Letters 2.0: “PS Annunziata – Sent home when I actually needed an urgent intervention”

We get our reader’s story:

“Good morning,
I am contacting you regarding the terrible situation I experienced at the civil hospital in Cosenza. It was suspected that it was severe indigestion, because I had excruciating pain in the upper part of my stomach, but none of that happened…

It all began on Tuesday morning, October 15th. At 3:00 I went to the emergency room of the San Marco Argentano hospital, since I live 2 km from it. Here they carried out the first routine tests, everything was normal, they also carried out a pharmacological treatment via IV, but with few results. I returned home at dawn and then, around midday, I contacted my doctor who prescribed me some drugs, who knows if they would relieve the pain, but there was little response here either.

Until Wednesday the 16th I remained like this, still in pain, but more bearable, hoping that I would improve and the drugs would take effect. At 2:00 am on Thursday 17th however, the pain started again and not knowing what to do, I went back to the San Marco hospital, but there was nothing to be done, they advised me to go to the civil hospital in Cosenza, because they couldn’t do it here. to understand what it was.

At 7:00 in the morning I go with my parents to Cosenza, where, having arrived at the emergency room, they carry out the first routine checks, but here too, without response. I found a Cuban doctor who knew little or no Italian, so it was difficult to understand him.

The Cuban doctor was preparing everything to give me a treatment and make me stay at home, but the pain still persisted, so I asked to have a gastroscopy performed, but in the emergency room they told me that in the hospital this visit is not for patients.

When I start to insist in a more ‘decisive’ way, saying that the pain was strong and had not gone away, they, realizing that I was getting upset, move me to the next room, saying they want to do an “echo-Doppler”. From here it was understood that the Italian was zero, given that in any case it was an abdominal ultrasound instead.

Fortunately I then found a doctor from Cosenza, who did an ultrasound on me, thus finding that I had a gall bladder… and the pain was coming from it. Even though my white blood cells were at 12,000, and from here it was already clear that I had a strong inflammation, the Cuban doctor sent me home, giving me a pharmacological treatment… (it turned out later that they should have operated on me urgently, but that wasn’t the case). state…)

Having returned home after midday, as instructed, but still in pain and not knowing where to turn my head, I went to the GP’s office in the early afternoon. Here I show him the medical reports (not having the ultrasound plate from the Cosenza hospital) and he, not being sure of what they wrote in the report, makes me promptly go for an ultrasound in a doctor’s office in Roggiano Gravina… and , finally, from there it was highlighted that there were stones in the gallbladder.

So my doctor took action immediately by urgently calling a surgeon to have me undergo an examination… and so on Friday morning I went to the Ninetta Rosano clinic at the Tirrenia hospital, where the surgeon examined me and had me admitted to hospital as a matter of urgency. In the meantime I was experiencing a high fever and my white blood cell count had increased to 22,000.

Here they finally performed surgery on my gallbladder, which was very inflamed. Although the surgeons had difficulties, the operation was successful.

I can only say that I consider myself lucky. Being Catholic-Christian, believer and practitioner, I thank first of all the power and mercy of God. But the credit also goes to all the professionalism of the Ninetta Rosano nursing home of the Tirrenia Hospital and to the entire general surgery team of Belvedere
Marittimo (CS) for the care received. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ♥️”

(Letter signed)