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Care Opinion

Misdiagnosis

Posted By JD81

"Misdiagnosis"

About: Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Accident & Emergency Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Acute Receiving Unit (Ward 2c) Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Clinical Decision Unit Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Paediatric surgery ( Wards 3A & 3B) Royal Hospital for Children (Glasgow) / Renal (Ward 3C)

(as a parent/guardian),

My young son attended A & E at the Royal Hospital for children recently with left sided chest/stomach/back pains. We were then transferred to the clinical decisions ward, acute receiving ward), and wards 3b & c.

Overall the care we received was good but unfortunately he was misdiagnosed with mesenteric adenitis when in fact he had a chest infection/pneumonia. I understand these things happen and NHS staff are under pressure but if he had been given a chest x-ray as well as the abdominal x-ray he was given, his course of treatment may have been significantly different.

Due to this misdiagnosis, he continued to be in horrendous pain, had 2 further A&E appointments, a OOH GP appointment and a GP appointment plus many hours on hold to NHS24, leading to a 10 day hospital stay including surgery for pleural effusion and empyema and resultant chest drains.

I am so grateful and thankful for the care he finally received followed the correct diagnosis but an initial chest x-ray would certainly have reduced his suffering and got him started on the correct treatment much more quickly. I would be grateful if this could be fed back to the relevant services to hopefully improve care in the future as I believe pneumonia and empyema are becoming more common in the UK. Thanks.

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Responses

Response from Lewis Doult, Senior Charge Nurse, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about a year and a half ago
We are preparing to make a change
Lewis Doult
Senior Charge Nurse,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 07/10/2022 at 15:01
Published on Care Opinion at 16:15

picture of Lewis Doult

Dear JD81,

I am sorry to hear your son was unwell and needed to come to the Royal Hospital for Children. I hope he is recovering well now you are home. I appreciate this would have been a very difficult time for you both.

I am the Lead Nurse for the Emergency Department and Clinical Decisions Unit. Whilst I am pleased to hear you are grateful and thankful for the care he received I would like the opportunity to look into his notes with the medical teams to review your comments. If you would like me to do this please could you email his full name and date of birth to me (lewis.doult@ggc.scot.nhs.uk)?

I am sorry he was misdiagnosed and appreciate you informing us of your experience. Following a review of his notes I will certainly provide feedback to the relevant individuals where necessary.

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