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RACISM: Black Kids Get Less Pain Meds Than White Kids in ER??? No Way
Could it be a case of racism in the emergency room? A new study shows that black children hospitalized for acute appendicitis are less likely than white children to be offered painkillers.
The study found that "black patients with moderate pain were less likely to receive [anesthesia] and black patients with severe pain were less likely to be treated with opioids.” In general, only about half of all kids surveyed got painkillers, though they’re strongly recommended for treatment.
Researchers believe the reason is two-fold: an unconscious bias against African-American kids and “unwarranted fears” of opioids that lead doctors to under-prescribe across the board. (NBC News)
Say Whaaat:
If you have kids, does this study -- or your own experiences -- make you more likely to second-guess a doctor?
A lot of doctors are scared about kids getting addicted to opioids, which is a legitimate concern. But it’s not like one race is more or less at risk to get hooked.
You want to believe that in a hospital, where it’s literally a matter of life and death that everyone is going to get the best possible treatment regardless of race.
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