Doctors are not always right....
By tlb0822
@tlb0822 (1410)
United States
April 15, 2009 10:18pm CST
What frustrates me the most is when a doctor misdiagnosis my child. I know when there is something wrong with her. Last week my daughter started getting a bad cough, and started pulling at her ears. Well her cousin had just gone to the doctor and they said she had an upper resperatory infection, and a double inner ear infection. My daughter had been over there playing a few days before, so I thought, well she caught the same thing. So I made her a doctors appointment.
Well we get to the doctors and not kidding the doctor was only in there for two minutes. When we went in my daughter was running a fever of over a hundred degrees, and that is after giving her some tylonel. I told the doctor about her cousin being sick, and the doctor responds with...ear infections aren't contagious. The doctor said she had allergies, and gave her singular. Which is for children two and up. My daughter is only 15 months old. They were chewable tablets. So I just kept giving her tylonel, and didn't giver her any of the singular cause I didn't see it safe to give it to her. After four days of running a high fever and being miserable, didn't even get to enjoy her easter, I made another appointment. So we get there and I tell the doctor everything going on, and boom....oh she has an inner ear infection, and an upper resperatory infection. I was like I knew it, and my poor child had to suffer all those days being sick, because the doctor didn't take the time to check her properly. So the past few days have been cuddling, and watching movies. Just getting her better.
Have you ever had an issue with a doctor not checking your child properly? Any poor doctor stories? What do you do when your child is feeling ill?
2 people like this
9 responses
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Your daughter might have allergies as well. My daughter will occasionally get an ear infection that the doctor told me is caused by all the nasal drainage because of her allergies. Not saying the doctor should not have checked her ears then, but if it was just the beginning of an ear infection he might not have been able to see it anyway.
@mammamuh (582)
• Sweden
16 Apr 09
Doctors can do things wrong as well as every one else. The doctor was right that ear infections aren't contagious - since they aren't :) but since narrow ear tunnels often are genetic ear infections tend to run in the family.
I would say that there would probably have been any signs of the ear infection at the first appointment since it often take days to show (even if the child give signs that something is wrong).
I'm one of those with ear infections every time I got a cold as a child - I still have them once in a while I know I have them before there is any visable signs of them.
I have a lot of stories from doctors *lol* but they always listen to my concerns - perhaps since I know what to say to get the respect ;-)
SInce I've worked in the area (ER) I've met tons of parents, children and doctors and it's often parents think that the doctor made a lousy job not finding esp.ear infections - even if there was no visable sign of them ( I don't know if your doctor checked the ears, but here they always do)here in Sweden we don't give antibiotics when it comes to ear infections in the usual cases -just pain killers to ease the pain a bit. Having the head side of the bed higher and so on.
I hope she's doing better now!
When it comes to diagnoses doctors are way better than me to make them!
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Not hard to diagnose an ear infection. Some doctors do need to realize that mothers are actually right when it comes to their children.
I have spotted my kids ear infections a mile away & was told several times they were ok.... I always got second opinions & like always, I was right when it came to an ear infection.
Mothers know best when it comes to our kids... doctors need to pay attention to us more.
Respect is given to all doctors I come across with, but once they stop respecting me, then I stop respecting them.
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Your right, doctors are not always right, or at least they make it seem that way at times.
I have had the same problems with my kids when it comes to an ear infection. I can see one coming a mile away & will tell the doctor I know it's an ear infection & then they don't even take the time to look & then come up with "Oh it's just allergies."
Makes me upset. But mainly my problems with doctors are when I have to run to the emergency room with my kids... & I guess the doctors in the emergency room just do a hit & miss kind of job... need more doctors on call or some crap!
But they are right about one thing, ear infections are not contagious, but what most doctors forget to tell the parents is that most colds, sinus problems & so on cause draining & that leads to the ear infections in most cases.
I feel they should always take the time to check the ears... you just never know. Usually with colds you do have an ear infection... in small children that is.
As for the medicine problem... chewables for a 15 month old? Weird! I think that doctor was just trying to hurry you up & didn't think things out clearly.
I understand they are busy, but they still need to take their time with each patient.
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
16 Apr 09
Sometimes it's very disappointing when the person
you think could help you, made some mistake of diagnoses.
Maybe a lot of lives could be saved if doctors are always
one hundred percent accurate on their diagnosis. That reminds us that
nothing in this world is perfect.
@rosa_pearl (70)
• China
17 Apr 09
yes,i agree with you.My uncle,who own a good healty,but last year,he check the biby in the hospital,the doctorsaid hime got cancer about his lung.I canot believe,my uncle never smokeing,how can he get this cancer?so we suggest he get checking to other hospital.when we get the healthy report,by shocking ,no cancer,the first doctor made a big mistake..
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I hope your child is feeling better soon.
My eldest was not checked properly when she was ill with a virus when we took her to urgent care. She was very sick and vomitted many times within minutes and running a feaver. The Dr there gave her a anti-vomit med that was to be placed up her rear end. Needless to say it was huge for a toddler and didn't help any. What helped is when our Dr had a direct line after hours to the nurses station at the childrens hospital and that nurse's advice is what helped me cope with my childs illness. As my daughter laid there so feaverish, limp 
.... I was fearful I did not sleep for the 3 days she was plgued with this feaver. Ever since that I will not go to any urgent care unless they specialize in kids and I panic when any of them get a feaver as I do not ever want to go thru that again!!
.... I was fearful I did not sleep for the 3 days she was plgued with this feaver. Ever since that I will not go to any urgent care unless they specialize in kids and I panic when any of them get a feaver as I do not ever want to go thru that again!!
@sherry_mandajos (79)
• Philippines
16 Apr 09
Doctors just any other human commits mistake. They don't own our lives and definitely don't know every single events in our systems. :) That's why some serious diagnosis should need second or third opinions. :) Nice to hear your baby's fine..:)
@CrushThisCharade (159)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Oy, that sounds terrible - I'm sorry about your daughter being so sick! It's true... doctors aren't always right. I had textbook symptoms for having Celiac Disease (intolerance to wheat/gluten) for years, and saw 3 doctors. All diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, which is sometimes the "catch-all" for GI issues. Finally, I went to an immunologist, and within 5 minutes he diagnosed me. Doctors, despite all their education, are still human. My advice would be to check up on the internet *from reputable sites* about symptoms and ask your doctor while you're there. You're paying them for the visit, so make the most of it. Don't worry about sounding like a hypochondriac, it's better to go over more things than necessary than not enough.
Good luck with your daughter! I used to get ear infections when I was little too - they aren't fun!!!!
