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Original poster

Should I check DD for appendicitis?

14 replies

smoothceiling · 30/06/2022 08:57

DD age 10 has had a tummy pain for two days, right where the appendix is. Should I be taking her to A&E (she is not registered with a gp) or just monitor her?

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 30/06/2022 08:58

I would be checking it out.

BertieBotts · 30/06/2022 09:05

It's not an A&E issue if it's been happening for 2 days but I would take her to a GP. Can't you just take her to yours?

NotMyDayJob · 30/06/2022 09:12

I feel like it's an obvious question, why is she not registered to a GP? If it's because you're not in the area you normally live in you can register as a temporary patient, GPs are usually good about doing this for children.

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Original poster
smoothceiling · 30/06/2022 10:02

We just moved to a new area and I haven't got round to it yet. I called NHS 111 and we have an appointment

OP posts:
KeyWorker · 30/06/2022 10:03

Why is she not registered with a GP?

KeyWorker · 30/06/2022 10:04

…sorry, posted too soon.
Its not really an emergency, seeing a GP would usually be the best option.

MegBusset · 30/06/2022 10:07

Is there a walk-in centre you can take her to?

Appendicitis can be tricky to spot. Various nurses, doctors and consultants were unable to confirm it when DS1 had pains a couple of years ago. Then it ruptured and he got very ill, very quickly. (Thankfully all fine after emergency surgery.) So my experience has led me to be v cautious!

ifonly4 · 30/06/2022 10:50

One thing that might be worth doing is putting a thermometer in the groin of both legs. Admittedly my DD was in agony and being sick when I did that, but the reading under her appendix was a lot higher than the other side. If that's ok, then might worth be having a chat with a GP - you can see one even if not registered.

One other option, is she developed enough to start her periods early. If so, could be ovary pain.

BrieAndChilli · 30/06/2022 11:05

After our experience with DS1 I would always err on the side of caution.
When he was 8 He had some stomach pain and was sick a couple of times. He did not cry or scream or act like he was in severe pain, just kept mentioning his tummy hurt, Because he had been sick and wasnt really eating for 3 days we just assumed he had a tummy bug then in the middle of the night he came in saying his tummy really hurt and was hunched over - again no crying or screaming (and this is a boy who screams for a pplaster when he has a papercut!)
Anyway I took him in to A&E and he had his appendix removed, by the time they operated it had ruptured and they had to pull his bowel out of his body and wash it to get rid of all the infection. he was quite ill afterwards.
Since then (and the guilt of not realising he was so ill) means I am less ready to dismiss seemingly minor symptoms!

TheCuriouscakedecorator · 07/07/2022 15:37

This reply has been deleted

We've removed this as this poster is a troll.

Original poster
smoothceiling · 07/07/2022 21:26

Thank you for your reply. We managed to get an appointment with gp who sent us to A&E. DD was admitted and had blood tests, also a covid test which turned out to be positive. They wanted to ultrasound but it was full and so they said they would do it next morning and offered us to go home but for DD to be nil by mouth after midnight. We went back the next day and waited till 3pm at which point they decided still no ultrasound as they are short staffed but dd's bloods were showing slightly less infection markers and she wasn't feeling sick or feverish so they started to talk about whether it might be something different than appendicitis. They finally let her eat something at 3.30pm. She did feel slightly better over the weekend although the pain came back strongly on the Monday so back into hospital again. However they have decided it wasn't appendicitis but instead a viral infection (ie covid) had caused her lymph nodes to swell by the appendix. It's the second most common cause of pain on the right hand side after appendicitis apparently but it is self limiting and goes away as the body fights the virus. Anyway she is feeling almost back to her old self. So whilst we were lucky they told us we were in completely the right place in A&E and to come back again if the pain returns!

OP posts:
MegBusset · 07/07/2022 22:27

I'm glad she's feeling better @smoothceiling . Yes that was what the hospital initially told us DS1 had... It still turned out to be appendicitis. I hope it's not in her case and she continues to improve.

Confusedteatowel · 07/07/2022 22:30

Great news OP

justasmalltownmum · 07/07/2022 22:36

When I thought my dc had this, I took them to the gp. Was a bladder infection.

Gp said if it had been appendicitis the child would be doubled over in pain.

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