Jul. 4, 2009 - ER visit
What an adventure we had last night, early this morning. On July 3rd about 1 in the afternoon Christian began throwing up, his temperature started at 101.6 and continued to rise. We tried getting tylenol then motrin then tylenol in him of which he continued to throw up. We also did the luke warm baths, to no avail. Around 9 or 9:30pm he started becoming listless, jumbling his words together and his temp got up to 103. We called out ped, for the 2nd time, who told us to take him to the Children's ER. Our local ER's are not worth using so we have to drive 1/2 an hour to get good treatment (longer if you're an adult). I had requested that our ped call in a phen. suppository for Christian in order to stop the vomitting and so I could get something in him to lower the fever. Our local pharmacies closed at 6p.m because of the holiday and we don't have 24 hour ones, so our only option was wait until morning or go to the ER. I understand waiting and seeing, for some things that is okay, but as the temperature climbs, listlessness sets in, jumbling of words and continuing vomitting - something needs to be done.
When we arrived at the ER Christian was triaged and given a suppository w/ tylenol and phenergan. A little while later he ended up falling fitfully asleep but no more vomitting! About 2 to 2 1/2 hours after triage we finally got called back and the dr said his ears look good (I was suspecting a terrible ear infection) so they tested him for strep which came back negative. So it was decided it was somethng viral. After giving him a partial tablet of Zofran (generic, sp?) and getting some soda in him he began to perk up - he was again able to speak so we could understand him and was able to walk without falling down. We left the ER and traveled home. I also came down with a migraine while in the waiting room - not good with the bright lights.
I was amazed by the things I saw at a inner city ER, a child was begging money and no parent was saw for the boy, several officers investigating young babies for head trauma, etc. Not to mention if our ped had called ahead of us, like the others that came in, we would have been fast tracked and wouldn't have had to wait.
I am glad that we have a good Children's hospital near by and for the kind treatment by the nurses and doctors, but something needs to be done about wait times in the ER. While I didn't want him throwing up, it was like they slapped a band-aid on him with the suppository so they could send us back to the waiting room for a few hours. The girls spent the night with my DH's parents and Hannah was very worried about her little brother. I will be actively trying to find another ped for Christian and Bethanne as well as letting the ped know that because of his wait and see we ended up wasting money and most importantly time, we could have gotten a scrip given it to him at home and then cuddled up and comforted him (none of which can really be done in the ER waiting room or exam rooms). What else did he pick up? all things that could have been avoided had the ped called something in when I had first asked.
Thankfully Christian is well and that is what's important.
