Rejected from Nashville Hospital

Ok, so this past Tuesday, May 5th 2009, the day after my surgery in Tifton, I'm sitting at home with my boys. Their running around playing, and my 5 year old starts screaming "I'm bleeding I'm bleeding". I asked him where. and he opens his mouth. I find blood pouring our. So as calmly as any mother could, I ask what happened. He somehow managed to jab himself in the back of the mouth (where your top & bottom gum connect in the middle) with a stake that goes in the ground to hold up a volley ball net. Panic. 7 miles from Nashville er beats driving nearly 30 + to Tifton Er. I didn't know the dept of the injury and was afraid the would start swelling in his throat. So Nashville is where we went. The on duty Doctor and his male nurse (yes I have names) shined a flash light in his mouth. looked at me and said "he needs a E.N.T.(ear nose & throat) specialist. You should take him to Tifton or Valdosta. Your son possibly has a punctured ear drum or a punctured artery." He then tells me "We're going to pretend you were never here." He walks to the registration desk, the young lady behind the desk looks up at the doc, and the doc says "that paper she signed here at registration, make it disappear. She was never here." O.M.G.! So still dazed and confused about whats going I hall butt to Tifton. Praying to God my son doesn't bleed to death internally from the punctured artery he may have. The Tifton E.R. put my mind at ease. Requesting that I take him to his regular physician pediatrician. I did first thing the following morning. They requested I see a E.N.T.. Well that same day, we seen the E.N.T. He told me, "As crazy as this may sound, if this puncture wound would have been anymore 2 the left, right, up, or down, your son WOULD HAVE hit an culinary artery." So--my point of this is. Nashville ER should have ran more test. Seen that my son was actually stable. Then sent me on my way. My son could have died on the way to Tifton. I know your probably wondering why I didn't do more. But understand that I was in shock with everything going on. And I like 90% of all other humans do what the Doctors request. The "bleeding internally" actually hadnt settled in yet.
What should I do about this ?

BooHooMommy wrote:

Ok, so this past Tuesday, May 5th 2009, the day after my surgery in Tifton, I'm sitting at home with my boys. Their running around playing, and my 5 year old starts screaming "I'm bleeding I'm bleeding". I asked him where. and he opens his mouth. I find blood pouring our. So as calmly as any mother could, I ask what happened. He somehow managed to jab himself in the back of the mouth (where your top & bottom gum connect in the middle) with a stake that goes in the ground to hold up a volley ball net. Panic. 7 miles from Nashville er beats driving nearly 30 + to Tifton Er. I didn't know the dept of the injury and was afraid the would start swelling in his throat. So Nashville is where we went. The on duty Doctor and his male nurse (yes I have names) shined a flash light in his mouth. looked at me and said "he needs a E.N.T.(ear nose & throat) specialist. You should take him to Tifton or Valdosta. Your son possibly has a punctured ear drum or a punctured artery." He then tells me "We're going to pretend you were never here." He walks to the registration desk, the young lady behind the desk looks up at the doc, and the doc says "that paper she signed here at registration, make it disappear. She was never here." O.M.G.! So still dazed and confused about whats going I hall butt to Tifton. Praying to God my son doesn't bleed to death internally from the punctured artery he may have. The Tifton E.R. put my mind at ease. Requesting that I take him to his regular physician pediatrician. I did first thing the following morning. They requested I see a E.N.T.. Well that same day, we seen the E.N.T. He told me, "As crazy as this may sound, if this puncture wound would have been anymore 2 the left, right, up, or down, your son WOULD HAVE hit an culinary artery." So--my point of this is. Nashville ER should have ran more test. Seen that my son was actually stable. Then sent me on my way. My son could have died on the way to Tifton. I know your probably wondering why I didn't do more. But understand that I was in shock with everything going on. And I like 90% of all other humans do what the Doctors request. The "bleeding internally" actually hadnt settled in yet.
What should I do about this ?

Keep in mind all rural hospitals are state and county funded. I would call the gov. office, explain the circumstances and ask for direction to bring this to a point something positive can come from the experience. Its all about attitudes, your positive attitude and their "lack of". The outcome does not over ride the seriousness of the action taken by the ER.

Do not let this just pass without making a case for atleast a peak inot how things run at that hospital. The next serious conditin presented might appreciate your efforts!

Jim

Well , since you were so careing of your child where were you when it happened, I will guess
you were watching tv and now you expect someone
else to mend your child while you watch the mail
box for your next check. which all of us working people make sure we work all the hour we can so
there will be free care for you and your type

BooHooMommy wrote:

Ok, so this past Tuesday, May 5th 2009, the day after my surgery in Tifton, I'm sitting at home with my boys. Their running around playing, and my 5 year old starts screaming "I'm bleeding I'm bleeding". I asked him where. and he opens his mouth. I find blood pouring our. So as calmly as any mother could, I ask what happened. He somehow managed to jab himself in the back of the mouth (where your top & bottom gum connect in the middle) with a stake that goes in the ground to hold up a volley ball net. Panic. 7 miles from Nashville er beats driving nearly 30 + to Tifton Er. I didn't know the dept of the injury and was afraid the would start swelling in his throat. So Nashville is where we went. The on duty Doctor and his male nurse (yes I have names) shined a flash light in his mouth. looked at me and said "he needs a E.N.T.(ear nose & throat) specialist. You should take him to Tifton or Valdosta. Your son possibly has a punctured ear drum or a punctured artery." He then tells me "We're going to pretend you were never here." He walks to the registration desk, the young lady behind the desk looks up at the doc, and the doc says "that paper she signed here at registration, make it disappear. She was never here." O.M.G.! So still dazed and confused about whats going I hall butt to Tifton. Praying to God my son doesn't bleed to death internally from the punctured artery he may have. The Tifton E.R. put my mind at ease. Requesting that I take him to his regular physician pediatrician. I did first thing the following morning. They requested I see a E.N.T.. Well that same day, we seen the E.N.T. He told me, "As crazy as this may sound, if this puncture wound would have been anymore 2 the left, right, up, or down, your son WOULD HAVE hit an culinary artery." So--my point of this is. Nashville ER should have ran more test. Seen that my son was actually stable. Then sent me on my way. My son could have died on the way to Tifton. I know your probably wondering why I didn't do more. But understand that I was in shock with everything going on. And I like 90% of all other humans do what the Doctors request. The "bleeding internally" actually hadnt settled in yet.
What should I do about this ?

I personally would go to the Hospital administrator about what happened and tell them all names of people involved because they should be written up for what was done. If it was my child I would have been just as you was but I believe I would have refused to leave without talking to somebody in higher management at the time who could have done something about it then and possibly saved you the trouble of going somewhere else. However, I know the hospital that you are talking about and what you have to understand its not capable of handling a lot of situations that come in that are more severe and people seem to waist there time when they come here. That hospital seems to be used more for a clinic like than a real ER and its doctors and nurses like you had that makes it worse for patients that go there. Call and talk with somebody at the hospital and let them know what happened if you haven't already. They need to know so that can talk with them about correct procedures.