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Original poster

Arrgh! damn emergency doctors! (and what have I done? )

102 replies

SenoraPostrophe · 09/01/2004 14:43

Need to tell someone this.

I posted a thread a couple of weeks ago about a weird lump behind dd's ear. I took her to the emergency doctor, who told me it was just a bump, but why don't I give her antibiotics anyway? (she had had a fever, but it has passed)

I bought the antibiotics but didn't give them for a few days as I don't like to give my baby drugs for nothing. It didn't go away so i started giving the antibiotics.

But it's got worse so today i took her to the proper doctor (almost left it till Monday - she is fine so it didn't seem an emergency). I swear everyone was giving me odd looks in the waiting room for having an emergency appt. with such a healthy-looking little girl.

Anyway doc has told me to take her to hosptial today without fail. I would be there now, but she said it was OK to give her a nap first. She's written "mastoiditis" on the form - eeek! that's a v important gland for hearing isn't it? Why didn't I listen to my instincts and take her back to the proper doctor as soon as I could? Why do they bother having emergency out of hours clinics anyway? (this is Spain, so out of hours is any time after 3pm).

The thing that makes me feel better is that she seems fine, but as the doctor said, it's a very dangerous place to have an infection. At least the hospital is the same one where I'll be going to give birth any day now.

OP posts:
tamum · 09/01/2004 14:49

Poor you. I hope she gets better soon, it's just as well that you have started the antibiotics now anyway. It's a bone rather than a gland (which is why it's not so easy to treat), but it is important so I hope you both get on fine at the hospital.

WideWebWitch · 09/01/2004 14:53

Hope she's OK SP. I think I'd have done the same.

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 15:01

check this link out SP. mastoiditis used to be v v dangerous, not so now we have antibiotics - infection of bone near the ear, usually from an ear infection \link{http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001034.htm#Definition

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 15:01

\linkwww.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001034.htm#Definition

try again

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 15:02

and again
\link www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001034.htm#Definition

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 15:03

okay, can't do links
you will have to copy and paste

\linkwww.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001034.htm#Definition{}

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 15:03

bugger
am useless

JanHR · 09/01/2004 15:09

I'll try the link for you Lisa Definition

SP I hope she is OK

M2T · 09/01/2004 15:09

This it Lisa78

JanHR · 09/01/2004 15:10

If I try a link I always preview first to see if it has worked

Original poster
SenoraPostrophe · 09/01/2004 15:17

Oh my god. That link says that mastoiditis used to be the leading cause of death in children. If I wasn't so close to giving birth I wouldn't have insisted dd had an appointment today. Also says treatment is likely to be long term and she'll need a head scan/xray. Plus I thought she'd been getting a bit more contrary lately, but it could be affecting her hearing. Poor little mite.

OP posts:
Original poster
SenoraPostrophe · 09/01/2004 15:17

Going to complain about the emergency doctor. That'll be fun in Spain.

OP posts:
SpringChicken · 09/01/2004 15:21

Hope she is OK SP - let us know how you get on at the hospital. x

Azure · 09/01/2004 15:41

DS had mastoiditis at 6 months: within a few hours he developed a huge lump behind his ear which pushed his ear right out, and our GP sent us straight to A&E. He was given large amounts of antibiotics and operated on the next day - we were in hospital for 3 nights. A few months later we noticed it happening again and went straight to the emergency GP (it was Good Friday) - antibiotics cleared it up very quickly. He hasn't had it again since. I'm not sure whether that story is very reassuring; however, I was told that mastoiditis used to be a big problem but was very treatable now. I'm sure a big dose of antibiotics will do the trick. I hope everything goes ok.

zebra · 09/01/2004 15:45

Oh Cr*p, SP, and I encouraged you to think you could get by without the antibiotics, too. I'll take 10% of your guilt, ok?

Original poster
SenoraPostrophe · 09/01/2004 15:55

It's alright Zebra - the doctor should take most of the guilt for telling me it wasn't an infection. I'm annoyed as it was an absolute text-book case (ear looked exactly like the one in the photo on that site). I did start giving the antibiotics after 4 days anyway (as it didn't get better).

OP posts:
suedonim · 09/01/2004 15:56

Hope everything has gone ok at the hospital, SP. Dh's bro had mastoiditis, years ago, and only survived after an emergency op (in Africa!). Thank goodness for a/b's - they have their uses. Take care.

Original poster
SenoraPostrophe · 09/01/2004 16:02

Haven't been yet, Suedonim - still waiting for her to wake up. Maybe I should get her up.

OP posts:
JanH · 09/01/2004 16:16

I've been out all afternoon and missed this, you poor things, what a scare. However as she has been like this for a few days without any major crises maybe she only has a mild infection? Hope so.

Don't think I would wake her though - they're usually so crabby when you wake them and she will be poked around later so you want her in as good a mood as poss. Good luck!

Hulababy · 09/01/2004 16:18

Hope everything is okay with your DD SP. Keep us posted.

Hope you are coping okay as well, being so close to your due date and all.

pie · 09/01/2004 16:20

Let us know how everthing goes SP. xx

popsycal · 09/01/2004 17:36

hope everything goes ok sp!

Lisa78 · 09/01/2004 21:32

How is she SP?

Never thought to use preview to see if the link works - I copied what it said in the little box, but am obviously not techy

Original poster
SenoraPostrophe · 10/01/2004 11:54

thanks for the messages.

I've just come home for a cup of tea, some food and a change of clothes. They did an emergency operation last night and she's currently in intensive care (but only because she's so little they said - the op went well).

Hopefully they'll let me take her down to the normal children's ward this afternoon - don't know when she can come home.Keep getting contractions in the hospital (presumably because it's so dry and stressful) - they've stopped now.

They caught it in time anyway.

OP posts:
pie · 10/01/2004 11:58

OMG SP

Was it mastoiditis then? I hope DD makes a quick recovery. Let me know if there is anything I can do. pie xx