"My partner"

My partner became ill a few months ago with tongue swelling and trouble swallowing.  They presented at Goomalling hospital 2 days later and was seen by a nurse and telehealth doctor and given medication, panadol and antibiotics.  The nurse could not see down their throat as the tongue was too swollen.  A couple of hours after returning home my partner had a temp over 40degrees.  After phoning the Goomalling Hospital they advised to travel to Northam Regional hospital as they have doctors on duty.

My partner presented with a bucket under their arm spitting excess saliva as could not swallow it. I dropped them at the hospital as due to covid restrictions, only patients are allowed.  A doctor saw my partner and gave them 6 steroid pills to take (with food). They could not talk properly due to the swelling of their tongue and they had a swollen jaw line and stated had pain in their jaw.

The doctor forced my partner's tongue down and said they had red tonsils. The doctor asked my partner why they were there .The doctor sent them home.

They next day, my partner deteriorated and could not swallow anything including fluids.  They went to Goomalling hospital and I also went in and they were seen by a telehealth doctor.   The doctor  could not see down my partner's throat due to the tongue swelling, and the roof of their mouth having come down, their breathing was obstructed. The doctor said not to wait for an ambulance but to go straight to Northam Hospital for a CT scan.  I drove my partner to the hospital and again they went in alone.  They had a CT scan which showed infection in their neck and they were transported to a metro hospital.  On arrival at that hospital they were sent into theatre and had 1 tonsil removed and pus and infection removed.

As the infection increased down my partner's throat they were then sent to theatre again within a couple of days to have surgery on their neck.  They then had surgery on the other side of their neck.  They were then transferred to another metro hospital as the infection was now in their chest and another surgery was done.  In total my partner spent 2 weeks in ICU and another just over 2 weeks in the ward in hospital.

After receiving medical documents under the Freedom of Information from WA Country Health, I believe there are a few discrepancies in the reports:

Presenting complaint : sore throat Sent from Goomalling? throat infection? tonsilitis - given oral abx afebrile speaking full sentences tolerating diet and fluids rat negative at goomalling tonsils red and swollen

Note 1 pt in from goomalling has been seen by ets today, started on penicillin for tonsilitis and discharged. was told to have fp fup but has come in tonight as was having trouble swallowing dinner so called goomalling hospital who told him to come to nrotham as there is a doctor her. pt not cncerned by (blank) twanted him to come in.

oe alert abc ok ent red swollen tonsils , nil pus, tender ant. neck ln , nil obvious quincy obs normal dx tonsilitis.

My partner did not go to Northam because they had trouble swallowing dinner , I phoned goomalling hospital because my partner's temp was over 39 degrees and they said to take my partner to northam for assessment. They did not have sore throat, my partner had a swollen tongue and could not eat or swallow, speaking difficult as saliva build up was not tolerable, had not eaten since friday.

The report from goomalling hospital faxed to northam hospital on  examination states: cervial lymph nodes enlarged and tender. Unable to visualise pharynx adequately - described as enlarged red tonsils but unable to visualise to evaluate for exudate as difficulty visualising tonsils despite trying different suggested techniques. A: tonsilitis vs pharyngitis.

The CT finding: A swelling of the left tonsil is noted. There is adjacent peritonsillar fluid collection/abscess which is extending to the left hypopharynx. There is also extension of the abscess to the retropharyngeal space. There is a suggestion of soft tissue welling or oedema extending bilaterally around the carotid vessels/carotid space.

There also swelling and soft tissue oedema and haziness of the anterior neck and around the thyroid cartilage and thyroid gland. There is some effacement of the left side of the airway at the level of the enlarged left tonsil and left hypopharynx. No evidence of paranasal sinusitis. The mastoid air cells and middle ears are clear.

CT scan in Northam showed Peritonsillar Abscess (Left)

The final diagnosis was Streptococcus Anginosus.

I truly hope this never happens again as I understand my partner was very lucky it didn't go any further. I feel the doctor should not just assume all patients are the same and, as I feel they did, generalise a condition.

I cannot see any of my family going back to Northam Regional Hospital Emergency again.