PEDIATRICS is a field of medicine that deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases in newborns, children, and adolescents. The training of a Pediatrician is complex, typically lasting three years or longer. Many then go on to complete subspecialty training in a wide range of disciplines, including Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Critical Care, and Pediatric Nephrology. Pediatricians care for patients in outpatient settings, hospitals, and pediatric intensive care units (PICU).
Pediatricians are tasked with a difficult role in that the anatomy and physiology of their patient population is specific to each stage of child development. Pediatricians deal with the prevention of disease by performing regular check-ups and administering vaccinations. Pediatricians are often the first line of care when a child develops signs of an acute illness. Diseases such as sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections all fall within the realm of Pediatrics. Recognition of these diseases, as well as other serious conditions such as leukemia, is difficult since infants and children are often unable to articulate their symptoms.
Litigation against Pediatricians commonly arises from missed or delayed diagnosis of life threatening infections or malignancies. Other common allegations stem from errors in weight-based dosing of medications, an occurrence that may lead to a catastrophic overdose.