangers of food allergies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Others can be harmed when patients lie
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...