I switched to this practice (either this location or Courthouse) back in June of this year, and have really only gone for last minute appointments when my son was abruptly sick. I've yet to have a routine appointment here...
Six-seven weeks ago I started taking my son in for coughs, congestion, one time I thought he had pink eye - which was ruled out, but turns out he had a double ear infection, we went back to follow up - still bringing concerns about this cough, congestion, etc. My son had this cough and congestion, for six weeks - the entire six weeks, we saw multiple doctors (they were last minute appointments, whoever was available that day) who told us he had allergies... 'here's a nebulizer use it three times a day' and give him Zyrtec daily... We did... but kept asking and kept going back, and kept getting the same response. Finally, they said 'go see an allergist.'
I scheduled that appointment, with the allergist.. but a few days later he had a coughing fit and could not breathe... we took him to the ER. We learned in minutes, that my son had bilateral pneumonia. This is pneumonia in both lungs. He is 18 months old. The doctors told me that he had had it for weeks... and asked if the pedi ever did a chest Xray. No, they did not. They just kept telling me allergies, take this and this, get to an allergist. Even after telling them that his grandfather had pneumonia, his grandmother had bronchitis, and I (his mother) was sick as well... he was the first one 'sick' and got us all sick - allergies doesn't get other people sick...
Babies die from pneumonia being untreated. I am livid, to say the least... We spent two nights in the pediatric wing of Mary Washington, where the doctor specifically told me to not give him the albuterol (nebulizer) anymore. That it's for asthma, and/or allergies, neither of which my son has currently. We were to take him to a follow up appointment at the pedi as soon as they opened the following week...
At this follow up appointment, my mother went - and I arrived later as I had to work. As I was en route, my mother calls saying the NP (no doctor was available) claimed he was wheezing and he needed to do a neb. treatment. I told her no, do not do the neb. treatment. The NP got on the phone, and proceeded to argue with me that that's how they handle post pneumonia - that it makes the kids feel better. Even after stating the ER Pediatrician told me NOT to take it, and that the discharge paperwork says to STOP taking it... she continued to argue with me. I arrived while talking to her, and went into the room where they were to continue to tell her we would NOT be doing the nebulizer. He does NOT have allergies, he does NOT have asthma. He had pneumonia that these people failed to even look into, or rule out, 5-6 weeks of a child having a nasty cough... a simple chest Xray could've ruled it out, or proved weeks prior he was very ill. Maybe he wouldn't have had to be hospitalized.
After that appointment, I requested my sons records and will be finding a new pediatrician. I feel this place doesn't know what they're doing, and I don't trust them with my sons health. The doctors are nice, personable people in general, the offices are clean - but that's not enough for me. read more
