to think that this takes the default doc response of "it's probably a virus" to a whole new level

[emkana]

Monday lunchtime ds fell from his Trip Trap high chair - I'm not quite sure how, as I had my back to him, but when I turned round he was on his back on the floor, totally dazed for a while, then crying inconsolably for ages, then falling asleep - which is very unusual for him (he is four). Woke him up after an hour, he was still very subdued and quiet, then he perked up a bit, to then complain about a headache. Gave him Calpol - he projectile vomited three times. We took him straight down to the out of hours doc - who told us it was probably a gastric virus and that in fact ds probably fell ill and therefore fell of his chair! Stunned, but on a silly level wanting to believe him, we went home. Later that night ds woke up and threw up several times again - we took him to A & E and they kept him in for 24 hour monitoring, diagnosis - moderate concussion. Thankfully he's fine now.

All this happened in Germany btw, so it's not just English docs who rely on the "it's prob a virus" line...

Fair enough, LaDiDa, but together with the increased sleepiness etc...

Hospital doc just said symptoms were typical for moderate concussion.

I did wonder if an English hospital would have bothered to keep him in.

Shocked at Mathanxiety's blatantly racist doctor

I had an ovarian tumour that was misdiagnosed by a GP 3 times as irritable bowel syndrome. I wouldn't mind but it was the size of a watermelon. How did they miss it???

My new GP uses google. Quite blatantly too.

and at GP using google...

My GP does the google thing to. I pre-empt him now, and take print outs with me

Isn't the thing with head injuries that a fall from any height, or even a knock can cause them. You do have to be so careful - but yes, with the sleepiness and the vomiting, it's a bit obvious, isn't it?

I've gone off GPs recently - I really have little faith in them because of the actions of a couple at our practice. My little boy got sent away with croup (though he was weezing and not 'barking') and turns out he's ended up with 2 inhalers and possibly has asthma or an allergy. It's just that I mentioned he'd had croup (a virus, what do you know?) before and he said 'put him in a steamy room' and I left feeling fobbed off. Thank goodness for the wonderful Prescribing Nurse at our surgery is all I can say.

I hope you DS is better now.

eccentrica, emkana, no problem, if you want to be doctor, just go for it, its really not that hard, intelligence and lots of hard work, intense training and night shifts, it took me about 10 years to be a GP (and I am no where near earning £100K), lots and lots of hard work, am pretty bright, and a shedload of debt from uni, so why not, surely youre not lacking in either intelligence or hard work, if you can do it go for it

macdoodle, quite, seems like such an easy ride. My friends haven't had to spend yrs doing night shifts in hospitals whilst they work their way to GP-dom at all...and no student loan to worry about, no relentless cycle of exams, no stress...its a wonder we're not all GPs

Tripp Trapps are getting a bit of a rep for tipping backwards...i'll be steering well clear!

I love(d) our GP in Essex, DH phoned the OOH number and he came round, diagnosed a subdural haematoma, told DH he'd better follow the ambulance he had called because I would be kept in. Two hours and a diagnosis of migraine later we were both coming home in the car. GP had got the diagnosis right, hospital completely failed. A week later I was back having an anuerysm clipped.

I know that a lot lot lot of hard work and study goes into being a GP, or any type of doctor really, and there's no way on earth I could do it - I was joking, obv.

But I also know that there are many many cases of misdiagnosis, and that worries me.

You need to build a better robot, then.

I'm genuinely curious though why the "It's probably a virus" line is used so often - because research shows it probably is?

I took my ds to my gp before we went on holiday for a few days in the UK, as he had a minor skin infection. GP gave us some antibiotic cream.

Within 2 days, the infection had spread to other parts of his body and he had massive sores which were dripping with pus. I took him to A&E were the Dr told us to just continue using the cream as we hadnt given it enough time to work and that it wasnt infectious.

The same day we came home and took him to the local hospital, where he was admitted immediately with Impetigo, placed on IV antibiotics for 5 days to prevent Septicemia and almost having an finger amputated.

Dr's do get it wrong, sometimes quite badly. Hope your ds is ok now.

YABU. Sometimes you have to wait for symptoms to develop before an accurate diagnosis can be made. That's why "it's probably a virus" is generally followed by "bring them back in if you're worried or if anything changes".

You, being responsible sensible parents, monitored things and when they got worse you sought further help. Your ds is fine now and was not placed in danger by the gp's initial diagnosis. I don't get what's to be mad about.

That's terrible....

As are the judgy comments on this thread about your son in a highchair, I don't know why people don't keep such opinions to thermselves.

so, everyone who thinks the OP is being unreasonable thinks it is ok that she took a small child to the doctor - reported that he had:

had a fall
hit his head
been dazed
fallen asleep
had to be roused
then complained of a headache
was given paracetemol, and then was violently sick

and the doctor didn't even thin of concussion?

and you all think this was adequate?

blimey, I'm tbh.

do none of you know even the most basic first aid?

*think

oh, and those who commented about the highchair?

firstly it was a tripp trapp - specifically designed for children up to age 10 or so (and indeed adults fit too)

secondly, so bloody what if the OP has her 4 year old in a high chair?

mine was too.

and my 3.6 yr old should be, so she can reach properly, but is too obstinate

I dont think any of us said that was acceptable silverfrog...I lost a friend not long ago. He died following a blow to the head. I would never accept the doctor's diagnosis in the first place, and emphasise the knock to the head that occurred. If he ignored it, i'm afraid i'd go to A&E immediately if DC's symptoms worsened even a fraction.

Zeno I think it was the fact that the GP discounted the fact the child had had a significant fall earlier in the day when the symptoms (vomiting and sleepiness) suggest the possibility of concussion even to a lay person like me.

I have no problem with the paracetamol and fluids and come back if it gets worse approach if there is no obvious reason (like a bang on the head) to suspect anything more than a virus. We had this with DS1 when he was a 8 months sent home from A&E when we were struggling to keep his temp down but told to come back. His temp kept spiking over 40 so we went back and blood tests showed a severe bacterial infection - he spent 7 days on IV antibiotics. However, apart from his temperature he was reasonably well and responsive so I can understand why the dr's didn't pick up on it straightaway.

However, in this case there was a valid reason to suspect that the child might have had concussion and this should have been investigated.

Zeno; "Your ds is fine now and was not placed in danger by the gp's initial diagnosis."

I disagree.

The symptoms presented to the doctor were CLASSIC head injury symptoms, and corresponded completely with the history that the OP gave. The doctor's diagnosis was completely WRONG, and his judgement potentially dangerous.

Strangely enough the HV was just telling our postnatal group yesterday about a child who fell off a changing table and hit her head and starting vomiting later. It turned out to be an unrelated virus. However, the doctors at A&E did assume concussion first as that seemed far more likely. Can't be too careful with a head injury, surely?

As for four year olds and Tripp Trapps - my ds is 4 and has refused to sit on his for a long time even though it's adjusted to fit him nicely and he has to kneel on a normal chair . Thankfully I have a younger child who will make use of it otherwise it would have been an expensive mistake.

I became very aware of the dangers of head injuries when DS had a serious concussion as a result of sports. He was tackled and became disoriented immediately afterwards, failing to respond to a verbal instruction by the coach, just walking around in a circle. He was taken off the field immediately, attended to with ice on his head and completely restrained by the trainer, asked to repeat certain sequences (months of the year, which he got wrong) and combinations of random numbers in small groups.

He was referred immediately to a sports injury doctor, who prescribed complete rest for a week, after putting him through a series of simple memory trials, lengthy eye exam and the sort of eye testing that a doctor does with a baby -- having him follow her finger with his eyes, etc.

What complete rest meant was no visual stimulation, no physical exertion at all, for a week. So he had to sit on the couch, no reading, no watching tv, no computer, no phone or texting. He thought he would go nuts from boredom, so we asked if he could listen to the radio a bit; the dr said only for a bit and nothing serious or no ongoing plots, so inane radio it was for a while each day. He could walk very slowly upstairs to bed, assisted. He could walk downstairs very slowly in the morning, assisted. He was to stay in bed when he awoke in the morning (no alarm clock, just me quietly calling him) and leave the bathroom door open when he was in there.

When a week was over, he had improved greatly, but he couldn't go back to sports for a while. School was just starting, and the doctor was concerned about him carrying his books around the school, up and down stairs to class, etc., so he got a note excusing him from having his full compliment of materials, and also excusing lateness to class if he couldn't get to some rooms on time.

Here's an article on children's head injuries. They can be very serious and require aftercare if complete recovery is to take place. I would suggest taking your DC to have him evaluated by a sports injury specialist or orthopedist or neurologist.

I'm shocked that the absence of a temperature combined with the report of the fall didn't immediately suggest concussion. The signs were classic.

can sympathise Hectate,dh told for weeks he had a virus and it would go away when ready,died with cancer 5 months later,doc never been in touch to even ask how he was or say sorry,I'd have him hung

the whole virus thing pisses me off but not as much as when my doc blames everything on my weight. apparently i get migraines because i am fat not because i have had an AWFUL lot of stress the past year. i went because the headaches were getting worse and i explained to GP got refered to consultant (family history against me) and he diagnosed migraines

Me - thats makes sense have been having a hard time lately.
Him- well be obesity increase your risk of a lot of things.
Me - What financial meltdown, family argument are caused by me being obese?
Him- I was just saying that you need to lose weight.

Walked out. Made formal complaint. Saw another doc got great tablets for both the migraines and the stress.

i think they don't pay attention half the time and probably hope for "easy" jobs that don't involve the obscene amount of paperwork that holds back everything ran by the government.