The ethics of MD-reporter involvement in Haiti

Every little bit helps I guess but in the video Sanjay Gupta looks like a med student examining his first neonate. He doesn’t seem able or comfortable when trying to open the baby’s eyes — almost like he’s afraid. He does a very cursory neurological exam and what he does he does out of order. And he doesn’t even check the baby’s vital signs. This is all basic stuff that a 3rd year med student could do better.

Additionally, he says the baby has “a laceration under the skull.” What?!? That is not even anatomically possible. How is Gupta not familiar with even basic medical terminology and anatomy? Also, when Gupta decides there’s no fracture, he declares the child fine forgetting that trauma to the soft skull of an infant can be accompanied by dangerous bleeding under the skull even without a fracture. Finally, he looks like he’s never applied a head dressing before — something a full-time neurosurgical doctor or nurse could do with his or her eyes closed.

My initial remarks were strictly for the comment that the camera never left the doc's face (which it did) and that I heard him say "turn that off".

steph