I took my toddler to Perth Children’s Hospital late at night. They were presenting with a unbreakable high fever, slight chesty cough and runny nose. Earlier that morning I took them for a PCR and by the time I took my toddler to the ED I had the results, COVID negative and Respiratory illness negative. I told the staff this.
We waited in a waiting room for 5 hours before getting a bed and seeing a doctor. During those 5 hours no tests were conducted and nothing was done to help reduce my child's fever. They were miserable and lethargic the entire time we were there and their heart rate kept elevating.
Once we were finally on a bed, the doctor came in and just checked my child for respiratory illness even though I had already told them that they were negative on the PCR. All was clear- obviously -and we were sent home and told my child had a virus and should get better over the weekend.
We got home early the next morning. By lunchtime my child spiked another fever, was lethargic and refuse HBF food and fluid. We took them to an urgent care centre and they tested their urine, finding leukocytes and blood to be present. They had a urine infection. Something I understand if left untreated can get serious and life threatening!
PCH seemingly dismissed my concerns and sent my toddler home with a diagnosis of a respiratory virus when in actual fact they had a urine infection attacking their little body! In my opinion, blood and urine tests should be a standard diagnostic tool at PCH and they should be conducted no matter how the child is presenting!! Because, in my opinion, PCH failed, my child could have gotten seriously unwell had I not taken them to an urgent care centre! I believe it is unacceptable.
"Failure to perform relevant tests to diagnose infection in a toddler"
About: Perth Children's Hospital / Emergency Department Perth Children's Hospital Emergency Department Nedlands 6009
Posted by handsetfs88 (as ),
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