"Recent visit to Boonah Emergency"

I visited the Boonah Emergency for severe headaches, runny nose and trouble with breathing. When I arrived the nurse attended to me and she was very nice. She explained there were a few people in front of me. At that stage I was in so much pain I was happy to wait to seek medical help.

I was taken into the consulting room by the doctor. On the way to the consultation room the doctor made a sarcastic comment inferring that they had only seen me recently. If they looked at my records it's been a few years.

Anyway, when I entered the consultation room the doctor asked me questions, but walked out of the room. The door to the emergency area was open so there was absolutely no privacy. I started to answer but then stopped. The doctor said from the other room - I'm still listening. 

I find it amazing that a doctor can consult with a patient and not be in the room. Anyway the doctor did this a few times and finally came back in with the blood pressure monitor. My blood pressure was taken and it was high. Of course it was, I was ill.

Anyway, the doctor looked at my throat and ears. The doctor never checked my face for possible sinus infection. They then checked my chest and said it was clear. They also asked me "do you smoke? " I said no. I believe they said it can't be asthma then. I then said "I smoked 25 years ago". The doctor then said - oh..ok...

The doctor diagnosed me with a cold and gave me nurofen and sent me home.

I know what was wrong with me, I knew there was a possible sinus infection due to the pain I was experiencing in my head. I also know that I had a chest infection which I get every two years and I know the symptoms. I spent half the night sitting up not being able to breathe. My head was exploding from pain.

The next day I went to visit my doctor at Kalbar Medical Centre and was diagnosed with a sinus infection and after listening to my chest the doctor could hear wheezing and rumbling. I certainly had an infection. I was given antibiotics with a repeat.

The doctor at Boonah emergency did not ask me any history and was not in the room while asking me questions. And if the doctor did their homework they would have realised that nurofen maybe a problem with people with Asthma and high blood pressure. I never took the medication they gave me.

I can't imagine what would have happened to my infection if I had listened to this doctor's diagnosis. I was in bed for three days. Some cold that was.

The doctor at Boondah emergency had a duty of care and this was not adhered to. I knew what my problem was, which was confirmed by my own doctor.

I would suggest that the doctor in Boonah emergency learns the difference between a cold and an infection and to improve on their consultation.