Chicago Med (TV Series) When You're a Hammer Everything's a Nail (2021) User Reviews

Need a better medical consultant

[unonjacke · 4/10 · 1 November 2021]

This week saw Dr Scott treat a young girl with a broken arm and a history of falls. Initially child abuse is suspected but a brain scan reveals shrinking of the cerebellum which controls coordination and the doctor concludes the child has Tay-Sachs disease. Basic research into this disease shows that it is a rare genetic disease that is primarily associated with people of Jewish extraction and both parents need to have the gene for the child to have this disease. Tay-Sachs has no cure and babies born with the disease usually die by age 4 or 5. In the episode there is no discussion with the parents regarding the childs probable continued deterioration and inevitable death and the parents need follow up genetic counseling in the event they have other children. If the writers of the show wanted to make the point that the doctor, a former policeman who had arrested the father on domestic abuse charges in the past, was too quick in his initial assessment of the child's injury then they should have found a less devastating diagnosis or added further follow-up for the family.

Tay-Sachs? Really?

[aecochran-49488 · 4/10 · 3 June 2022]

Who are your medical consultants?? Tay-Sachs is a severe neurodegenerative disease that presents in infancy and patients typically die by age 4. No way would a 10-12 year old girl have undiagnosed Tay-Sachs with no other symptoms besides "clumsiness." She likely wouldn't even be alive.