"Care of my young child requiring stitches."

I attended Broome Hospital ED with my very young child in the early hours of the morning after he had fallen out of bed, striking his head on the floor resulting in a considerable laceration. 

Triage staff, and nursing staff were fantastic, and very prompt to ask after seeing the high level of anxiety my child -  was the experience at the potential for needing needles and stitches. I was approached by the doctor who advised that my child would in fact require sutures. I asked regarding some light sedation due to my child's high anxiety- by this point my child was crying, grinding their teeth and screaming. I felt the doctor implied that I was drug seeking and made me feel foolish for requesting this and advised that only numbing cream would be used. When I questioned this further citing examples of my other child being sedated for a much smaller injury, I was passed off and told that if I really wanted to put my child through that I would have to come back tomorrow. No explanation was given as to why some sedation would not be provided. 

Given the nature of the injury (head / face wound), and the bleeding I didn't feel that returning the following day was an option. The sutures were eventually completed with my child screaming throughout most of the procedure (wrapped in a blanket and held down). I found it to be quite traumatic, not only for my young child but for myself also. Having spoken to other medical professionals since this event, they do not understand why a small volume of intra-nasal fentanyl (or equivalent sedation) wasn't provided. My child is now frightened and attending for the suture removal was equally traumatic.