Leah is an 11-year-old Aboriginal child who lives in Far North Queensland. Over the past two months, Leah complains that she has trouble hearing due to constant ear pain.
About the patient:
Leah is an 11-year-old Aboriginal child who lives in Yarrabah in Far North Queensland.
Over the past two months, Leah has had difficulty concentrating in class and often complains that she has trouble hearing due to constant ear pain.
Her mum decides to take her to her local Aboriginal health clinic.
Diagnosis - Which roles helped?
Leah attends the local Aboriginal Medical Service in Yarrabah and is seen by an Aboriginal Health Worker who undertakes an initial ear assessment.
Based on that assessment, Leah is booked in for a diagnostic hearing assessment by an Audiologist.
The visiting Audiologist determines that Leah has significant hearing loss and recommends follow-up with a specialist.
Leah has an appointment the next day with a GP who confirms that Leah has otitis media, also known as a middle ear infection.
The Administration Officer books Leah in to see an ENT specialist in Cairns.
Treatment - Which roles helped?
On the day of the ENT appointment, the Transport Officer from the Aboriginal Medical Service drives Leah and her mum and 14 other children and their parents in a minibus into the specialist’s clinic in Cairns.
The ENT specialist recommends surgery to insert a grommet into Leah’s ear.
On the day of the surgery, the Transport Officer drives Leah and the other kids back to Cairns for their surgery.
An Enrolled Nurse at the hospital speaks to Leah’s mum about the surgery and how she should care for Leah’s ear following surgery.
The Aboriginal Health Worker provides Leah with a CheerUP Pack which contains lots of toys and activities to keep Leah distracted while she waits for surgery.
Leah sees an Anaesthetist to determine the correct dose of anesthetic for the surgery.
The ENT surgeon completes the ear surgery and Leah’s hearing improves almost immediately.
Outcome:
When Leah returns to Yarrabah, she sees her GP to ensure that everything is fine following the surgery.
The Aboriginal Health Worker provides ongoing advice to Leah and her mum to ensure that her ears stay healthy!
