"Emergency department presentation"

I presented at ED with my child recently with a very visible ear infection. We waited a small amount of time being a Sunday there were a lot in the waiting room. Once we were called through by the DR we were taken to the covid room for the examination cause they said it won't take long.

Yellow discharge was pouring from my child's ear to which I was told I can see an infection but I do not like to poke and prod the ears. I will prescribe oral medicine, they will see an ENT urgently by the end of the next week once they arrive and we were sent on our way a total of 5 mins.

A few days later my child was in agony, still yellow fluid pouring from their ear. They were seen by a different dr who prescribed them Oxynorm and we were told because of grommet they can't be treated with ear drops. I called outpatients to see if I had an ENT appointment and I was told no. I called again the next day and I was told no they will contact me when I did get an appointment. I then contacted my child's private ENT in Perth and sent them pictures of my child's ear and the colour of the infection. They got back to me the next day hoping that we would have been seen by someone by then but nope we were not. They prescribed ear drops that they faxed through to the chemist for me and I collected and started straight away. They then told me they would be visiting one of the country hospitals the following week at the outpatient clinic and they made me an urgent appointment. I then drive to that hospital to get my child seen to. Their ear was cleaned out and treated there. This was day 10 after 1st arriving in Hedland ED. 

We arrived home from that hospital and the next morning we noticed our child could not smile or move their eye. We again presented straight to the Hedland ED. The same DR who gave us pain meds and sent us home was surprised to see us back again. We were flown to Perth via RFDS to where we have spent the week recently in Perth children's hospital. Our child has facial palsy they said from an untreated ear infection. 

I believe if our child was taken seriously the 1st day, maybe admitted and put onto iv antibiotics or even ear drops, the facial palsy that they could now have for 6 months could have been avoided.

Please start taking our children's ear infections seriously. With minimal doctors in town to see we need to be able to trust our emergency department.