Who wants a guess (for fun) whether I will get kept in hospital

[LaurieFairyCake]

and obviously lighthearted as probably not going to die

I'm in A and E
Sent by my GP
As my face on one side has swollen up very badly
Gp said he was worried about sepsis
Definitely wanted a blood test
Said I probably needed IV antibiotics

No itching so not been bitten
No tooth/gum problems
No ones punched me

Guesses?

Another vote for a&e OP and sharpish. You are not wasting their time this is what they are there for the Dr said to go back if it worsened you have said it's worse - go back - please.

That pic was what it looked like earlier after I got up after a sleep

I can see out the eye now and it's gone rock hard under the eye

I assume it was puffy crowding the eye as when I slept the fluid moved up, now I've been sitting up it's slipped down

Get back to A&E. doubling doses won’t work if the infection is not sensitive to that a/b. The doc gave you a broad spectrum one that’s not done anything and it’s gotten worse even the doctor said go back. You may need IV dosage of a different one which is much stronger and possible eye doctor/ENT input if they can determine the infection location.

You have lots of important body organs/parts nearby that infection that you need. Surely it’s worth the embarrassment of trying to go back ( not sure it’s embarrassing anyway! You are sick) though I’d say people go with much less!

OP, I really don't understand why you haven't gone back to A&E when the doctor specifically said to go back there if it got worse.

I'm quoting you here - you say I'm well aware that when the doc saw me on Saturday it was about a third of the swelling it is now so it seems he was understandably cautious with the dose.

Which suggests it is now 3 times the size that it was when they saw you on Saturday!! I'd definitely say that is worse, and what they meant about returning....

You need to go to A&E again now.

Worst case scenario if it's nothing different to last time? You feel silly for what you view as wasting their time (which you aren't).

Worst case scenario if it is something requiring urgent treatment? Much worse.

As my nanny would have said, away with you and check your head... literally!

I literally never post and am a full on lurker but reset my password to post when I saw this. I'm sure you're fine but please get checked

How are you doing OP?

So you don't want to waste a&e's time by going back when you've been specifically told to go straight back if it gets worse, but you'd be happy to take up a hospital bed when it's so bad you're hospitalised...ffs!

Unless you actually love parrots and think Gabrielle was a cool icon you better get to a & e.

Doubling antibiotic doses is more likely to give you thrush than a cure.

Get thee back to A&E

You really need to go to A&E! At the very least you need IV antibiotics.
You will only get sent when you see GP, but you might not still be here to be sent...

But I'm going to take up a hospital bed if I go back as they're going to put me on IV antibiotics

Whereas if I stay here and go to bed on a double dose I might wake up tomorrow and it's gone down a bit....

You can double the dose al you want if the infection you have isn’t sensitive to the antibiotic it doesn’t matter how much you take it won’t work! The fact you have been very tired and in bed a lot is a change your body is fighting something. Please go to A&E we really don’t mind checking people out who are ill it’s what it’s there for. There is going to be at least 12 hours between now and your GP appointment believe me there can be significant changes in 12 minutes never mind hours.

So rather than wasting A&E's time by following their advice, you're taking up a GP appt & wasting their time because they'll most likely send you back to A&E anyway... Totally makes sense...

Just out of interest, why is it "wasting their time" when the doctor is in the A&E dept but not when the doctor's in a GP surgery?

Or you could wake up with a raging fever, unable to get yourself to the hosp & require an ambulance...

No, what will take up unnecessary NHS resources is you ending up being admitted for surgery with complications because you thought you knew better than the original doctor.

Because when you go to A and E right now you are assessed and temperature checked at the door, then you queue for the receptionist, then you're triaged, then I was sent to Urgent Care for the doctor. So that's 4 staff members minimum.

Plus tonight as it's 'worse' I will then have a blood test and then staff members to hook me up to an IV.

If I see my GP tomorrow on Face time he's at home in his study.

Get yourself to A&E, stop pissing about. The antibiotics clearly aren't working, they're either the wrong type or it's the wrong diagnosis and they'll never help.

And don't randomly decide to double dose yourself on anything prescription ever again, that's just ridiculous. You can kill yourself like that on fucking paracetamol, let alone more controlled drugs.

@LaurieFairyCake

But I'm going to take up a hospital bed if I go back as they're going to put me on IV antibiotics

Whereas if I stay here and go to bed on a double dose I might wake up tomorrow and it's gone down a bit....

It’s not ‘taking up a hospital bed’ if you NEED IV antibiotics it’s the appropriate use of a hospital bed for an essential part of health care.

That definitely needs reviewing , just go back to A&E tonight , at least it should be fairly quiet . If the antibiotics were going to work they would have done so by now .

Good lord OP, I really really wouldn't take the risk and wait till tomorrow. Get yourself back to A&E now!! That looks nasty. Hope you feel better soon. 💐

OP remember your GP saying they were worried about sepsis when your swelling was less than it is now?
The antibiotics aren’t working and your symptoms have worsened.
Please just go back to A&E.

Sorry to keep posting but... If you are given a hospital bed it's because you need it!
I was in hospital with my swelling at the start of lockdown. Cancer patients were being sent home and wards were being emptied. I was there because I needed the care. From a swollen face. Please go. I tried to avoid it too. It seems bonkers but the outcome can be horrific

You realise if you leave it you may end up having to have an ambulance call out etc.. which would be more resources (if that's what you are worried about) than just going to A&E now..

The doctor literally told you to go straight back if it gets worse.. which it has.. so you know.. follow the doctors advice?

Like others have said, I wouldn't mess around with your eyesight which could potentially be affected.

Hope you feel better soon, but please go get checked out tonight.

You might need a different a/b such as Flucloxacillin, it could just be as simple as that. But not going against medical advice to go back is both risky and stupid and could end badly. Go early as advised and get better quickly or risk it and need more work on you and take up a bed. You can have IV a/b in a chair. I just don't get why you would ignore hospital advice and take such a risk...