Dr. Patrick Pulliam

07/26/2024

I'm excited and honored to attend the American Academy of Pediatrics Leadership Conference, representing Georgia and the GAAAP! It's my first time at this conference and my first visit to the AAP headquarters.

During this event, aside from valuable leadership training and networking opportunities, we are focused on elevating the health and well-being of children and pediatric health professionals across different levels - state, regional, and national.

Looking forward to a fruitful and enriching experience at as we work together towards advancing the health of children.

10/06/2023

Excited for the fall meeting! This morning is practice mgt: Bright Futures, key performance indicators, and active shooter preparation.

08/19/2023

This disturbing trend is continuing, worsened by a decrease in birth rates. The real issue is financing lower volume, low margin services at hospitals and outpatient offices. (It is also challenging to maintain quality for services with low volume.) Many news reports on closing services or entire hospitals fail to discuss the enormous financial pressures on hospitals and offices and the complicated gymnastics required to package services and a system that at least breaks even. Will maternal care go the way of pediatric care, becoming unavailable in most hospitals? This will not help our maternal mortality problem in the US. What value do we place on maternity care?

Women have fewer delivery options in rural, aging parts of the U.S.

05/13/2023

I’m thankful for all the nurses who take such great care of my patients at our office, Piedmont Henry, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I also want to wish a happy Nurses Week to the first of our children to follow her parents into healthcare. Rebecca is about to finish her first year as a labor and delivery nurse. Thanks to all the amazing nurses in my life!

05/05/2023

Ok they finally explained how Mandalorians eat. But they didn’t explain how they use a stethoscope.

05/04/2023

Excited to be joined by my colleague today. Not sure how this will go with the toddlers though.

05/04/2023

My lunchtime feed started so strong thanks to but took a sharp turn literally the next post. “Allergic reactions, hives, and nasal allergies can be treated with diphenhydramine…” Sigh.

11/18/2022

I’m always amazed and inspired by the dedication and tremendous efforts of my colleagues and staff on the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Board of Directors to improve the lives of GA kids. Honored to be a part. Great to hear updates from Georgia Department of Public Health Dr. Kathleen Toomey.

10/28/2022

RSV season is here, earlier and worse than most years. It can be more severe than a regular cold. Here's what you need to know.

🔑 Key facts

➡️ RSV is a cold virus that also infects the lungs.

➡️ It causes usual cold symptoms: fever, runny nose, congestion, and cough.

➡️ In some kids, it causes wheezing and may cause difficulty breathing (bronchiolitis).

➡️ Some kids need to be admitted to the hospital for breathing problems or dehydration.

➡️ For most kids, the cold symptoms are worse and last longer than a usual cold.

➡️ Antibiotics do not treat RSV.

➡️ Wheezing medicines rarely work for RSV.

⚠️ What to watch for

The skin pulling in between the ribs or above the collarbones with each breath.

Struggling to breathe and not relieved with nasal saline and suction.

Not making urine at least every 8 hours, or dry lips

Very sleepy and hard to wake up

✅ How to treat RSV

Nasal saline drops and suction. This is the number one way to treat colds in young children.

Encourage plenty of fluids. If your child is not eating solid food, feed only breast milk, formula, or electrolyte solution for children.

A cool mist humidifier may help.

One to two tablespoons of warm apple juice may help with cough and post-nasal congestion.

Natural cough medicine made from honey (over 12 months old) or agave nectar (less than 12 months old) may help.

❌ Do not give your child:

Cough and cold medicines. They do not work and can be harmful at this age.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) should never be used for colds in kids.

Homeopathic medications. They are not herbal remedies but very tiny amounts of poisons. They don't work and can be harmful.

🍎 Prevention

Handwashing is still the best way to prevent colds and flu.

Breastfeeding offers some protection.

Stay away from other young children if possible when RSV is going around.

😅 Rest assured, most children catch RSV and just have a worse than average cold. The important thing is to be aware, to watch for the warning signs, and to seek care quickly if you are concerned, preferably from a pediatric facility.

07/05/2022

Happy 246th birthday America! This country has never been nor is perfect — because human beings are imperfect and so are their institutions. But it was, is, and strives to be the best foundation for human flourishing, a “more perfect union” that is “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The founders said these truths were “self-evident”, — absolute Truth — that we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable Rights: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. May we always remember, teach it to our children, and keep moving forward.

04/09/2021

Children would benefit in so many ways from summer camps this year. Here are the latest guidelines.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests what parents should look for if they are considering a camp for their child this summer. Asking these questions can help make sure plans are in place to help keep campers healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

02/03/2021

Every bit of this article is true and a major issue for our practice, except where UnitedHealthcare said that they are “not underpaying for coronavirus testing, and that its rates were consistent with those of other health plans.” Both totally false. I am paying out of my own pocket for covid testing for kids so they and their families can go back to school and life. Meanwhile, insurers’ profits hit record highs.

I was happy to submit my practice’s data for this article.

Some insurers pay pediatricians less than the cost of the test itself, jeopardizing a tool to help control the pandemic.