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Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms
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  • Published on: 6 February 2017
    Re: 'medically unexplained symptom' means that the doctor has a problem

    Dr Kraemer is correct in pointing out that the presence of a child mental health team integrated into the paediatric team in the hospital is, where resources allow, often the best way to manage children and young people with medically unexplained symptoms, and indeed with a range of other physical and psychological presentations. See also Cottrell, 2015, http://adc.bmj.com/content/100/4/308

    Conflict of Interest:...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on: 10 January 2017
    'medically unexplained symptom' means that the doctor has a problem
    • S KRAEMER, retired consultant paediatric liaison psychiatrist

    Professor Cottrell's guidance for paediatricians confronted with patients whose symptoms cannot be explained minimises the real problem that arises when a mental health opinion may be required. He says "the use if words like 'psychological' is unhelpful and is associated with making things up" which is indeed the case. A very useful study by Furness et al (2009) interviewed hospital paediatricians and child health nurses...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.