Joe,
I always hear how customer service is number one at our hospital.
Well today i learned different.
At 1030 this morning a little 6 month old was sent to PRMC ER by her doctor suspecting a staff (MRSA) infection.
They stated that the child needed to go there to be treated by IV antibiotics.
We did get one treatment of antibiotics before the Pediatric doctor ever showed.
Finally at about 4 PM she was seen by a pediatric doctor. First words out of her mouth were " Sorry for the delay was trying to see if I could find a bed"
From there the symptoms were downplayed and it was ok to try and treat at home.
Even at the insistence of the parents it was stated it's ok just bring her back in twelve hours if she spikes a fever and we will do this all over and admit her.
I guess that is only if they have a bed. They just couldn't justify it.
To have the baby have to repeat the trauma of the IV again seems senseless.
Is this the fantastic customer service we are to expect. Perhaps we need more pediatric beds instead of more operating rooms.
Where oh where is Miss Peggy when you need her.
6 Hours to find out because there was no bed they were sending a baby home.
Even as we left the nurse took her temperature again and it was higher than when we got there.
The ER doctor didn't even come in to look. He just told her to give her something to drop it.
I guess when you sit for three hours with no contact at all waiting for a doctor it gives you time to get angry.
I will be really angry if we just end up there again for the same thing and go through the same process again.
Truly Frustrated
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
20 comments:
One treatment of antibiotics is absolutely useless for a suspected MRSA infection. I hope they obtained specimens for a blood culture (which requires about 3 days to grow) to determine what the organism is. Mom, please monitor your child carefully, especially her temperature.
How can a MRSA infection be diagnosed over the phone? The child should be in the hospital. But, then again, she might be safer at home.
My husband was in PRMC for gastric ulcers and gallbladder removal and acquired a MRSA infection while hospitalized. After all was said and done, his aortic and mitral valves in his heart had to be replaced(open heart surgery) because they were infected. He always said he would have gotten better care if he had gone to the local animal hospital. And he was fully insured.
A 6 months old baby with an elevated temperature is sick. I would have raised the roof.
I guess when you sit for three hours with no contact at all waiting for a doctor it gives you time to get angry.
I will be really angry if we just end up there again for the same thing and go through the same process again.
I think that's all it is, you are mad because you had to wait hours and hours.
What trauma of an IV are you referring? It's just a needle stick.
You don't say many specifics. Who sent you to hospital. Which ped. dr. seen the child. Was your ped. dr. involved or just the one at hospital or both.
I can understand your being upset because you child is ill and that alone can be frightening.
If they didn't have a bed to admit her to, what else could have been done? Put the child in a gurney and put in hallway?
Sit around in E.R. for who knows how long?
It's been 4 hours since this was posted. How is the child doing now? Did you have to return to the hospital?
I hope your child gets better soon.
And if I were you and that concerned about the treatment you and the child received, contact hospital administration and tell them your concerns.
They are the ones who can take the appropriate actions, not us on this blog.
PRMC is loaded with MRSA and my son left there with VRE which comes from uncleaniness and not washing surfaces or your hands.When VRE merges with MRSA it becomes a superbug which there is no drugs to treat it. I contacted PMRC about this matter and I was told they would investigate it and I would be contacted 8 months later I have not heard from anyone.This is one nasty hospital.
screw prmc, where were they all while whats his name was installing useless stints? All they want to do is rack em stack em and pack em. charge as much as they can on the fast and easy procedures. anything more than a gall stone removal or a few stitches go across the bay.
totally useless. actually for the type of procedures they perfrom there you're probably better off going to worcester county. Less chance of getting an infection from some scumbag!
I know a couple of nurses. And any nurse reading this know this is true -- the emergency room is clogged with people trying to get pain meds for a toothache, "back pain", and other issues that prevent other people with REAL injuries from getting prompt treatment. Homeless people looking for a wam bed, drug addicts loooking for a few Perc's, and of course drunks who have hurt themselves falling down, fighting, and doing stupid crap that makes regular citizens wait for hours while doctors, nurses, X-Ray tech, etc., give THEM full service. By law.
Legally, PRMC cannot discharge a patient due to lack of inpatient beds. They must transfer the care of the patient to another hospital. It all falls under the EMTALA law--- they can be fined 50k if that was in fact the case. Never go to PRMC for anything pediatric--- save your child, your time, and your money.
That place is for the birds
3:28 is right, the number of drug addicts going there tying up the er just to get a free fix is unbelievable, I have heard stories first hand, how they come in, no insurance, make believe sickness laying there on the bed with their gold teeth and bling, texting their friends, counting their money awaiting free drugs, and then asking the Docs to call them a cab so the public can also pay for their ride home. YUP it's all true!
The child was admitted today. Shae wil be spending at least overnight.
No local peds go to the hospital anymore. It is serviced by a group of doctors. And n oi wasn't upset just because i had to wait. and also on an infant it is much more than just a stick. It took several trys today to get an IV started again thank you. Hopefully she will get the care needed now.
Sounds like service for infants and children has deteriorated since Dr. Alvarado passed. Here's hoping his son can step into the picture when he takes over his dad's practice this summer.
This is total BS. I would recommend you go to Atlantic General. They see you with 30 minutes of being there. You should have never had to wait that long with a child with a fever with suspected MRSA. I hope your baby gets better soon. I know how stressful it is to have someone you love so much be sick. I'm saying my prayers for you and your child. If you feel that you aren't getting treated well, sign out against medical advice and take her to Atlantic General. My experiences with them has always been positive and they sure as hell wouldn't treat you like that. Best of luck to you.
lastword 3:18
Your recommendation to contact the hospital so that they can take "appropriate action" seems like a logical one. However this assumes the hospital really cares about the patient or plans to do anything about it. This is a HUGE assumption! I know many people who have contacted the hospital about poor care and nothing is ever done. The staff is never held accountable for their actions and believe me "Miss Peggy" will not help you! You probably did not see her because she and the rest of the royal family were out doing a photo shoot for the "Metropolitan".
I have had a child admitted to the pediatric floor and received nothing but the very best care from the nurses and doctors. Mrsa infections are very common.. I wonder why your pediatrician didn't treat the child with an antibiotic injection or something she could take at home? You should read the blogs posted about Mrsa, treatments and prevention and invest in some bleach for home.
Sounds like to me you are using the blog in an attempt to get your child admitted and sounds like it worked.
8:56 P
I'm glad your child got admitted. And I forgot that sometimes their workers do have problems starting an IV. It has happened to me before. Some struggle and others can do it blindfolded.
Do what you have to for your child. I was trying to be helpful, not judgmental.
To the other poster who said it was a huge assumption or whatever, maybe it is.
I had a problem there once or twice and I contacted admin and they returned my call and promised to take care of my concerns.
I never went back to check if they did or not. I just took them at their word and trusted they would do what they say.
Whether or not they actually do anything or not is on them. I still think that is the first place one should start to get their concerns addressed.
If they don't know what is wrong, that is a guarantee nothing will be done.
Good luck and I hope your child gets well soon.
My child has been admitted to the Peds unit many times over a number of years for asthma issues. I have seen the changes since the hospitalist took over. The care she recives now when she has to be admitted is so much better then when her regular pediatrician was on call and had to be paged and make rounds between or after office hours. Most of the time there is always a doctor right on the floor.. To answer my questions or check her out if she gets worse, even in the middle of the night. I am sorry you had a bad experience, but I am very happy with the care she has received on the unit.
I am the mother of this child and I can honestly say I was very disappointed with the er visit, and not just do to the time waiting. My child was admitted the following morning and remains there on isolation. The care she is receving now is amazing and the nurses are truly caring and my daughter is getting great care. While being in this position is stressful and upsetting, they make my child as comfortable as possible. Thank you to those who care.
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