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Aaargh! I have to vent [img]mad.gif[/img]
I worked today and we had 2 new positive STD cases. I a 13 yr old girl where the Dr. was suspecting abuse. The other was a positive gonorrhea culture on a 5 year old girl. Not what the Dr. was expecting I imagine. Urk! Having to explain to a mother that her baby has an STD and is being sexually abused.
I had another on a 7yrold just before Xmas. Not a happy holiday for some.
The only good thing is that now it can hopefully stop for these kids where as if they didn't catch an STD it could go on for years and no one else would know. And it can also help track down the offender BASTArdS! [img]mad.gif[/img]
[img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]
*takes a deep breath*
OK better now
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*hug*
And may I say, thank you, Chaos, for helping me put my night into perspective.
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**hugs**
Lets hope the bad people are caught and actually punished.
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This screams for a Michael Jackson joke, but instead I'll just wish harm upon those who perpetrate such crimes...
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Wow, Chaos, can I ask what happens in these cases? Do the doctors have any kind of responsibility to report it? Is there follow up? Is there a mandatory investigation?
Or is the mother (or whomever) allowed to take the child home and leave their care in their discretion? I would hope there would be some kind of legal requirement to do something at this point, but I just thought I'd ask. [img]confused.gif[/img]
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Five years old?
Five??
*shiver*
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My gf has worked at places that deal with child abuse cases and has her share of horror stories. It's really sick what some people do to children.
*hugs*
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Chaos, I can't imagine how horrible it must be to deal with things like this at work, but thank goodness for people like you and your co-workers who are there to help these little ones! Let's pray that they can intervene and offer these kids a safe and happy future.
And lets hope that the bastards that abuse these kids get what they've got coming.
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Thanks guys, we get these cases from time to time but 3 in a short space of time was just too much for me.
Gem I'm not sure what the Dr's policies are, I would hazard a guess that they have some sort of guidelines to follow to help the family do the right thing and ? some requirement to notify authorities and ? child welfare. Of course it is a very grey area as sometimes it is a member of the family that is committing the abuse.
At the lab our requirements are to triple check everything, name on swab, name on form confirm the age of the person, get a senior supervisor to check everything and notify a pathologist (they do the talking to the Dr. We also run extra comfirmatory tests, to be absolutely sure. Any swabs or slides that are querying abuse or assault in anyone, any age have to be kept for 7 years, even if they test negative. (Not the agar plate tho' that wouldn't last more than a week).
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My husband works in a juvenile detention center, and occasionally has to process in offenders accused of actions like you've described. He usually has to ask for another worker to be in the same room with him as he fingerprints them and whatnot, for the proof that he does not beat the bloody hell out of them, like he so dearly wishes he could. [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img]
*needs boxing glove smilie*
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"They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears
Forgive and forget, all the while
Love and pain become one and the same
In the eyes of a wounded child
Because Hell
Hell is for children"
I'm sorry you have to deal with the repercussions CB. :(
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 06, 2004 09:41 AM: Message edited by: JaceSan ]</font>
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Wow! Where is that from Jace?
On the up side and just as well the general boredom of STD bench was driving me barmy. I am no longer rostered there I have moved to Respiratory *does booty shakin' dance of joy* [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
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It's from a Pat Benetar song she did back in the early 80s. Not one of my favorites, but gets the message across.
"And you know that their little lives can become such a mess"
Glad you got transferred.
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Glad you got transfered too Chaos. At least you won't be seeing the same things, although you might be testing children with respiratory problems now, which might still be heartbreaking.
