My input on the hospital saga…
The diagnosis from the Childrens Emergency Department at Auckland Hospital was ‘Periorbital Cellulitis‘ - which I believe was dismissed by the North Shore Hospital staff because of the very fast onset (within an hour).
By my count, at North Shore we saw 5 nurses and two doctors, all of whom seemed perfectly happy in the belief that the swelling (not limited initially to the eye, but rather the whole right side of his face). When we arrived at Auckland Hospital, around an hour and a half after having been given an oral antihistamine and steroid, we saw a total of two triage nurses until nearly 2am when a doctor arrived to tell me they would be putting an IV in, but did not examine Harrison at all, or ask any questions or take any history.
When, nearly an hour later, the doctor returned to take us to have an IV placed, I asked where the Cellulitis diagnosis came from and was told it was made by North Shore. Needless to say the IV procedure was very distressing for Harrison - when the vain was missed in the first attempt he had to be wrapped tightly in a sheet to keep him still for the second go in the other hand. After that procedure Harrison would not allow me to put him down. He had spent the night sleeping on me in a reclining chair.
My suspicion is now this - the North Shore hospital diagnosis was Allergic reaction, which was treated with an antihistamine and steroid. The notes that the ambulance driver looked at confirmed this, as the information she noted on her forms was ‘Allergy’. When we arrived at Auckland Hospital, I believe that the first Triage nurse we saw observed the localised swelling around the eye (at this stage much of the other facial swelling had gone) and assumed Periorbital Cellulitis, and wrote that on the notes from North Shore. From that point on no further diagnosis was attempted by any staff at Auckland Hospital until nearly 5am, after initial IV antibiotics had been administered, when the Med. Reg. from Starship actually read the history and confirmed things with me and was convinced that it was not Cellulitis.
Within 10 minutes of arriving at North Shore hospital we saw a doctor. Treatment was swift and informative. At Auckland, where we were sent solely for observation, a different diagnosis appeared, and didn’t see a doctor for nearly three hours, and not exam was made at any stage beyond occasional pulse and oxygen measurements.
I understand the pressure of emergency medicine, but I feel quite let down by the treatment we received from Auckland Hospital. Delays I can cope with, but feeling entirely left in the dark with no information sucks and is unnecessary. Additionally the attitude of a number of the staff was bordering on downright rude and was certainly dismissive.