Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

To think my friends are too quick to visit A&E

117 replies

LouisaJF · 28/09/2013 22:36

In recent weeks 3 friends have taken their babies to A&E with a sickness bug. All 3 were sent home being told to ride it out. Two of them must have their own personal spot in A&E they've been that many times.

I know I am fairly laid back but my DS has been through the usual range of illnesses and I have never felt the need to take him to hospital. Common sense kicks in and tells me what he really needs.

Don't get me wrong, if these children are seriously ill their parents shouldn't hesitate, but it just seems that an hour after one posts about it on FB another one is at. Stop wasting valuable resources and get on with it!

OP posts:

notanyanymore · 28/09/2013 23:01

I think it is a bit different with babies, they'd actually rather see them then not as things can go down hill very quickly. I've been to A&E once (in my defence, i was having a stroke) and a mum and GM came in with a baby, very unsure if they should be there, the receptionist took one look and called a paramedic, he took one look went straight through the double doors and the next minute there was a shout and a whole load of doctors went running in. I still well up even thinking about it and the poor mum and GM looked utterly shocked. So personally, I think YABU.

justanuthermanicmumsday · 28/09/2013 23:01

I've not been a&e but have been sick kids hospital, both times severe cases.

I was recently advised by a child consultant not to wait more than 2 days if my child (she's 3) is ill with flu like symptoms I.e temp, vomiting.

When I said gp advice is ride it out with calpol or baby nurofen for a week she simply said without criticising gp, no call out of service gp or go straight to a&e or if there is a sick kids hospital go there.

So I won't be waiting a week again I think I'll go sick kids hospital since we have one a&e is horrendous and consultants are better with children in kids hospital.

Better to be safe than sorry

Adikia · 28/09/2013 23:03

Some people panic a lot, not just mothers with young babies. I have a friend who went to A&E last week because she dropped a tin of beans on her foot and it swelled up and went purple, she's 26 (I know it must of hurt like hell but its only a bruise ffs)

There were times when DD was small that i would probably have gone to A&E for stupid things had I not had my mum to come and tell me not to be stupid though so maybe OPs friend just don't have someone who can do that for them.

Wallison · 28/09/2013 23:03

It's changed again with this new 111 number, honestly usualsuspect. Prior to this, I could phone the ooh gp number and actually speak to a dr who would ask pertinent questions and either say ok bring him in and I'll look at him or not to worry. But now you don't actually get to speak to a dr and they just tell you to take them to A&E.

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 28/09/2013 23:03

We've had the same sickness bug and it is scary and horrible but you know that there's nothing a doctor can do fame alert

My son is on the boarder between healthy weight to under weight. A sickness bug would be very worrying. The last one he had it took me 6 months to get his weight back up.

RoonilWazlibWuvsHermyown · 28/09/2013 23:05

YABU. Better safe than sorry. Plus lots of us aren't experienced with children or baby's health so wouldn't risk waiting to see a GP if we are frightened for our child.

Coconutty · 28/09/2013 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 28/09/2013 23:05

Sniffles or 'croup'...
has your child ever had bad croup? Ever watched them struggle for breath in a room so full of steam that the wallpaper is peeling off and it doesnt do a single thing to help?
My DD and myself as a child both ended up in hospital on oxygen over "croup".
You can think what you like but a parent does what they think best.

Icantstopeatinglol · 28/09/2013 23:07

Yabu, everyone reacts differently and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I ended up at a&e with my dd less than 6 months ago with 'croup' and they had to give her steroids her breathing was that bad. I'd never hesitate if I was worried, I'd rather that then her end up severly poorly at home.

usualsuspect · 28/09/2013 23:08

My DS had croup it's bloody scary listening to them struggling to breathe.

Lweji · 28/09/2013 23:11

For a couple of years I was in A&E, often with an overnight stay, with DS, since he was 6 months or so.
He had bronchiolitis.
I trusted my instincts and it was a good thing I did.

I have also been to A&E for bumps in head twice, but thankfully DS was fine.

On the other hand, exH called an ambulance for a simple fever.

Adikia · 28/09/2013 23:13

missed the We've had the same sickness bug

YABU to judge them like that. Just because your dc has had the sickness bug doesn't mean it's the same as it would be for another child, DS caught a sickness bug off my sister as a baby (sister's 6 weeks older than DS) sister was fine after 48 hours, DS was in intensive care for a week.

Ablababla · 28/09/2013 23:14

I have an otherwise lovely friend who does this and it infuriates me. She had her 3 year old blue lighted to a and e when he ran hard into a doorframe ffs. Suppose someone across town needed that ambience? She then got discharged about 15 min later and called her uncle to come and pick them up without a childseat which was probably the most danger he was in the whole time.

ballroomblitz · 28/09/2013 23:14

Yabu. You have no idea what gp or ooh doc has advised. They tend to play it safe with young babies.

Mine did with ds having a bad cough as a baby and I felt like a plonker upon arriving he was bright as a button and fine. Put me off when he did get a bad cough the next time and I did delay seeing the doc. Ended up hospitalised for four days. Now I never hesitate and even though he's been hospitalised since
never for that long. He's straight up there the minute I'm unsure and has always been admitted (only diagnosed with asthma after the last admission)

wigglesrock · 28/09/2013 23:15

A few years ago, I would have agreed - never went to Casualty unless a leg was hanging off and wouldn't have called an out of hours Dr out I would have had to clean the house. My 14 month old had a bit of a bug, I rode it out during the day, was up from 4am, she was sick, couldn't hold anything in, by 8am she was very listless, saw GP at 8.30am, admitted to hospital by 9.30am, she was a drip - kept in for a day and a night. All grand after her fluids had been restored but it was frightening and wouldn't have got better on its own.

I'm not a panicker, have 3 kids, am the woman who told her husband to catch himself on 4 hours before he had an emergency appendectomy .
Sometimes it's better to get it checked out.

Midwifeandmum · 28/09/2013 23:17

Well i had dd1 up at ooh for a rash twice when she was a baby but i phoned nhs 24 first. Im a hcp but u can never be too safe. Drs prefer to see a 'well' baby than a baby whos very ill on their hands.
Zoe xx

goldenlula · 28/09/2013 23:19

I have only taken 1 dc to a and e, which was ds2 when he was 13 months old and he had fallen backwards off a chair onto concrete, hitting his head. It was a good few hours later but some of his behaviours worried me and our minor injuries was closed.
I have had a few visits to minor injuries (3 times in 5 weeks for the children in March/April time), but they were for things that needed gluing. I have taken ds2 to the out of hours for croup, that is how we found out it was croup and it was very scary to see him that way. He has now had it so often I am used to dealing with it but would never look down on someone for seeking help, it us very frightening if it is a bad case.
I am not sure if you are unreasonable or not as I am not sure if you are lumping ooh, minor injuries and a and e under one thing, when they are three separate things.

maddening · 28/09/2013 23:20

but if your baby hasn't been able to keep fluids down then with a young baby that can become serious quickly - def does not hurt to call ooh HP and speak to a qualified nurse who can tell you the best course of action.

maddening · 28/09/2013 23:21

and at night when you're alone with a sick baby it can feel more urgent for worried new parents

DontPanicMrMannering · 28/09/2013 23:22

Well that me judged then DD2s 3rd time in OOH in 3 months today.

But then all 3 were "just" high temp and I'll take her in every time as she then begins to rigor (shake) pant and go blue, it's the way her immune system reacts. 1st time 3 day admission for chest infection. 2nd time gp called an ambulance as her heart rate was dangerous (ecoli urine infection) this time suspected chest infection again.

Thing is I'm very against wasting a&e time and I think some adults take the piss but you can never really be sure with kids so yabu.

NaturalBaby · 28/09/2013 23:23

It's their choice to go and listen to the doctor's opinions on whether they need to be there or not.

Most of the time I stay at home to 'save valuable resources' when one of my dc's is under the weather, but a few times I thought I should get a second opinion and ds3 ended up being admitted overnight when he was a baby. I may be quite happy and confident to get on with it when my dc's are under the weather but I am not medically trained to recognise symptoms in a child that may/may not go downhill fast and need medical treatment.

expatinscotland · 28/09/2013 23:27

YABU.

My daughter went to A&E only once in her life. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia that evening, was in patient for the next 7 months and died 7 months and 29 days following diagnosis.

All the 'common sense' in the fucking world couldn't have told any of us. We were sent there because she had cellulitis. 'Common sense' was that she had a bruise on her leg that wouldn't go away.

Reality was she was septic and nearly died that very weekend.

Babies and children can get very ill, very quickly.

nextyearitsbigschool · 28/09/2013 23:31

YABU my DD had a sickness bug, we rode it out for 3 days before going to A&E where she then spent 4 days on a drip. If we had rode it out any longer I can't bear to think what might have happened. It's not just a sickness bug in Babis, it can be fatal.

Midwifeandmum · 28/09/2013 23:39

My daughter went to A&E only once in her life. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia that evening, was in patient for the next 7 months and died 7 months and 29 days following diagnosis

What heartbreaking story hun. Im so sorry to hear this. I completely agree.

Babies cant handle dehydration like adults or control their body temp like us. Always best to be seen by hcp if unsure

Zoe xx

ThisIsBULLSHIT · 28/09/2013 23:46

YABU my little dd has been to a and e several times 10 she is 4. Croup, as in strider, not being able to draw breath properly, Broken leg, Pneumonia, Emergency steroids for croup/ asthma etc.

Every time it was justified and highly necessary.

expat (()) I haven't ever posted on your threads but was very sad for you and often think of you.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread