| stics show that in case of the 70 000 uninsured | | | | appendix bursts, and 48% in case of these insured by |
| children in the U.S. affected by appendicitis every year | | | | Medicaid, compared to children with private medical |
| the situation can aggravate because of the delay of | | | | insurance. Doctor Newman also supposes that families |
| diagnosis and surgery; appendix rupture can be the | | | | that don't have private insurance often bring their |
| consequence of that. | | | | children with appendicitis too late to the hospital, having |
| Dr. Kurt D. Newman, a paediatrician and surgeon at | | | | a tendency to take appendicitis symptoms for routine |
| Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. | | | | stomach aches. Some unsophisticated clinics are, in |
| thinks that a new look should be taken in children | | | | Newman's opinion, in no condition to perform accurate |
| evaluation regarding conditions generally and abdominal | | | | tests and analysis, so that a proper diagnosis is |
| pain in particular. He considers absolutely necessary to | | | | impossible to give. |
| take these children into the system and insure them | | | | Even ignoring the motivation for this kind of situation, |
| proper care. These opinions were published in the Oct. | | | | the doctor gives some criteria for the population to |
| 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical | | | | suspect appendicitis, and not to take a simple stomach |
| Association together with his and his team research | | | | problem for it: "If it's a tummy-ache that seems out of |
| results. | | | | proportion to the usual, if it's persisting, if it's localized to |
| The tubular structure attached to the colon which has | | | | the lower right side of the abdomen, or is associated |
| no particular role can inflame, what makes | | | | with nausea and vomiting -- those are all real warning |
| appendectomy necessary in most of the cases. The | | | | signs that the child should be evaluated". He also |
| infection produced by its rupture extents inside the | | | | suggests that both doctors and the category of |
| abdomen, and the toxic substance spreads, unless it is | | | | people predisposed (or which have predisposed |
| discovered and dealt with in time. This situation can | | | | children) to appendicitis need to receive more |
| even be lethal, and, in the easiest cases, as Dr. | | | | information and education regarding this problem. He |
| Newman says "Then you're dealing with five to 10 | | | | even gives the possible solution of visits paid by |
| days of hospital care, with lots of expense and | | | | specialists at the predisposed people's homes, to |
| complications down the line". | | | | describe them the disease and its complications. |
| One of the main purposes of the doctor and his team | | | | Health-care coverage remains another part of the |
| was research in the national centers of pediatry in | | | | solution, however. For many children, lack of insurance |
| order to determine whether all children with appendicitis | | | | may be "impacting their ability to get either diagnosed, |
| were properly cured and attended. 24400 surgical | | | | or to get the care they need," Newman said, and Child |
| interventions performed on kids at schooler age from | | | | Welfare League of America, represented by their |
| 1997 to 2002 in 36 important U.S. children hospitals | | | | spokeswoman, Joyce Johnson, shared his point of |
| were studied. The result proved Newman to be right: | | | | view. |
| the chances for appendicitis to be discovered and | | | | She underlines the necessity for all children, not only for |
| treated in time were a lot higher in case of white or | | | | the insured one, to receive proper medical care |
| privately insured children than in minorities or those who | | | | whenever they need it. The parents, according to her, |
| don't have medical insurance. Asian and black | | | | should be aware of the fact that there are programs |
| American kids were 66%, respectively 18% more | | | | that can give them access to highly professional |
| exposed to appendix rupture than white children. | | | | medical assistance. Same as Doctor Newman, she |
| In absence of clear reasons for racial discrimination, the | | | | thinks education and a good information policy of the |
| doctor invokes the differences of language and culture | | | | states to be decisive factors in the achievement of a |
| together with differences in health care coverage. | | | | solution. The programs exist, they can provide support, |
| It is 36% more probable for uninsured children to suffer | | | | and the population must be aware of it. |