ambulance...poss broken ankle... wtf

[ghostspirit]

omg was on my way home from work. daughter calls to say she has hurt ankle she thinks it might be broken. her boyfriend has called an ambulance.... i started ranting at her that you do not call an ambulance for things like that. then she told me she was told they won't send her an ambulance for that reason... i told her to rest her foot wait till i get in and i will get her a cab... the her boyfriends mum rings her and asks her why shes not getting an ambulance... daughter says for some weird reason they wont send one. i can sort of forgive daughter for thinking they would. but then for her bf mum to ring and question why not... wtf....

OP, you are right, a broken ankle (unless sustained in a fall from a height and/or compound) doesn't usually require an ambulance. I think everyone would be happier if ambulances remained available for people eg in RTAs, having strokes or heart attacks (ie truly life threatening situations), uncontrolled bleeding, than those with non life-threatening injuries. Of course a standard broken ankle wouldn't be serious enough for an ambulance.

DD1 broke her arm whilst at a friend's (quite clearly broken, seriously displaced), and friend's parents got her straight in the car and took her to the nearest small injuries unit, calling us to meet them at the hospital. Seemed like the only thing to do.

If the parents of DD's friend don't have a car, I can understand why they'd be flapping but since you have proposed a solution, it seems fine. Hope DD's ankle isn't too bad and she's soon on the mend!

DS2 broke his shoulder in 3 places and dislocated it at school playing rugby. They called an ambulance. I arrived at school at the same time as it, completely unaware of the fact DS2 was injured. Had I have been at the rugby match or got there before the call was made i'd have probably taken him in myself.

I fell from a standing position, Duchesse. Comminuted Tibet fib fractures resulting in significant bone loss and complete dislocation. Several ops, nine pins and a plate.
The orthopods said that an injury caused by a slow/small fall is actually like
Y to do more damage because of the mechanism of the fall which can rip the bone apart and into small pieces unlike one at speed that will break it cleanly.

Sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Never take chances. Broken ankles can often involve loss of circulation which basically means the blood supply to the foot is cut off and you risk amputation.

A broken ankle actually means a low break to the leg. At the joint, which makes it more serious than a broken leg.

Last year I broke two bones in my leg/ankle and dislocated it so my foot was facing the wrong way, by simply falling down one step. I couldn't move and absolutely needed an ambulance (I was also 32 weeks pregnant at the time ??)

When I sprained my ankle a couple of years ago, I was told off by the triage nurse in A&E for not calling an ambulance.

DH had taken me to A&E, only 15 or so minutes away. He'd had to pull over twice so I could vomit, I was in so much pain. It was, seriously, the worst pain I have ever felt - worse than childbirth. Although it turned out to be 'only' a sprain, my foot was 3 times it's natural width within minutes...just looking at it was enough to panic me.

I was given a dressing down and told that if ever you feel such extreme pain in any area of your body, it's best to call an ambulance because of the risk of shock etc.

So of course, some (many??) broken/sprained bones won't require an ambulance, I can well believe that some will.

At risk of doing competitive injuries here, mine was a spiral break of the tibia, (plus fibula and ankle), which resulted in the whole leg being twisted out of shape. Had to be manipulated back into place in hospital - without anaesthetic. < that's sickness, not jealousy!

I will defend to the hilt our decision to call an ambulance.

Seems like those who have broken their ankles know how painful and serious it is, while those who haven't think it's not worthy of an ambulance!

There has to be a moral in there.

Ketamine is your friend, clam. Incredible stuff. That's pretty bad they didn't give you any. It takes seconds to work.

If you need an operation, if they give you really good drugs, its a pretty fair bet an ambulance was probably justified.

No way I could have attended hospital without being taken by ambulance when I broke my ankle. Slipped down one step in a large public building and heard my bones break. The pain was excruciating and there was no way I could mobilise or weightbear.

I was stuck on the steps with gas and air and morphine from a rapid response paramedic (called by the building owners) until an ambulance was available.

I had a total of 2 large fractures and a further 11 hairline fractures. 1 week in hospital, 6 pins, a plate and a nail and 2 further surgical procedures since my accident 3 years ago.

A broken ankle can be very serious. If somebody is able to mobilise and can get into a car then an ambulance is unnecessary, however it is unfair to make a generalisation about others who clearly need an ambulance and to suggest they are time wasters.

On Sunday ds1 fractured his finger at rugby, I rang 111 to get an appointment at the walk centre, after asking questions like is he conscious, is he bleeding etc I was then asked if his hands were cold, I said yes but he's wearing a rugby kit and it's cold outside so can't really tell. She put me on hold for a second then came back saying that she needed to call an ambulance and they would have the lights and sirens -do I accept the ambulance? Erm, no it's a broken finger! I'll take him myself!

The trouble with 111 is that they work on an automated system. DeeCayed, as soon as you said your son's hands were cold, that entry on the computer automatically trigger something insisting you needed an ambulance.

I once had this with my mother who had a mildly sprained ankle. By the time she told me about it, it was two days later. I thought we should get it checked but, although she could weight bear, I couldn't persuade her to get to the car, so I phoned 111. As soon as they heard she was on Warfarin and her ankle was swollen it obviously triggered a red flag on their system and they insisted that she had to be taken to hospital urgently. I pointed out that if she had had a haemorrhage in the joint, serious problems would have made themselves obvious by then, but the operator still insisted. However, when I said that there was no way I could get her to hospital and they'd need to send an ambulance, she began to pay a bit more attention and get a doctor to speak to us. When she did, she rescinded the emergency ambulance recommendation and, sure enough, my mother failed to keel over and ultimately healed very satisfactorily.

DS2 broke his shoulder in 3 places and dislocated it at school playing rugby. They called an ambulance. I arrived at school at the same time as it, completely unaware of the fact DS2 was injured. Had I have been at the rugby match or got there before the call was made i'd have probably taken him in myself.

We will always all an ambulance for any suspected fractures or if there is any serious bleeding. We're teachers, not medical staff, and most of us aren't insured for transporting students in our private vehicles anyway. Plus, could you imagine the outcry if a student was further injured, went in to shock, or any other possible medical emergency on route because the teachers just put the child in a car instead of an ambulance? No way will I have that on my conscience (or record!).

My stalwart sister slipped on ice, heard a crack, felt pain, she went home to rest and ice her ankle for a bit before going to the surgery. Her GP sent her straight to A&E. Several years later, my lovely sister walks with a limp do to her fused ankle, which remains grossly swollen. I would call an ambulance for any limb I think is broken or fractured.

YANBU. A ambulance should be for life threatening emergencies. Yes a broken ankle can be life threatening, if it's a compound for example. However, I would say if she is well enough to speak to you on the phone she could cope with being carried by bf to a cab?

I have broken many bones including my ankle and leg at the same time resulting in an operation. I did not need an ambulance just some help to the car but got a wheelchair at the other end. I personally would be mortified if I held up an ambulance for someone who was in a life threatening situation. Glad she is ok, sprains can be painful too! Maybe tell her next time to call you in the first instance. She's young and probably panicked!

I had an ambulance for a broken shattered shin.

she was not carried to cab boy boyfriend he met her at the hospital. she limped to the cab. and she was not crying/screaming in pain.

i said she was screaming a page or so back i was just sharing a different situation of an ambulance being called. and then counciled and a cab sent instead as no ambulances were avalible.

broomy yes your probably right about her being young and panniked. it just peed me of a bit more when i had explained to her why she should not call one. she said ok, ten mins later shes on the phone to her boyfriend mum. his mum is asking why did you not get an ambulance and daugher is saying for some weird reason they won't send one... me thinking no its not a weird reason, i already told you why did you even listen or take on board what i said.

someone had asked if daughter can be a bit of a drama queen... yes she can sort of not saying it did not hurt or shes not been in pain. and she sometimes turns things in to more than it is. or she does not help herself. like situation with her ankle yesterday. i had to ague with her to take pain killers he agument was whats the point. so to me she wants to call an ambulance but she does not want to help herself by taking a pain killer.

when she was in hospital just over a year ago for a few days. she told everyone that she was almost given an operation that was not needed. i said no they done scans/tests and got you ready incase you needed one. they would have got you ready whilst waiting for the results. and you never was taken for an op so that means it was not what they thought.

but i guess alot of it is typical teen really.

I hope she is feeling better today

I've had an ambulance both times I broke my ankles. First time it was a transfer from one hospital to another - I was seven, needing plastered and my mum doesn't drive. Second time my foot was purple and NHS 24 insisted. Didn't stop the telling off I got from everyone in casualty. Had to pay 70 pound so I could get home at 4am - 30 miles in a taxi - after being discharged and told to come back at 9am for a plaster cast!!

I broke mine 5 years ago. I was 32 weeks pregnant at the time.

The friend I was with who happened to work for the Ambulance Service told DH to call an ambulance.

Turned out that one of the ends of the bone had broken right off. I have never known pain like it. There is no way I could have got myself into a vehicle of any description, even with help. I needed surgery to pin it all back together.

There are broken ankles and broken ankles.

Quite a few pregnant women breaking ankles on here. I agree with you mawbroon the pain I experienced made labour, a month later, a walk in the park. My fracture sounds like yours three bones broken and the end had come free. Hard to imagine there could be so much damage from a simple slip.

OK, you KNOW your DD and how likely she is to have reacted to something, and how much she sounded like she was in pain/distress or just upset and sore.

In general, if I think a broken bone in the legs/foot, I think straight to A&E and it depends on the severity of the apparent injury, the patient's ability to move themselves or not, and options available at the time (other transport immediately there, people who can assist moving into that transport, how bad is traffic at that time of day for a car v taxi v ambulance etc) on whether I'd insist on an ambulance being called.

In general, with broken bones further up (arm, shoulder, ribs etc), I would assess the person on severity of injury/pain etc but be more likely, while still saying A&E, to suggest getting there by other means than an ambo.

Anything to do with the head, unless ambo would take longer, I'd be inclined to call ambo for A&E.

Also, anything where blood is either flowing very freely or spurting, or where patient is showing signs of shock, I'd tend to call ambo at least because of assistance of paramedics, lots of bandages, monitoring equipment and drugs.

I am a trained occupational first responder (beyond first aider level) and involved with various sports and outdoor activities, so have had to deal with a few different things in my time. None dreadfully serious - but I know my limits too.

I played a sport where a particular injury is quite common - spiral fracture of tibia and/or fibula, sometimes with dislocation. Basically, a broken ankle. Or, to look at it another way, a foot held on by skin and blood vessels, flopping about at the end of a leg if it is not supported properly.

It is ridiculous to say an ambulance is not required for a broken ankle, because not all broken ankles are the same.

midnite I didn't say they were wrong to call the ambulance, I know exactly why they did it. Had I have been there I probably would have just taken him myself, that's all.

I'm not one to call ambulances, go to A&E or the OOHs. I'm more of a wait and see person.

It's amazing how many people think they have broken an ankle when it is a simple sprain.

Most occasions you do not need an ambulance.

If the bone is sticking out of your skin (open fracture) or your leg is grossly deformed (pointing the wrong way) then I would call an ambulance.

People can be very dramatic - oooooh ive broken my ankle! When frankly most have done fuck all.

I speak from experience.

Hope your daughter feels better soon OP.

Someone I know called an ambulance when their kid fell off their skateboard and broke their arm. When he was busy oversharing saying about it on facebook I nearly commented on the ambulance calling but restrained myself!