"Misdiagnosis of viral eye infection at Emergency Department leading to delayed care"

I presented to the Emergency Department after experiencing severe eye pain, redness, and swelling. I waited for around 6 hours and paid over $700 out-of-pocket for my care.

During the consultation, the attending junior doctor appeared unsure of the condition and relied on internet search engines while trying to determine a diagnosis. After consulting an ophthalmologist via phone, I was instructed to continue using steroid and anti allergy eye drops, and an eye swab was taken.

Unfortunately, these drops provided no relief and actually worsened my condition significantly. The following day, I consulted a local optometrist who immediately arranged an urgent same-day referral to an ophthalmologist. Upon examination under a slit-lamp, the specialist diagnosed active viral conjunctivitis and immediately instructed me to stop all previous drops, explaining that the steroids were worsening the viral infection (in was using it for more than 5 days).

I feel extremely frustrated and disappointed by this experience. Spending six hours and a substantial amount of money only to receive an incorrect diagnosis—without being examined by a senior clinician or specialist using appropriate equipment — which I believe delayed my proper treatment and caused unnecessary distress. I am sharing this so that triage and clinical assessment protocols for ophthalmic presentations in the ED can be reviewed.