A BOY who was “bent over” in agony was sent home FOUR times before he was treated for a burst appendix.
Regean McGuire, nine, was seen by three doctors at Stobhill Hospital and twice at the Royal Hospital for Children Queen Elizabeth University Hospital before he was admitted for emergency surgery.
His aunt, Tracy, says it was only through her perseverance that he was admitted on the fifth visit in 48 hours.
READ MORE: Children facing record waits for ear, nose and throat consultations
By this time Regean’s appendix had burst and he was in surgery within hours to remove it and repair the damage.
Tracy, 45, said: “If we had left it any longer we could have been burying him in a coffin.”
It comes after a sick four-year-old was “45 minutes from death” after medics twice turned her away from the RHC with the same problem.
Karis Cochrane’s parents were told she had constipation or dehydration when she was taken to hospital suffering from agonising stomach pains.
Doctor’s told Regean’s family that it was likely he was suffering from a tummy bug or a viral infection.
However, an ultrasound revealed his appendix had burst, a life-threatening condition which can lead to septicaemia.
Mum Kirsteen, 44, who is from Parkhouse, said: “I had Reagan up at Stobhill at 8.30am on the Saturday morning after calling NHS 24 through the night.
“They said to bring him up.
“They put him on the bed and felt his stomach said it was probably a stomach bug.
“He was bent over in agony. I brought him home and gave him Calpol.
“He wasn’t eating or drinking anything.
“Then on the Saturday night I took him again at the back of 11pm and sent him back again. They told me to put a towel in the tumble dryer and put it on his belly.
“I didn’t do that but I gave him a hot water bottle and that was making the pain worse.
“Then we were back up again on the Sunday.
“He said if it’s still sore take him up again.
“It had already burst by then. We took him to the new hospital at 12pm and they had a look at him and said they didn’t think it was anything to worry about and sent him home.”
Tracy, who manages a clothing store in Hyndland, said: “It came to the Sunday night and my dad was there and he said to me, ‘that wean is crippled.’
“He’s bending over. My friend is a paramedic so I phoned her. She said to take him to A&E.
“They took him straight through.
“He was like a wee old man, he was doubled up. His face was chalk white.”
Kirsteen said: “When the consultant came straight in and said they were going to take him into theatre, I burst out crying.”
Appendicitis mostly affects kids and teens between 10 and 20-years-old, and is rare in infants.
Symptoms include significant abdominal pain, especially around the bellybutton or in the lower right part of the abdomen, fever, loss of appetite and nausea or vomiting.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde say appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose in children but the family say they feel “let down” by his care.
Kirsteen said: “They should have done a scan on the second or even third attempt.”
Tracy added: “If we hadn’t taken him back on the Sunday night, Reagan would probably have bled to death.”
A spokesman for NHSGGC said: “Appendicitis in young children can be difficult to diagnose.
READ MORE: Children facing record waits for ear, nose and throat consultations
“Some children are not diagnosed on their first attendance to an emergency department and unfortunately this often involves a number of presentations for medical assessment, depending on how an individual’s symptoms and signs develop.
“For those children with abdominal pain who are not admitted, the advice always given is to return to the emergency department if things are not improving, or getting worse.
“We recognise that this would have been a worrying time for the family and we would be happy to meet with them and discuss any concerns they have.”
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