Should I take DS to A&E?

[BitBroken]

He's hurt his knee. Probably pissing about wrestling with his brother.

He's 14. He walks 2 miles to school.

So had the last couple of days off. Icing it.

He's hopping around, not weight bearing.

It's swollen but not bruised. Am 99% sure he's just twisted it.

Called GP today and they said there's nothing they can do and to go A&E.

I went for myself a few weeks ago and was there 8 hours 😑

Will they actually do anything apart from tell him to rest and ice it like we are already doing?

I just feel like it's one of those things they can't really do anything for? Or should I just pack a sandwich and go 😭

Actually he is weight bearing but tippytoe style.

Do you not have a walk in centre?

If it’s still swollen after a couple of days I’d get it checked. I’ve had a lot of knee twists, dislocations, cartilage and acl damage over the years, and a simple twist tends to naff off quite quickly.

Yep it's an A&E job. Better safe than sorry! If you are lucky, your hospital has a children's A&E ... much quicker than for adults.

Beeat ours a few weeks ago and it was 3 hours from start to finish....

I think as it is still swollen and painful I would pack the sandwich and go. It may need some support to heal and they may want him on crutches for awhile. Good luck!

Have you got a minor injuries? I’ve called them to check it’s something they’ll be able to look at before going, might be a better option

Minor injuries near you? Might be worth travelling given the wait time?

Even telling you just to rest and ice it will help though at this stage

So yes I think you need to go

I’d phone nhs24 and ask them. But I think they will just say bring him. And you know what the wait will be like. Horrific.

I suppose all they can do is X-ray it and see if anything’s broken. And plaster it up if it is (I’m presuming knees get treated the same as breaks in the middle of a leg?) and advise on using paracetamol. Or just what you are doing if it’s a soft tissue injury.

There’s no way he can walk to school like that. Do you drive? Is there anyone he’s pals with that could take him in their car?

You s spoken to the gp and they’ve said to go to a and e? That sounds like good advice.

Try a minor injuries unit if you have one nearby. They do X-rays so should be able to help. It could be a damaged ligament. My DS had that and also had swelling on his knee, and was unable to put any weight on it. He just needed crutches for a few weeks.

111 might be able to direct you most appropriately depending on what’s available in your local area.

Sorry I've just looked at it (not looked since yesterday) and it's nowhere near as swollen as Monday. Just a bit when you compare them.

My head is telling me there's no point but mum guilt is saying I should.

It's not necessarily A&E (which is for urgent and emergency care) - use 111 (there's an online service) and they'll be able to advise you where best can help. Worth avoiding actual A&Es as they're very busy at the moment, and you'll probably find other services much quicker!

It's definitely not broken. 100%

Ill see if there's a minor injury centre round here

No I wouldn’t. It’s most likely strained. If he had done any proper ligament damage he would be hopping lame.
Maybe see if you could get a physio or sports massage appointment

Have you got a local hospital for minor injuries? They dealt with DS when he broke a couple of toes. Saved a long trip to A&E. It's nurse run, and a doctor is on rota duty for referrals when needed. And our local GP surgery does minor injuries too, as the main A&E is nearly an hour's drive.

I would ring ahead to minor injuries and ask their advice, they may well suggest x Ray and may not be able to do that and send you to a&e. Good luck 🤞

Not weight bearing would be a red flag to me and I'd go. If something is broken you are starting to run a risk of it healing crooked (not a Dr, just a mum who's had several occasions of taking kids in similar situations to find what I'd swear was a sprain was a break)

Omg OP don't follow medical advice on the Internet!!
You've spoken to an actual doctor who knows more about (1) treating injuries and (2) your son's specific medical history than all of us; and that doctor recommended to get it checked.
You live in a country with free healthcare. Your son has not been able to weight bear for several days.
Literally the only reason not to go is inconvenience!
The knee is a complicated joint. It may be nothing....or he may have broken his patella, or he could have ruptured his ACL, or he could have done any number of silly things that require more than "ice and rest". Sorry if I'm coming across harsh.
But follow your gp's advice and just get it checked out.

Yes - it's a 'minor' so minor injuries or urgent care should be able to help. If he's not properly weight bearing after 2 days it needs looked at by someone - could be tendon or ligament damage, broken patella etc - I mean it might not, but you won't know til it gets looked at.

Nurse practitioner can see minor injuries, so you prob won't be there as long as if you were waiting for medics.

GPS are sending lots of unnecessary cases to A&E in my area.
You need to ring 111 and they can decide if it's necessary, or if Minor Injuries is more appropriate. They can tell you where the nearest one is.

I would go to A&E. I fractured my thumb when I was younger and my mum assumed it was just bruised, 3 days later the school rang my mum to take me to A&E - she told me off the entire way there for wasting everybody's time and then felt really bad when they said it was fractured. If a GP has said to go then you should follow that advice, even if it does turn out to be nothing it's better to be safe than sorry.

*although if you do have a walk in centre near you that might be a quicker and better option!