A few days ago, my son woke up and couldn't hear out of one of his ears. A few days before that he was telling me that his cheek was swollen. This morning I had made a doctor's appointment for him and was telling a co-worker about it. She said that her nephew who's just a little bit older had the same thing about a year ago. It turned out to be a staph infection that required surgery and took months to clear up.
This ear thing is strange in that he's not sick at all. No fever, no pain, no nothing. The same way as my co-worker's nephew's started. We went to the appointment today and the doctor, who is not my favorite in the practice but who was the only one there today, said that something was definitely going on in his ear. He said there was fluid, pus, and maybe some blood. Then I told him about the cheek being swollen and he felt around on his face and then looked in his ear again for awhile. He said that it almost looks like a skull fracture. Was he joking? A skull fracture?!? Wouldn't we know if he had hit his head hard enough to cause a skull fracture? He was mumbling something about instead of it being a bright red like a normal infection, it's like brown, like dried blood. I don't know what to think.
He gave us antibiotics and said to bring him back for sure in 2 weeks and if it's not looking right yet, then they'll send us to the ear, nose and throat doctor. My friend doesn't think we should wait 2 weeks to see the specialist.
Does anyone else have any experience with something like this? I don't even know if I should be worried or not. If it is a staph infection, will the antibiotics start working on it? I guess with that other boy, the pediatrician didn't know what it was either and sent them immediately to the specialist. Should I just go ahead and make the appointment with the specialist on Monday without waiting the 2 weeks?
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Comments: 59
I can't understand why he wouldn't sent him for tests... on that never mind an ENT.
I would bring him somewhere.... it doesn't sound right... and gee what if it's something serious?
Second, if this quack is suggesting skull fracture, he should have ordered an xray at the very least! I would not wait. I would be taking my kid to the nearest ER or walk-in clinic, ASAP. Just my humble opinion. ;-) Good luck and I hope your son is okay.
Your reply just reminded me of something very serious. He has been getting impetigo almost once every year or two since he was a baby.. it's almost always treated aggressively because it's a staph infection and the doctors take it very seriously. I will definitely get him in to the specialist ASAP.
How many more times are we going to hear stories about how MDs are not thorough--ESPECIALLY, when first confronting symptoms, for the first.
There is absolutely NO excuse for what that MD did.
Pamela Marks is absolutely correct.
Get a second opinion.....Now. It may not be serious--but you cannot take the chance that it isn't.
I've said there's no excuse for this doctor for a long time. This is not the first time I've had problems with him.
Now I know this is different than your son, but some infections you just don't want to mess around with... and they had no idea she was this sick... and she is 29 years old and a school nurse... They expect her to be in the hospital another 2 weeks.
If this doctor did not take a culture of the pus... he is a wacko.
When I had my burst appendix... after I went home from the hospital I got a lump next to the scar and then red lines coming out of it. A germ got in there during the operation... and they thought it might be MRSA... I was in a week on IV drugs in a private room... it can take awhile for them to get the results.
I really really really think he ought to be seen asap by a specialist or someone.. I think the doctor you saw dropped the ball on that one... and what if your son winds up with permanent damage because he was not sent for tests...??? most doctors would send him for tests and not risk a ...... lawsuit... If it looks like a skull fracture than why not send him in????
He did give him a very strong antibiotic. I had a doctor who gave that to me because anything lesser did not work well when I was sick. He said I should let doctors know what works. So I told my next doctor and was all insulted about it and he said... No, that is a heavy duty drug and if you use it all the time, it will lose it's effect. So go figure... one says to stick to it and the other says not to.
I think I'd find a new doctor/practice. Some are better than others.
So far today he seems to be okay and I keep checking him for a fever. It's so strange that he doesn't have one. He keeps saying that his ear feels weird today but he still can't hear anything in that one.
I do get mad when I think about it. My son's hearing is impaired right now and he didn't even address that part of it. You're right - what if he's getting damage to his ear drum right now?