I just got back from Latin America. Here are some of the chief complaints I saw this week:
I have gotten some choice chief complaints in Latin America, though often, as mentioned, it is a result of poor education and/or cultural belief. In Nicaragua I got a lot of temperature contrast related complaints, such as "When I have a cool beverage when it is hot out I get X. Y. and Z." or "I knew I shouldnt have hot coffee on a cool night, but I did, and thats how I got my cold."
I also encountered lots of people who had "Asma [Asthma]." Further history gave me any of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, cough, wheeze, palpatations, congestion, sore throat, headaches or chest pain. With durations usually in the days to weeks. It seemed about 1/3 of cases were consistent with Asthma, 1/3 with a viral URI, and 1/3 with nothing. So don't always trust the PMHx of Asthma.
The cc of anemia was much more varied. Reasons for suspected anemia included pallor, lethary, constipation, yellow eyes, photophobia, headaches, and strange eating habits in children. Some hits; some misses. I always asked about the strange eating habits; almost always it involved a kid who didnt like rice and beans, and wanted to eat ice cream, soda or candy instead. Shocker. Twice I got good pica: once with a child who snuck outside to eat dirt [classic] and once with an adorable little girl who snuck into the street to eat the cigarette butts that collected in the gutters [sad]. Both of those got flinstons vitamins, the others got tooth brushes.