She's dying isn't she?

Go get her and take her to another a&e right now, and get off mumsnet, give us an update tomorrow. This is in theory a treatable condition

How has she been.

And how are you, OP @McSteamyorMcdreamy

Your poor mum OP

I have just about got rid of the UTI from hell, it ended up lasting 4 weeks and 3 sets of antibiotics. I'm also being investigated for random vomiting so I think I know some of what she is feeling.

I take tramadol for an unrelated condition and I was literally on the phone crying at the receptionist who was a complete bitch.

Can you get a sample from her?

Check your local Dr's cover, I couldn't get a GP appointment with my own GP (long story but they have changed the system) but I got a Saturday appointment with a GP at a different practice.

We also have an urgent care centre, 111 told me to go to A and E but that they might send me to urgent care, which they did.

Phoning 111 is a good call, they can refer you to the hospital, or to a GP.

She needs to be in hospital.

bear in mind that a spreading infection can cause cognition issues.

Bluntly, she could die from all of the issues she has. You need to fight her to get her to hospital and then fight the hospital to help her. Access to medical care is now 3rd world in the UK. We need to admit this.

Mum is at home in community. What is being demanded or commanded? Why cultures are required?you don’t need them hourly. They already know the diagnosis. This needs to be managed via GP

I hope she is taking the antibiotics as prescribed. They do take a few days to work sometimes.
Bur in the meantime call 111 and answer their questions and get her an actual appointment to see the a&E doctor who can get her the help she needs

She probably needs an intravenous antibiotic to be seeing some more immediate results

agree

my grandmother had a UTI and she was hallucinating, thought she was in the workhouse and her son had died.

can you take her to another A&E where possibly the hospital will have beds?

this is such a wretched time for you and hope things are better today

I’ve known someone who’s had a hiatus hernia for 2/3 years! It’s debilitating but won’t kill her unless she doesn’t address it

Just make sure she takes antibiotics properly so the UTI does not develop into sepsis. My dad died age 63 due to UTI turning into sepsis. Unfortunately, we were not aware he had a UTI due to dementia. It only became apparent when it was too late and he developed a fever. I might have caught it if I was home (live in a different country). But my mother who was caring for him missed it.

I'm sorry op - so worrying for you and horrible for your mum. i hope she gets help and gets on the mend. my elderly mum has suffered 2 years of near constant UTIs - and i'm not exaggerating with this - and has been hospitalised on a couple of occasions. no real help, fobbed off by her GP constantly with antibiotics that temporarily treat the current infection but not an underlying cause. her enjoyment of life has been severely affected - why is it that women's health problems are dismissed with in this manner.

I really don't know what you're saying and I'm going to give up after this post but take it from somebody who works for the NHS..

There is no back door out of A and E in these situations. If there was a bed you would be on it. If there was a ward that had the capacity to look after you you would be on it. Do you genuinely think that people who care for a living would leave you sat on a chair if there was any other choice?

It’s not a ridiculous suggestion- this is something that happened to my DM. We were ushered out of A&E.

It can but at the moment she is getting treatment for the UTI.

Hope you can get your mum seen today OP. X

But she will be told to wait in A and E that's my point. There isn't really a back door. No GP can help other than to tell OP's mum to go back to A and E. Of she's this poorly then it's her only option. People are not realising this making ridiculous suggestions and just making it more complicated and delaying much needed care

She’s not dying but she needs alternative means of receiving hydration and nutrition. She needs to NOT self discharge. Get her back in and make sure she stays there. She’s young and this can be sorted.

Totally agree with comments about nursing care in hospital, my mum’s care was very poor and at times neglectful despite me going in twice a day and chasing her care and referring it higher up the chain including managers. That was 15 years ago too! Once in a care home (I visited several before deciding) she got the proper care she deserved.

No I know that, but A&E on a Friday night or any time is much worse. We just have rows of metal chairs fixed to the floor. When I was there, thankfully only once a man was urinating on the floor and touching himself, another was throwing up. I know where I’d rather be.

I never understand this but UTIs affects the brain/symptoms of dementia so it’s essential that she takes antibiotics and gets more if it doesn’t clear.
Is she on HRT? If not she will get repeated UTIs so I would suggest she goes on a patch not tablets.

GP needs to come out to assess and refer her re her back and give her useful painkillers and sorts the UTI.
Im sure there will be better advice on here but I wouldn’t go the A&E route in future.
Good luck with it all, 67 is not old!!

If you’re in England, ring 111 and ask if they can refer you, or if you can do a self referral to your local Urgent Community Response (UCR). Explain your experience at A&E and that you don’t want to go back in if you can avoid it. They should be able to treat UTIs but unfortunately if there are other risk factors you still might end up in an ED.

I agree with this ^

She needs medical attention and to have an advocate with her constantly

Take her to see a different GP
Take her to OOO rather than A and E
Take her back to A and E and advocate for her
Take her to a different A and E and advocate for her
Make an appointment for her to see a Consultant privately (circa £300, depending on where you live)

It's very unlikely that she's dying but she IS ill and she DOES need constant support atm

OP why on earth did you leave her? I would phone 111 this morning and get her seen - she may need IV antibiotics to get into her system quicker. I used to work in a nursing home and UTI's would send people batshit crazy - not making any sense, confused and agitated. You could tell someone had one immediately. Discharging herself from A & E was very silly and the actions of someone with temporary incapacity.

Actually your concerns could be valid. My late husband was diagnosed with the same- he also couldn’t swallow and kept being sick. It turned out to be something much much worse. Ask the doctors if it could be something other than the hernia.

It is really shit. The state of a&e is an abomination but she does need to go back unfortunately. If she can go armed with some things to make her more comfortable hopefully she can manage the wait.

I’m seeing the pressure on beds play out at home as well. My poor mum has been in hospital for 3 months and is in a far worse state than when she went in. Nursing care has been dire. Initially she was stuck in the AMU for 3/4 days where she for a stage 4 pressure sore through utter neglect. They then decided they were going to discharge her straight home with no care plan until I kicked up an almighty fuss. Everyone seems to agree with me it would have been dangerous so I have no idea how it became a serious consideration to just send her home.

The OP’s mum was vulnerable and in pain and still felt like she had to go home as couldn’t cope with the conditions. It’s easy for people to say ‘well she should have stayed’ but that is not easy in that environment and she won’t be the last person who can’t manage the a&e crapness despite being ill and needing care.