Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

I wanted to share my experience and would like your advice and to hear some reactions to make sense of all this....

Saturday night DD went from having the sniffles and a bad cough to trouble breathing. I called her ped and was advised to go to LIJ emergency room to monitor her. They did a chest xray and it was clear and sent home to just keep up with the albuterol treatments. Sunday I followed up with the ped at the office and was told it was reactive airway disease which is brochospasms and just to keep her comfortable at home and continue albuterol. Monday night into Sunday morning, DD was now laboring to breathe and had a fever of 103.5 we went straight to the ped and then sent straight to the er again. While there, the attending kept saying she was not wheezing and heard nothing in her chest to warrant another chest X-ray. I asked for one. He declined to order one because he said "with 100% certainty" that DD does not have pneumonia. I called my pediatrician while still in the er and asked for her guidance. I felt we should get another xray to rule anything out. My DD clearly was suffering, her oxygen stats were at 85 at this point and high fever. My ped said she spoke to the attending and he was sure it was a respiratory infection and to go home and follow with her next day. I listened and went home. Tuesday night, my daughters condition deteriorated, her breathing had not improved and I was done listening to anyone. I went to the pediatrician demanded a blood test, chest X-ray, nose swab test and I was very angry. Again, went straight to LIJ and raised HELL. I demanded an xray and was screaming until they finally gave her one....Guess what, DD has pneumonia!

Should I be angry at my pediatrician? I feel like someone dropped the ball here...Should my ped have been more proactive and demanded a chest X-ray for me?....I am so tired and angry. Poor DD has suffered so much these past few days. I am going in to the office today and wondering if I should say something to my ped.....

Sorry so long and thank you for reading if you have gotten his far....

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Your poor daughter, and poor you I am glad you finally figured out what was wrong. As far as being angry, I dont really think its on the ped. She was going based in the advice of another professional. I know they are hesistant to even do one chest xray on a child, so I could see why they wanted to hold off. I know its not easy to hear as a parent, bc we just want the best for our child.

My son had 2bouts of pneumonia last year, and the drs at the hospital put fear in us about him having something more wrong....Our ped was sooo angry at them.

Hope your daughter feels better quickly. Not sure how old she is, but when my son had it, he actually preferred to sleep on his stomach

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

DD is 2 and thank you so much!

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

I don't think your ped did, she sent you to the ER. You called her looking for guidence, but she was going on the work of the attending and the records.

Unfortunately, this happens

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by Straightarrow

I don't think your ped did, she sent you to the ER. You called her looking for guidence, but she was going on the work of the attending and the records.

Unfortunately, this happens

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

No. The hospital did. The attending physician should have ordered an xray. You have rights as her parent and an xray would not have been an invasive or inappropriate procedure.

Sounds like she had something that turned into pneumonia if the orignal xray was clear.

I hope your LO feels better

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Oh my! Those oxygen sats were very low I don't understand how the doctor could feel comfortable sending you home with that number especially since your child had been on breathing treatments and had a high fever. Does your pediatrician have privleges at that hospital? If so I'd definitely have a chat and I'd write a letter to the medical board and hospital.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

I think the hospital is at fault. Hope your DD gets better soon!!!

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by Melmel821

Oh my! Those oxygen sats were very low I don't understand how the doctor could feel comfortable sending you home with that number especially since your child had been on breathing treatments and had a high fever. Does your pediatrician have privleges at that hospital? If so I'd definitely have a chat and I'd write a letter to the medical board and hospital.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

I really think the hospital dropped the ball. I think it's reasonable for your pediatrician to rely on the expertise and first-hand knowledge of the attending physician at the hospital - i think they HAVE to be able to. But in the instances where the attending's assessment is wrong, i think it's the attending physician's fault. I'm so sorry you had to deal with this and I hope your DD feels better.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

I hope your dd feels better!

Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

i dont know that your PED did anything wrong but the ER should have def done the xray. after my csection i had a partially collapsed lung and fluid in my other lung. my o2 dropped into the low 80s and in the middle of the night they literally BUSTED into my room with a portable xray (i couldnt go to radiology cause i was still on magnesium and morphine). i was so out of it and really didnt know what was going on or why it was so critical. i was at LIJ too.

based on my experience i cant imagine that a child with oxygen that low wouldn't have a chest xray done.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

to me, i would have suspected RSV immediately and sent you to the ER which the Ped did. I think the ER mis-managed this!

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by Straightarrow

I don't think your ped did, she sent you to the ER. You called her looking for guidence, but she was going on the work of the attending and the records.

Unfortunately, this happens

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by mnmsoinlove

Posted by Straightarrow

I don't think your ped did, she sent you to the ER. You called her looking for guidence, but she was going on the work of the attending and the records.

Unfortunately, this happens

ITA with this. Hope your baby feels better really soon!

Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

really? she did not agree with ER..called her ped for backup. told ped the facts.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by LittleBlueBug

No. The hospital did. The attending physician should have ordered an xray. You have rights as her parent and an xray would not have been an invasive or inappropriate procedure.

Sounds like she had something that turned into pneumonia if the orignal xray was clear.

I hope your LO feels better

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

My DS went through something very similar.. He spiked sniffles, high fever, slight vomiting, slight cough. Ped kept saying it was a virus but after two days, I went to LIJ anyway and they agreed it was a virus and sent us home. He deteriorated fast, lost weight, ped kept saying it will resolve and for me to "relax". Finally, 5 days later the other ped in the office called to check on him and I was hysterical crying saying he is barely walking around, won't eat, had extreme thirst and lips looked slightly blue. She rushed him a chest xray and it turns out it was pneumonia. She called back and wanted me to just wait until the next day to come in and pick up antibiotics but I refused and brought him back to LIJ with my xray. The ER docs spoke to my ped so they were very dismissive saying it was very slight pneumonia until I showed them the xray. They were blown away. It was full blown diffuse bacterial pneumonia. Basically, I would not have my son if I waited any longer. His pneumonia was concentrated mid lung so VERY hard to hear with the stethascope- the drs all came in and were floored and called my ped immediately. Apparently, she got a wrong diagnosis from the radiology report. She came to the hospital and asked to view the xray and was speechless.He was hospitalized in LIJ for a week and needed IV antibiotics. He lost almost 8lbs from this! Drs DO MAKE MISTAKES!! Always trust your gut and demand what you need for your child. The other Dr that shunned me apologized greatly and I really think it taught him a lesson to listen to his patients before assuming.

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by PeasandCarrots

Posted by Janice

really? she did not agree with ER..called her ped for backup. told ped the facts.

I would also refuse to pay for the last visit where they finally did the x-ray and confirmed the pneumonia. Had they done that the 2nd time you would not have had a 3rd visit. That is NOT on you. You should not pay for that ER visit at all and I would contact your insurance to explain what happened and they can also refuse to pay. If nothing comes of it I would contact an attorney for a consult. QUOTE]

really, a lawyer? her DD was checked, I doubt it was the same doctor who OP had the joy of meeting every single time. most of the time drs. go by the book, especially with children, and such a small child.

and refuse the pay for hospital visit?..

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Posted by Straightarrow

I don't think your ped did, she sent you to the ER. You called her looking for guidence, but she was going on the work of the attending and the records.

Unfortunately, this happens

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?

Re: Did my pediatrician drop the ball?