The internet—friend or foe?

Most of us feel at least a little apprehensive when a patient or parent begins: “I was looking on the internet, and I found…” Experience has shown that information fished from cyberspace has often been inaccurate or alarmist, but one recent patient challenged our scepticism. What follows is a mother's account of a correct internet diagnosis.

“I was worried about Andrew's thirst and couldn't understand how he could consume so much liquid, so I used the …