KAKE: PICU partnership brings big city specialist care to Wichita
By Pilar Pedraza
Some childhood emergencies require more than even Wichita's Level 1 Trauma units can provide. Or, at least they did. But now Wichita's Ascension Via Christi St. Francis has found a way to bring pediatric specialists from places like Kansas City to Wichita through a special partnership that's already saving lives.
We met John and Rachel Burdg, and their four-year-old son, the day before Thanksgiving. On that day, he was a smiling boy, happy to play Hot Wheels with his parents. It was a far cry from the terror that unfolded for their family just last month.
"It was agonizing," said John about the experience.
First, they made one emergency room visit for a skin condition that just kept getting worse.
"We brought him home after the first trip to the ER because they actually thought it was a viral rash," Rachel said.
Within hours, they were headed to another ER because their little boy was still getting worse.
"They told us then that we would need to be transported to St Francis....for specialized treatment," Rachel said. "They started treating him immediately."
The doctors successfully treated the 4-year-old for a suspected bacterial infection.
" I never seen one like this before," said Dr. Muthukumar Vellaichamy who handled the Burdgs case.
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