[Child abuse--undiagnosed].
We present the case of a 2 1/2 year old child brought to the emergency room by his mother, a nurse at that hospital, and her companion, because of a fractured clavicle. Over the next 14 days the child was seen by a variety of physicians in different sites (3 different emergency rooms, pediatricians' offices, orthopedic clinics) for various injuries. Each individual injury was treated separately, and the diagnosis of a battered child syndrome was not entertained. The child was not undressed completely and numerous clues to the diagnosis went undetected. A greater sensitivity to the diagnosis of child abuse is essential. More careful history-taking, more thorough physical examination and better interinstitutional communication are essential if child abuse is to be detected in its earliest phases.
Glick
Shimon
S
D001497:Battered Child Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity