busy hospitals, understaffed, undercaring...who knows. but this article today on how a serious bacterial infection grew across a child's face as her parents watched in horror while sitting in an ER waiting room...sickening.
is it imperfect? hell yes. is it an outrage? absolutely. is the system broken? obviously. but does it mean you should stop seeking medical help when you/your family is sick? no. she needed iv antibiotics and aggressive management in a hospital. she just needed it sooner.
so...if you're blocked or dismissed by a medical practitioner when you are certain something is wrong- what should you do? my advice- (and i know full well what i'm saying here, since i might be on the other end of this) go nuts on them. give them a comprehensive and emotionally neutral description of the severity of the situation first and then if you are continually pushed aside, have a shit fit. be a squeakier wheel. sometimes that's what it takes to get things done in this world. sometimes rattling the cage one more time makes us give a quicker or more complete review that might show something crucial.
and your instincts are important. and i know parents are always worried that they're over/under reacting, but if it just feels off and your kid is not acting like your kid, make your voice heard.
also, i would recommend choosing your facilities carefully. this article says you should go online and find which ER has the shortest wait time, but i would say, if it's something that doesn't appear to be life or death, go to an urgent care first. they will a) see you sooner and b) if it's really something bad, will call ahead to the ER and have an MD lined up to see you when you arrive and meanstwhile they can be giving you some treatment.
it is extremely awful that this little girl ended up with so much debility when the parents did the right thing by bringing her in and it could have been stopped sooner. i know that after this story got released today, all triage units in ER's and urgent cares across the country are evaluating their process. let's hope that makes a difference and saves another family this tragedy.
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