Should I File a Complaint/report My Dd's Pediatrician?

keep the arm elevated and iced-next time , go directly to the ER-I guess you know that by now. It sounds like the dr. wasn't listening-this was brought on by a fall and was immediate-it did not develop over time-what a screwball-would not go back there. It brings to mind how my childrens' pediatrician would handle them like they were Faberge eggs-that's what you are looking for in a doctor. All the best!

Doc's are not qualified to read X-rays anyway.

I would have gone to an orthopedic doc or to the ER where the radiologist on staff would have read the X-ray. Or they would have had them do it the next day and her arm would have been stabilized until she could get it set.

Too bad she broke her elbow! Poor chickadee.

In a week she'll be doing the same things she was before she broke it. When my granddaughter had her arm broken she still did tumbling and gymnastics. They just spotted her and had her do low level flips, using the bolsters instead of her arms. She also do the beams and the tumble trak. She thought it was great fun to bounce and balance.

No advice but just wanted to add that my daughter broke her wrist in two places climbing out of her crib on carpet it was not a high fall but I guess landed on it just right.

I would report this issue. I have had broken limbs before and the pain is crazy. Personally after the first time we would have been out. In the future, injuries like this are best left for the ER vs. the Pedi.

So what are you looking to gain here? Get the Dr. barred? Sue?

I agree that X-ray may or not be the best thing first. I know with our Dr's the first thing that happens is an X-ray.

I'm sorry you had an issue. Bottom line.... How is your child now?

I've experienced broken bones and yes it's painful. I don't look for any errors in my opinion to use as a lawsuit.

This country is so sue happy it's crazy. I've been on a jury as well and we just laughed because the case was ridiculas.

I might not go back to that pediatrician, but I certainly wouldn't report her. Her bedside manner might not be what you need, but it doesn't sound like she did anything negligent, wrong, or illegal. Sorry, but you might be overreacting because it's so awful to see your kids in pain.

Given the fact that she only fell from the bed, the doc probably did what any other doctor would have done. Do not report her please. I would probably question the person that was with her. Breaking an elbow from a fall off a bed??? Hmmmm. Chalk it up to life. Your daughter by now is home and being three will heal quickly.

You could file a complaint or write a letter, but it wouldn't do anything but make you feel better. Physicians aren't psychic, she thought she knew what was wrong, and she did what she thought would treat it. When it didn't work, she sent you for further testing. You can be sure that if she sent everyone for the x-ray first and then they learned all she needed to do was realign the elbow then she would have angry parents with a radiology bill and a child exposed to unnecessary radiation. While I know this was upsetting for you (it would be for any parent), she didn't do anything wrong. There wasn't any malpractice, so even if you do send a letter it most likely wouldn't make a difference. I wish your daughter a speedy recovery!

If I were a doctor, which clearly I am not, neither are you, and I heard a child only fell from a bed onto a floor that is more than likely carpeted, I wouldn't think break, I would think sprain or in this case dislocated elbow. Which after a simple google search is apparently a common injury for the type of fall you described.

What I would do if I were you is get to the truth of the fall because it would seem what you described, from your caregivers description, a break should not have been the outcome. Seems like you are mad at the wrong person.

I've broken my elbow and that is excruciating, and no one even forced mine straight. My daughter had nursemaid's elbow and when the doc fixed it at the emergency room (without doing an x-ray) I don't recall him straightening it out, but he did pop something in and she screamed for a second and then was fine. Nursemaid's elbow is one of the most common injuries that children get, so I can see where she would have jumped to that conclusion. It sounds like she was busy and just wanted to hurry you out of there.

I don't know about reporting the doctor, I've never done anything like that, but I would probably seek a different practice if it was me.

This post made me so sad, because I broke my elbow a couple of years ago and I can't imagine having someone pull on it like that!!! It's horrible pain and she should have had pain meds right away, instead of an insensitive doctor discounting her pain. Yes, I'd question it, especially if the doc didn't listen to how the injury happened. Nursemaid's elbow is usually caused by a pulling motion from what I understand.

Also, a good family friend of ours just broke her arm falling off a bed onto carpet. It's possible if you land on it with your own weight or hit it just right. In my case, I tried to catch myself with my hand and all of my weight crunched my arm underneath me. Not good for the old elbow. It's not made to be flattened completely.

I broke my elbow falling off my bed 3 years ago...I went to catch myself by putting my arm out straight and broke my arm at the elbow...I was told by my PT that my arms (well now just my tight since my left will never be straight again) hyper extend naturally & that is why it broke the way it did. It was a HUGE deal...2 plates, 12 screws, 2 pins + 2 wires holding me all back together for the rest of my life!

I can't imagine having someone yank on it!!! I am an adult who had 3 babies & have had to have my gall bladder out (gall bladder attacks are serious pain!) & I am by no means a whimp when it comes to pain but I was crying & in so much pain when I broke myself I literally blacked out whole chunks of the process of being in the ER!

I would be LIVID at this 'doctor' ... Was it even a doctor or was it just a PA? We seem to only see PA's first these days whenever we go to pediatrician, minor emergency or even the ER...the 'actual' doctors just much be so damn busy b/c we hardly actually see them these last few years!

I say report! This 'doctor' needs to be told by someone, somehow that she did something wrong & that her judgement was severely WRONG on this case!

My first step would have been to already call her office & tell her personally that she yanked on my child's broken arm, not once BUT twice! And if I wasn't met with sincere concern on her part acknowledging her mistake & showing some concern about how my child is going now...then I would decide whether to pursue reporting her to someone higher up.

Keep the arm iced & propped up in her comfortable position & stay ON TOP of pain meds if she was given any!

Did she have to have surgery? Hopefully it was just needed to be set and cast! Poor baby! Hope she heals quickly! Luckily kids are so resilient...I suspect she will be fine & up & back to running around & back to her normal self in less than 6 weeks...hopefully WAY less!!!

Ugh! I am mad for you!!

I would have gone to the pediatrician and not the ER. So I agree with where you took her. (I took my daughter to the Pediatrician with a broken leg...I was hoping for a sprain, but it was broken). There was no swelling, bruising or redness on my daughters leg...

On your situation...I got curious and Googled nursemaid's elbow and found the following...on WebMD...

Causes of Nursemaid's Elbow

Nursemaid's elbow can happen if you tug or pull on a child's lower arm or hand, especially if the arm is twisted. It doesn't take much force for the injury to happen. The most common cause of nursemaid's elbow is a pulling-type injury.

Nursemaid's elbow may happen if you:

Catch a child by the hand to stop a fall.
Lift a child up by the hands or wrists.
Pull a child's arm through a jacket sleeve.
Swing a child by the arms or hands.
Yank on a child's arm to make him or her walk faster.
Sometimes nursemaid's elbow may happen if:

An infant rolls over onto the arm.
A child uses the hands to brace himself or herself during a fall.
Symptoms of Nursemaid's Elbow

Nursemaid's elbow can be quite painful. However, the arm or elbow doesn't look hurt, the way a broken bone or sprain might. There is no swelling or bruising.

Symptoms of nursemaid's elbow include:

Arm hangs straight down on side of body
Child is not using the arm
Pain when moving the arm
Pain in the elbow, wrist, or shoulder

Treatment of Nursemaid's Elbow

Treatment depends on your child's age and overall health. The doctor will examine the child and make sure the bone is not broken. X-rays are not necessary to diagnose this.

Over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), may be given. Make sure you ask your health care provider for the correct dose for your child. Never give aspirin to a child under age 12.

So it sounds like from WebMD the doctor was acting in a proper manner for what she thought it was and that she didn't need to x-ray it first. However, it seems if you told her the injury was from a fall and not having her arm jerked then I would like to think she might have done an x-ray first just to be on the safe side...

I would give the doctor the benefit of the doubt...I know it was very very painful...but the exact same thing could have just as easily happened in the er as it did in the doctor's office. If an experienced pediatrician made the mistake so could an intern or first year resident in the er.

Wow, the doctor was definitely harsh! My daughter had nurse maids elbow and I took her to the minor ER. They wanted to do an X-ray first, but I asked the dr if it was ok to try to fix it as though it was nurse maids elbow, since she was only 2 and I didn't feel comfortable with unnecessary radiation. Since her symptoms were most likely the NM elbow AND my DD hadn't fallen (she was swinging about 2 inches off the ground from Daddy's hands), she agreed. She did a very gentle procedure where she put pressure on DDs wrist area and then her upper forearm and twisted it gently. It fixed it the first try, and DD was using her arm, happy, and pain free in under 5 minutes. I would report that doctor if I were you.
Also I want to add that last year I was standing barefoot in our garage and stood on my tip toes for a sec to look for something and felt a pop in my foot. It didn't hurt and only swelled a tiny bit for about a week. Well, nearly 3 weeks went by and it was still popping, so I saw a podiatrist, and it was fractured! It is apparently pretty easy to break a bone!
I hope your LO feels better soon!
ETA: I also want to say that about a month later, same DD had NM elbow again. She turned over on the bed and put her arm behind herself as she was flipping over (she was just playing around acting crazy/spastic), and she had the same symptoms. Previous ER bill was $518, so I thought that since it was such a gentle procedure, I'd look up a you tube video on how to fix it. Do you know there were MANY YT videos on fixing it?! I tried it and it worked the first try! Just saying that I don't think that doctor used an appropriate procedure, ESPECIALLY since she didn't take an X-ray before hand. She could have been more gentle and careful! I'm so sorry that happened to you and your little one! My DD was crying from the NM elbow and I'm pretty sure that's way less painful than a broken elbow! Ouch! :(

One time someone called my name, and I spun around to look at them. I spun around too quickly, lost my balance, fell, caught with my hands and broke my wrist. That fall was a much shorter distance than the bed to the floor.

I wouldn't automatically question the caregiver. It's hard to know how much of her weight was impacting the elbow. Did she really land on the elbow or land on her hand but her arm was straight or the joint was strained? Was the caregiver in the room? Because I wouldn't necessarily expect him/her to be in the room. Kids do like and need to play alone sometimes, so the caregiver could have been in the kitchen or living room.

I don't know if I would report it, but I would be very, very upset. A pediatrician should be extra cautious with a child that age. He/she should also at least consider the possibility of a break after knowing that this was really hurting hours later and could hear the child screaming.

I also would not have taken my child to the ER. Are you kidding me? For me, the ER is for an emergency (bleeding or not breathing) and definitely nor for times when the doctor's office or prompt care is open. I don't know how your insurance works, but our co-pay for a doctor's visit is $15 and $250 for the ER. Yeah, this momma doesn't go to the ER if she can avoid it!

As someone with a kid that has nursemaid's elbow and another that broke her elbow, that sounds like standard procedure. I've seen the pedi, urgent care, ER, and ortho docs all do it. Your pedi did the right thing for the suspected diagnosis, when it didn't work, she referred you on. There is nothing to report or complain about.

oh heeeeelllllll no. i would be reporting that... what an idiot!

Oohh this makes me sooo mad! I would definitely file a complaint and with the state board for a formal complaint. This is unacceptable. As a doctor they should have known it was highly possible the child could have broken her elbow and to treat it with the upmost sensitivity until confirming break/fracture/nurses's elbow. I am so sorry your child had to go through that! Hugs to your family. I am not a jump the gun kind a parent but this Dr. had no common sense and could seriously injure another patient if not corrected.

I would be changing doctor's because it seems like this one did not value you or your daughter as a patient. She was in a hurry because she was busy and therefore made a mistake. I would not report her, but I definitely would not be taking any of my kids back to that doctor. I also would tell everyone I know about the experience just to avoid them going to her. Word of mouth flies pretty quickly!! I'm so sorry you both had to go through this! I hope she heals quickly!

I agree with Flaming Turnip, a my toddler has fallen off my bed, couch on to hard wood both landing on her elbow and head first and never has injuired anything. i would question the caregiver of your child. They were supposed to be supervising your child not letting them jump on a bed. The dr was only going off what you said was a minor fall, they see that kind of stuff all the time, and for the record my son had nurse maid elbow before and yes he screamed when they tried pullinh it back into place, its very painful as well.

Some kind of cling wrap around the cast when she is bathed (you didn't say anything about a cast, but figure she's got a full one) - and you can also use plastic bags and large rubber bands to keep it tight around her arm long enough to bathe! When gd broke hers about that same age (slid face first off climbing toy at daycare - put her arm out to stop herself), I used both items and even had her in the pool for brief periods with me! The nurse told me later that she was amazed we did not have to come back in for a new cast (this was during the summer).

There are some items you can get to cover a cast - kinda pricey, they pull on and are supposed to be tight enough to keep out water. We got one w/my gd broke her arm, but it really was useless due to her cast being full arm cast.

My pedi did the same when we went for my three year old the *first* time he broke his arm..... So I feel your pain, it's horrible to see them do that. BUT my pedi told me what she would do, that it would hurt but that if it worked there would be immediate relief and she only did it once. I think they try it to get your lil' one fixed up and back home without all the orthopedist visit etc. I think your doctor could have been more communicative and maybe not have done it twice. As far as the care I just bathed my guy every other day and I stood him in the tub for a sponge bath. I wrapped his arm in Walmart bags and was super careful. For hair washing I had him sit on the edge of tub and look up and I poured water on his head with this little hair wash cup I got at Walmart. Good luck! They heal fast thank God!

I was getting really upset as I was reading about what happened to your daughter. I would have been FURIOUS! Your pediatrician was insensitive, careless, and incompetent. It sounds as though she failed to rule out other causes before providing a painful treatment. Pediatricians dealing with young children should make sure the painful treatment is absolutely necessary. You should definitely report this. I've reported a pediatrician for much less (regarding her 6 month well baby visit), and the insurance company agreed he was in the wrong and offered to pay for my daughter to see a different doctor for another 6 month well baby visit.

That is so awful - your poor poor daughter. I would be so incredibly angry at the doctor. Yes, you should file a complaint and change doctors. That was really mean what she did. She should have run and xray FIRST. I don't think you are overreacting.

There is more to medicine than choosing a diagnosis from a list of symptoms, and then following procedure to cure the disease. Good medicine is about listening to the patient, observing, and treating with compassion. This doctor didn't do that.

What your pediatrician did may not be worth reporting, but I'd certainly go online and write a review so other parents can get an idea of her style. Then they can make an informed choice before taking their own children to see her. See healthgrades.com and vitals.com.

OUCH...man!! I would change doctors...Not only was she harsh she should have walked you thru what she was doing....and as I was reading your post, my gut feeling was she should have sent your DD for an xray instead pulling on it, even it was to rule out a broken bone...altho I've noticed some pediatricians as of late get a little too crunchy granola over a random xray and exposure to radiation....(another story for another day)...hope she feels better

About a year ago, while on vacation in Colorado, our daughter (just over 2 yrs old at the time) started complaining that her arm was hurting. Our normally very happy child was tearful, upset, wouldn't eat, and it was very clear to us that something was wrong. We couldn't think of anything that might have happened for her to have hurt her arm, but nevertheless, we drove an hour down the mountain and found an urgent care clinic. We waited for about an hour in the waiting room (thank goodness she had fallen asleep by then).

When we saw the doctor, he explained that he thought it was nursemaid's elbow. Basically, imagine walking down the street, holding hands with your child when Whoops! they are about to step into something (gum, a puddle of water, use your imagination). The natural reaction of a lot of adults is to quickly raise their joined arms to help the child over. He explained that where the bone in the lower arm connects (around the elbow area) is not fully developed in kids, and there is no lip/edge at the top of that bone to hold it in place.

**To FIX this, he gently held her arm. He applied pressure at the elbow area to hold the bone in place (radius side -- meaning the bone that runs on the thumb side), and he folded her arm up (imagine looking at your palm and bending your elbow so that your palm ends up touching your shoulder -- but you also are applying pressure at the elbow to hold that bone down for it to pop back into place). He said that most of the time this fixes it. Sometimes you have to do the exact same thing only palm down (so the back of your hand will end up touching your shoulder after folding it). In our daughter's case, he had to do it this way for it to pop back in.

After doing this, he explained that it usually takes a few minutes to know for certain if it has fixed the problem. He told me that he would be back with something to try to encourage her to REACH with that arm. I was to be prepared to casually hold the other arm down...sometimes kids will continue to try to compensate for the hurt arm without realizing that it is better. He came back with a lollipop; I casually held her other hand; and she reached right for the lollipop with her hurt arm. All was well in our world again. By-the-way, the doctor walked us through these exact steps so that we could pop it back in if it happened again.

Not once did he yank on her arm.... I'm not saying you should go all sue happy or anything, but based on our experience with treating nursemaid's elbow, your doc could have caused more damage to your daughter's arm. That is very scary to me... I'm not the first to run for x-rays; although, you knew of the specific incident ahead of time to know that she had fallen from your bed (and you informed the doc of this!). Even so, I'm not a doctor, but I would think that if your doc had INSTEAD tried the method that this urgent care doc used on our child last summer, I doubt there would have been more injury to the area.

At a bare minimum, I would switch doctors. I hope that your daughter is doing better. Hang in there! :)