When have you gone to A and E and was it the right call?

[TheFrogsLegs]

So many threads on here are about people misusing A and E, which got me thinking.

I am now in my fifties and ended up in a and e as a child with appendicitis, but that was my only visit then.

My own children never had to visit a and e as kids - luck rather than stoicism - but as adults DS was in a bad car crash and another time had Quincy and felt his airway was closing. He got some tuts from the doctor for going to a and e for that one, but I backed his decision - airways closing are an emergency!

DD has been once for a dislocated joint.

I’ve been many times for dislocated joints, almost always in an ambulance as that was deemed the most appropriate way. I have always felt a bit embarassed as I was not ill, just unable to move without extreme pain.

DH has never been to a and e.

So, what about you? Have you been and were you judged by NHS staff over your attendance?

I called an ambulance for day old ds when he vomited actual blood all over us both and then just fell asleep. I was beside myself. Thankfully it had just laid in his stomach from his birth (almost haemorrhaged) and he felt better getting it out. Doctors were fantastic and nurses even more so.

When the midwife heard she said we should have just waited a couple of hours and called her for advice, apparently it's quite common Definitely the right call and doctors agreed. Don't wish that experience on any new Mum!

I've been to A&E twice in my lifetime although neither times were for me.

First time was with DH, we probably would have been scoffed at for going as we thought it was just flu but was showing no signs of improvement so 111 sent him up to A&E. He ended up in hospital for 6 weeks with sepsis and an infection on the heart.

Second time was with DD2 when she was 3 months old, she seemed to be having difficulty breathing so 111 sent an ambulance. I still feel terribly guilty about that one as she perked up on the ride to hospital, was checked out and was absolutely fine.

Me:
1.Broke collarbone - gained DH
2.Fainted in street, passers-by phoned ambulance. Banged head on pavement edge as I fell.Concussion and fractured cheek bone
3.Stumbled in dark in field at outdoor event. Ruptured achilles tendon. Op and 12 weeks in cast.

DH:

1. Numerous cricketing injuries, including being knocked out by batsman when DH was stand in wicket keeper
2. Fractured elbow and dislocated shoulder when knocked off his bike by white van
3. Sepsis. Blue light job, emergency surgery and almost died

DM:

1. Acute kidney injury due to very high calcium (GP had stopped tablet a specialist had prescribed !) She was very confused, dehydrated and aggressive
2. Pneumonia + C Dif caught during above admission

Our local A&E is one of the busiest in the country. It is always bedlam with people spilling out into corridors and extra waiting areas. What we have noticed is that lots of young people seem to use it as a GP surgery - possibly due to the large number of students in the city (2 unis)

Drove myself to A&E when I chopped the end of my thumb off trying to cut frozen raclette. 5 stitches and drove home, starving, to find the dogs had eaten the defrosted cheese.

Got blue lighted to A&E after stupidly smoking skunk - thought I was having a stroke. Very, very embarrassing waking up the next morning.

I’ve been to A&E quite a few times but each time was the right call:

• Several times following seizures where I have hurt myself (bashed head etc)
• Broken bones - wrist and elbow (separate incidents)
• Lacerated foot resulting in a large and deep cut which required stitches (stood on the edge of a broken glass which had been left outside a pub whilst wearing platform miles, so the jagged edge of the glass went straight into the side of my foot)
• semi-severed my finger chopping cucumber 😳
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Severe gastro problems whilst on chemo

A combination of illness and being accident prone

I do carry a card now which states not to take me to A&E if I have a seizure and it’s not a medical emergency

Two broken wrists, a badly sprained ankle, appendicitis - all valid reasons to be in A and E.

The blood blister, not so much. I thought it was a big bit of gravel, I couldn’t walk on it, it hurt. Then they popped it, it bled like hell, and all was fine. I felt like such a fool. The only good thing was that it was very quiet.

Broken bones - arm, hip, ankle, all appropriate.

Possible broken ankle - luckily it wasn’t (before minor injuries existed)

Nosebleeds twice, both appropriate due to medical condition. First one the staff weren’t great so I bled for a long time (in total home and hospital 3 hours) second time they were brilliant

Depression - once by ambulance, definitely necessary. Couple of other times I needed help - A&E wasn’t the best place but there was no- where else. Both times suicidal, but no community mental health team available and A&E was the worst thing for me, but better than nothing.

@LondonHuffyPuffy ooh where did you get that? Or did you make the card yourself? I have epilepsy and always have to beg paramedics not to take me to hospital unless it's been a longer than usual seizure or there are obviously dangerous symptoms e.g. Jaw locked but being sick (sorry bit icky). Even then it's usually much better for me personally to stay at home and have boyfriend / family keep a close eye on me rather than going to hospital for an inevitable stressful overnight stay. Plus I feel awful taking a bed from someone if I know in my gut I don't need it!

DS1 - Once as a toddler when I was busy boobing newborn, he managed to drag a chair across to the bookcase and get the Calpol bottle and open it. Had no idea if he’d drank any or not. A&E immediately. Went, sat there for 6 hours whilst they did various tests, turns out he’d drank none of it, thank fuck. All in the space of 2 mins whilst I was faffing with a tongue tied newborn.

DD1 - 4 times with a split open forehead that needed gluing or stitching - 1/3/4/5. She’s like a bull in a china shop. Haven’t been since the last incident.

DS2 - He’s 3 and we’ve never been

I’ve been once. Was sent in an ambulance by 111. Pulse was really high, I don’t know the exact number, I was babbling and making zero sense, trembling, agitated, kept pulling my hair out and was really hot. Was whisked round to major trauma and diagnosed with serotonin syndrome. It was fucking awful and took me months to recover from.

Only time I've been I should definitely not have gone, apologised repeatedly and was very embarrassed as I received a handwash and a plaster

In my defense a nurse at the minor injuries unit I went to first (just as it shut for the night) said I definitely needed stitches and a tetanus as it was an animal bite and A&E was the place to go for that.

It definitely was not! 😶

Me: never
DD age 11: never
DH: never (bypassed it once though as he had meningitis)
DS age 7: once as a baby. He had double pneumonia

Me - once when I had an asthma attack as a child and my lips turned blue and once when I had suspected meningitis as a baby.

Ds - TOUCH WOOD never

Dd - split her head open age 7, scratched cornea of her eye and whole face swelled up age 2, got hold of calpol age 2 and suspected appendicitis aged 8. With all but the split head I went to the GP first though and was referred on.

DD1 was a frequent flyer when younger with bad asthma and multiple allergies, which quite often developed after a single trial of food or XH's carelessness.

DD2 was a couple of times for accidents that could have been fractures and has been a few times since leaving home for various things.

I've been a few times myself, mostly for riding accidents (big hole in my face, broken toes and coccyx) and with a head injury after a fall. Most recently about 6 weeks ago when sent round by one of the ward nurses. I had fallen downstairs before Christmas and it turned out had torn ligaments in my thumb.

On none of those occasions have we been made to feel that we were there inappropriately. In fact, the last time I was there, I was given a row for not coming in sooner...

Oh I forgot dd has also been for being unable to weight bare without injury twice and for passing out and vomiting after a bang to the head age 3.

It’s weird because she’s generally been a much more healthy child than ds who caught everything but she was a wild toddler which doesn’t help!

DH has never even seen a GP in the 12 years we have been together.

I was blue lighted with meningitis about 13 years ago.

Took myself to a&e with an infected cat bite, felt very stupid but ended up being admitted for 4 days with cellulitis!

Had a horrendous nose bleed last year that flooded out for an hour with huge clots and bled out of my eyes. My teen son called 111 who sent an ambulance and was taken to hospital to have it cauterised. I always feel a bit stupid saying I got taken in an ambulance for a nose bleed but apparently it was quite serious!

Taken my daughter before with suspected appendicitis that turned out to be constipation!

Son was taken by ambulance after being knocked down by a car. He had a broken wrist.

GP sent me to a&e with chest pains. It was anxiety.

God I spend a lot of time in a&e!!!

Me: broken bone in hand when a child
Ds1: greenstick fracture in arm, cut on chin that needed stitches
Ds2: 4 asthma attacks that required hospitalisation for several days, fell on his head on stone stairs as a toddler with what sounded like skull cracking force, but no harm done, sent by gp after cut on knee which needed X-ray to check if any broken glass remained, false alarm on wrist we thought might be broken, but was just strained

Very familiar with Sick Kids hospital especially when DS2 had asthma and coeliac clinics every 6 months for years.

Yep, fell in the garden. Got husband to drive me to a&e and I had broken my arm.

Me

• 3 years old - shattered my elbow
• 6 months pregnant with DS1 after collapsing at home turned out I had a blood clot ( exh took me when I came around, declined ambulance as we could literally see the a and e entrance from our flat)
• December last year after a fall on ice and elbow was sore throughout the day then couldn't move it, turned out I'd fractured it.

DS1

• check over (2 years old) after being in a car crash with exh- very minor but nhs 24 advised anyway
• 3 years old after hurting his neck on kiddie trampoline (the really small one with the bar to hold on) was kept in a night and then home

DS2

• 2 years old fell down stairs at exh house and was clutching worsted - discharged and told nothing wrong
• back up next morning after a night of hell and insisted on x ray and turned out he'd fractured it

DP -never (unless with me)

(Exh- hypochondriac surprised he wasn't invited to the Christmas party, did my absolute nut in. Few times I actually phoned them ahead and told them he didn't need to be there)

Once for Dh who had an reaction to a medicine, he was fine after a check over, once for Ds who pulled a chest of drawers on his leg, and once for me with appendix , had it out and it was just in time as it was about to burst .

5 times. First time I had a hypoglycaemic attack and collapsed. Second time I was badly beaten up, had my head smashed in and was very poorly for 6 months with concussion. It was also the start of my migraines. Third time I fell doing roller disco. Fell backwards and smashed my head hard onto a wooden floor. Ended up dazed and confused but thought nothing of it, until the next day when I had a shower and caught sight of my neck in the mirror. Totally out of shape. Spent 5 hours in A&E collar and boarded waiting for an X-ray. Luckily not broken but I had severe whiplash and swelling of the soft tissues in my neck and upper spine. Forth time my GP had me rushed through for a suspected stroke. Spent a week in there after becoming seriously ill after my lumbar puncture. Didn't have a stroke but diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines and the forth one was a migraine that wouldn't shift even with painkillers nor could I stand up straight. Dr said due to my history with head injuries and migraines he wasn't taking the chance. Straight up to A&E and put onto intravenous painkillers, anti sickness and fluids. Given 3 aspirin to chew and swallow and hooked up to oxygen. Spent half a night there once the pain had gone from a 9-10 to a 4-5 I was allowed to go home although the migraine lasted 21 days in total

Me: got hyperthermia when I was 13 - none as an adult
Ds1: not a&e but a walk in clinic 1. Drank olbas oil 2. Stuck a pea up his nose.
Ds2: cut his head open and required stitches was quite bad
Dh: lots as a kid (so I'm told) as an adult once when he fractured and displaced his wrist

I wouldn't go or take dcs unless really really needed. Will always ask advice from gp or 111 first

A year back had ready bad heartburn, that turned to chest pain and my back started to ache, it was 1am couldn’t get comfortable sitting, laying or standing so I called 111to see if they could suggest ways to ease it off, next thing I know an ambulance is at the door and being whisked away to hospital. It took 6 hours, I’d rather have not gone to a&e I just wanted a quick fix 😖

Took dd (aged 4 at the time) to hospital a&e on advice of gp. A week earlier she had been running across the sofa, she fell off and hurt her foot, it was bruised and she was limping a bit but we didn’t think nothing of it, jump a week later and she’s still limping and it’s still bruised, took her drs who told us to go to a&e to get an X-ray. Turns out she broke a bone that’s near impossible to break and the only other person known to break it was David beckham.

As a child i went to A&E when i broke my collar bone.
As a teenager i had an ambulance called out when i had a seizure.

My son went to A&E as advised by GP when he fractured his finger.

My daughter went in an ambulance after tripping and cutting her head 2cm wide, 1cm deep when she was 2. We were at the park and she fell, so i ran to the cafe and they called the paramedic who got an ambulance.