Advice regarding misdiagnosis

[rsblee1]

Hi everyone,

 

I am just after a bit of advice regarding recent treatment my son has received in the last few months at our local hospital. Sorry its a bit long winded!!!

 

My son who is 6 fell off the monkey bars one afternoon after school back in July which are about 7 feet high and he landed fully on his arm which was really swollen and sore. We took him to A&E where the doctor advised after looking at the x-rays it ws just sprained and gave a prescription of ibuprofen to reduce the swelling and said if the swelling hadn't gone down after two days to take him back in.

The swelling did go down really quickly so we thought everything was ok.

 

Three weeks later we get an appointment through to return for a check up, where we were told that it was fractured after more x-rays. We had to return the next day and were informed that they had left it too long (three weeks) to be able to reset the fracture as there was too much new bone growth over the fracture and the position of it which is right on the inside of the elbow made it impossible to be able to do anything about. After two appointments with a physio who basically said he is unable to do anything because it is the bone itself causing the problems, that is the end of treatment we have just to hope that as he grows it will hopefully grow so that in the future it can be operated on or he will just have to live with it! This has left him unable to fully move his arm and he struggles putting on a back pack or such tasks that require him to move his arm behind his back and it can be quite painful if he slightly bangs his arm. Also this has been confirmed by four different consultants at the hospital.

 

We have complained to the hospital after the initial visit to A&E (on the advice of the physio and a senior consultant) who replied and said yes the doctor did miss the fracture at the A&E appointment and a radiographer looked at the x-ray a week later and saw clearly there was a fracture and thats why my son was called back in again (two weeks after that). But the reply from the hospital only details the A&E appointment and not the fact of the ongoing treatment at the time and not the final outcome if you know what I mean!

 

I want to take it further as he may have been left with a permament problem for life, but does anyone know of anywhere I could turn to get any relevant information to further complain - I have never had to do anything like this before and would like to know if anyone has had to deal with situations like this before or any recommendations of where to turn to.

 

Please note that this is not a quest for compensation just peace of mind knowing that we have done everything we can to know that there really is nothing that can be done and we haven't failed our son. Or truthfully if you think I am talking this too far!

[the_fugue]

Hi everyone,

 

I am just after a bit of advice regarding recent treatment my son has received in the last few months at our local hospital. Sorry its a bit long winded!!!

 

My son who is 6 fell off the monkey bars one afternoon after school back in July which are about 7 feet high and he landed fully on his arm which was really swollen and sore. We took him to A&E where the doctor advised after looking at the x-rays it ws just sprained and gave a prescription of ibuprofen to reduce the swelling and said if the swelling hadn't gone down after two days to take him back in.

The swelling did go down really quickly so we thought everything was ok.

 

Three weeks later we get an appointment through to return for a check up, where we were told that it was fractured after more x-rays. We had to return the next day and were informed that they had left it too long (three weeks) to be able to reset the fracture as there was too much new bone growth over the fracture and the position of it which is right on the inside of the elbow made it impossible to be able to do anything about. After two appointments with a physio who basically said he is unable to do anything because it is the bone itself causing the problems, that is the end of treatment we have just to hope that as he grows it will hopefully grow so that in the future it can be operated on or he will just have to live with it! This has left him unable to fully move his arm and he struggles putting on a back pack or such tasks that require him to move his arm behind his back and it can be quite painful if he slightly bangs his arm. Also this has been confirmed by four different consultants at the hospital.

 

We have complained to the hospital after the initial visit to A&E (on the advice of the physio and a senior consultant) who replied and said yes the doctor did miss the fracture at the A&E appointment and a radiographer looked at the x-ray a week later and saw clearly there was a fracture and thats why my son was called back in again (two weeks after that). But the reply from the hospital only details the A&E appointment and not the fact of the ongoing treatment at the time and not the final outcome if you know what I mean!

 

I want to take it further as he may have been left with a permament problem for life, but does anyone know of anywhere I could turn to get any relevant information to further complain - I have never had to do anything like this before and would like to know if anyone has had to deal with situations like this before or any recommendations of where to turn to.

 

Please note that this is not a quest for compensation just peace of mind knowing that we have done everything we can to know that there really is nothing that can be done and we haven't failed our son. Or truthfully if you think I am talking this too far!

 

Your poor lad:sad: This sounds pretty poor treatment by your hospital and, no, you will NOT be taking it too far if you make a complaint - you need to know that if necessary the doctor who made the original misdiagnosis gets some further training to ensure that no other person gets the same mistake made. I would contact the PALS office state that you are not satisfied with the situation and state that you will go to the health ombudsman with the complaint. I hope that you get some satisfaction if only to know that the clown in A&E will receive more training in diagnosing fractures:mad2:

[lady-in-red]

awwwww i can feel his pain poor little fella, and boys love to climb dont they, over the years i have heard this many times where a child has gone to hospital with a fracture or even a break, to be told its just a sprain or bruised then 2-3 weeks later the child is still in pain taken back to A&E had another X ray to be told its was broken, what is wrong with these people can they not understand their job, or read the X rays, because this keeps happening,, yes you can complian, to pals, they will then forward to the appropriate people and maybe if your lucky you might get a meeting with them, where they will tell you why it was missed, and this happens, as for the ombusman well i think he works for the hospital because i have been reading up alot about the person and no one ever wins oh yes sorry the hospital always win, i hope your little man doesnt have to much pain and they dont have to operate on his arm hope he has a wonderful xmas xxxx

[rsblee1]

Thanks for they replys, we have had a letter from the hospital about our initial complaint and they have said they have informed the doctor of what happened and will ensure that he receives further training. But that was only in reference to the initial A&E appointment and not his follow up treatment (or lack off!).

 

But that was before we got the end result that this could be a permanent problem so we are going to take it further as I really think it has affected him not just physically but caused him to worry a lot as well.

 

He was wetting the bed a lot (2/3 times a night after a year of only the occasional accident) so it was put down to a water infection (he has had them previously) but i'm now thinking it was all the stress of going to the hospital every couple of weeks, being told he couldn't go on our trampoline etc during the summer holidays incase he caused more damage to his arm. And he stopped wetting the bed not long after being told there was nothing more they could do so there would be more hospital appointments.

 

Was worried aswell that one of the consultants had to go on Yahoo in front of my other half to try to figure what type of fracture it was aswell, really doesn't put your mind at ease!

 

I might contact ICAS and see what they recommend as I really want help with wording the further letters and seeing where we get.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago he was back in A&E after falling over straight on his face in the school playground, luckily he didn't break his nose, and he was in A&E in nursery (fell over and cut his head open!!) aswell so I can see we are going have plenty more visits in the future with him, but I think next time we will be taking him to a different hospital!!

[rsblee1]

Thanks for they replys, we have had a letter from the hospital about our initial complaint and they have said they have informed the doctor of what happened and will ensure that he receives further training. But that was only in reference to the initial A&E appointment and not his follow up treatment (or lack off!).

 

But that was before we got the end result that this could be a permanent problem so we are going to take it further as I really think it has affected him not just physically but caused him to worry a lot as well.

 

He was wetting the bed a lot (2/3 times a night after a year of only the occasional accident) so it was put down to a water infection (he has had them previously) but i'm now thinking it was all the stress of going to the hospital every couple of weeks, being told he couldn't go on our trampoline etc during the summer holidays incase he caused more damage to his arm. And he stopped wetting the bed not long after being told there was nothing more they could do so there would be no more hospital appointments.

 

Was worried aswell that one of the consultants had to go on Yahoo in front of my other half to try to figure what type of fracture it was aswell, really doesn't put your mind at ease!

 

I might contact ICAS and see what they recommend as I really want help with wording the further letters and seeing where we get.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago he was back in A&E after falling over straight on his face in the school playground, luckily he didn't break his nose, and he was in A&E in nursery (fell over and cut his head open!!) aswell so I can see we are going have plenty more visits in the future with him, but I think next time we will be taking him to a different hospital!!

[rsblee1]

Thanks for the replys, we have had a letter from the hospital about our initial complaint and they have said they have informed the doctor of what happened and will ensure that he receives further training. But that was only in reference to the initial A&E appointment and not his follow up treatment (or lack off!).

 

But that was before we got the end result that this could be a permanent problem so we are going to take it further as I really think it has affected him not just physically but caused him to worry a lot as well.

 

He was wetting the bed a lot (2/3 times a night after a year of only the occasional accident) so it was put down to a water infection (he has had them previously) but i'm now thinking it was all the stress of going to the hospital every couple of weeks, being told he couldn't go on our trampoline etc during the summer holidays incase he caused more damage to his arm. And he stopped wetting the bed not long after being told there was nothing more they could do so there would be no more hospital appointments.

 

Was worried aswell that one of the consultants had to go on Yahoo in front of my other half to try to figure what type of fracture it was aswell, really doesn't put your mind at ease!

 

I might contact ICAS and see what they recommend as I really want help with wording the further letters and seeing where we get.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago he was back in A&E after falling over straight on his face in the school playground, luckily he didn't break his nose, and he was in A&E in nursery (fell over and cut his head open!!) aswell so I can see we are going have plenty more visits in the future with him, but I think next time we will be taking him to a different hospital!!