ER episode ''Dead of Winter'' 1/4/96

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

OK, I missed part of this (it was on TNT yesterday). What was the problem with the black kids? Where were they being taken at the end? What was wrong with Mrs. Rubadoux (Red Buttons’ character’s wife)?

http://www.tvtome.com/ER/season2.html#ep37

[parsnip]

Try televisionwithoutpity.com–they have all the summaries.
1996 is too far back for me to keep that soap straight.

[Guinastasia]

I believe the kids were being neglected-their grandmother just couldn’t take care of them all.

They had lice, one kid had impetigo, they were malnourished, dirty, one kid had cerebal palsy and it was just a big mess for the poor things.
The old woman was dying, in general. I don’t remember specifically. And her husband wasn’t ready to let go.

[rowrrbazzle]

summary/review: http://www.digiserve.com/er/episodes/season2/er211s-r.html

medical commentary: http://www.digiserve.com/er/episodes/season2/er211med.html

The malnourished kids, social commentary by that buffoon Shep aside, had this list of diseases:

Thrush–a yeast infection seen on the tongue.
Chronic otitis media–Chronic ear infections, from not having one treated, usually accompanied by an effusion, or fluid build-up in the middle ear.
Ringworm–A skin infection–the nine year old boy had it on his scalp. Treated with griseofulvin.
Impetigo–That little girl had it on her lip. It’s a skin infection from Staph bacteria. Treated with antibiotics.
Head lice–A shampoo treatment is all that’s needed.
Kwashiorkor and marasmus–Similar diseases of protein malnutrition.

The labs drawn were the basic labs plus iron studies, folate, and protein levels. Iron and folate are used in blood cell production, protein levels (and albumin levels, a type of body protein) will just estimate the level of malnutrition.

Red Button’s wife had the aneurysm repair previously, and we finally see someone working on the wards. Paralysis is a known risk of the procedure. She was in heart failure after the operation but any attempt to get rid of excess fluid resulted in her blood pressure going quite low.

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

Wow! Thanks a bunch!