This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Delay in surgery for toddler

Posted By Heartbroken Parent1

"Delay in surgery for toddler"

About: Perth Children's Hospital

(as a parent/guardian),

Before I presented to the PCH ED, I presented to a different hospital's ED twice last month due to a large, red, weeping and bloody lump on the back of my toddler's shoulder blade. During the two presentations at this other hospital's ED, they were treated horrifically by two surgical doctors.

On the first presentation at this other hospital, the surgical doctor decided to drain the abscess by hand without effective analgesia or consent. I requested them to stop and do it in theatre as per advice from the ED doctor but they wouldn’t stop squeezing. My toddler screamed and begged the dr to get off them, to stop, to let them go home. IM antibiotics were requested and myself, a dr and the nurse administering it tried to hold my child who was thrashing and screaming from fear and pain. My toddler's muscle was too tense and the fluid bubbled under the skin and shot out when the needle was removed. My toddler kicked the nurse in the centre of their face during this. The rest of this story, which details how the infection spread, a second presentation resulted in a repeat of the first horrific treatment, this time by a different surgical doctor, can be read here.

The next day I presented to PCH ED in the middle of the early hours of the morning because my toddler had been uncontrollably screaming for hours, I believe because they were so psychologically damaged and anxious about ever seeing another doctor or hospital again and they still wouldn’t let me touch them so I was limited in the amount of comfort I could provide.

I think PCH staff were also mortified, it was quite clear how distressed my toddler was and they did their best to gain my toddler's trust and avoid them. My toddler was placed on the emergency surgery list for that day and had to begin 4-hour fasting after a snack in the morning with hopes of mid-morning surgery. My toddler was then scheduled for the afternoon and allowed a few sips of fluids at lunchtime. They finally went into theatre that night and woke around 10 hours later. This was 24 hours without any food, 34 hours since their last meal, 18 hours without a drink. My toddler slept on and off for the remainder of that day.

The swab taken at the original ED that first day tested positive for an infectious disease. Hospital staff at PCH had to be fully gowned when entering our room.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Carrie Dunbar, Nurse Co-Director, Surgical Directorate, Perth Children's Hospital | Child and Adolescent Health Service 3 years ago
Carrie Dunbar
Nurse Co-Director, Surgical Directorate,
Perth Children's Hospital | Child and Adolescent Health Service

Submitted on 4/03/2021 at 4:15 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 4:16 PM

Dear Heartbroken Parent1,

I am very sorry to read about the distress that was caused during your child’s recent hospital experience. I understand your child was referred to the Emergency Department at Perth Children’s Hospital in the early hours of the morning to receive treatment for a lump on your child’s shoulder.

Given the nature of your child’s presentation, your child was placed on the Emergency Surgery List. Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable nature of the Emergency list, some patient’s surgeries can be delayed at short notice due to other emergency surgeries with greater clinical urgency needing to be accommodated and, in some instances, other surgeries taking longer than anticipated. The team in theatre try their best to ensure there is frequent communication with the families waiting, to ensure the patient does not fast longer than what is required; however, at times, elongated fasting times are unavoidable.

Fasting is necessary to ensure there is no risk of inhaling food while being administered an anaesthetic. To manage the distress young patients experience, when clinically appropriate, children are given clear fluids. I appreciate how distressing it is for a young child to miss meals when they do not understand why and are already very upset.

Thank you for being willing to provide your contact details to allow us to review your child’s case. Should you wish to receive more in-depth details, we encourage you to contact the Consumer Engagement team on 6456 0032 or email cahsfeedback@health.wa.gov.au. We can then provide you with the specific details of your child’s case and elaborate on any concerns you may have. I understand your concerns associated with other health services providers will be addressed accordingly.

I am very sorry to hear of your story and I wish you and your child all the best in their recovery.

Kind regards,

Carrie Dunbar

Nurse Co-Director | Surgical Directorate

Perth Children’s Hospital | Child and Adolescent Health Service

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Heartbroken Parent1 (a parent/guardian)

Hi Carrie,

Thanks for the prompt response. I completely understand surgeries going off a priority list which will change as the day progresses, my child was actually ‘that child’ in 2019 when they pulled a cupboard on themselves exposing the front of their skull and required emergency plastic surgery to their face.

The only point to this part of my story was to bring to light the additional stress and suffering caused to my child by the other hospital's inability to meet their duty of care. As for the treatment and care we received at PCH, I have no complaints and the amazing staff we encountered did nothing but try their hardest to reinstate some trust into my child’s little heart. My child refers to PCH as the ‘nice hospital’ with the ‘nice doctors and nurses’ and multiple times a week they tell me they're going to be a doctor and look after the sick kids at PCH.

So please, don’t take anything I’ve said as criticism towards your teams, hospital or more importantly the children who pushed my child up the queue, I have nothing but appreciation and respect for the general fact you listened and heard when the Busselton ED Dr phoned, you cared, you treated and no-one once dismissed my child’s suffering.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k