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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to take my DD to A&E?

56 replies

cattypussclaw · 12/04/2015 10:59

Bit scared of posting in AIBU as it can be a bit scary but here goes...

So, have an 8 1/2 year old DD. She's been having tummy cramps on and off for several months. Not just tummy ache but curled-up-in-a-ball-crying pain. No other symptoms other than one occasion when she said she felt dizzy and hot. No sickness. No noticeable pattern to when it comes on (could equally come on on the way to school as in the middle of a fab weekend away). No medication seems to help, we just have to wait for to pass. We've been backwards and forwards to the doctor, who mostly say that "little girls get mysterious tummy pains" or that it is stress-related (possibly, school has its ups and downs, but nothing major, and nothing going on at home). She's not constipated, nor does she have a bladder infection. She's not "developed" at all so not girl-related. A blood test showed nothing (although not sure what they were actually looking for). GP requested a hospital scan, which was refused by the hospital (no need, they said). GP has referred us to the hospital but I've no idea how long an appointment will take to come through.

This morning, she is yet again curled up on the sofa, not interested in anything, saying her tummy hurts. I'm torn between being a hysterical Mum who whips their children to A&E at the first sign of a sniffle and a Mum who doesn't take their child to A&E when it's something serious because she doesn't want to bother them. I'm so aware of the pressure that A&E are under but really getting quite upset and feeling very helpless that my DD is clearly in so much pain so often and Mummy can't fix it.

So AIBU to just put her in the car and take her to A&E to get checked out or should I just call the GP to chase our referral?

OP posts:
Silvercatowner · 12/04/2015 11:02

It isn't an accident and it isn't an emergency, so yes, YWBU. You would be better off chasing up the referral.

FunkyZebraHat · 12/04/2015 11:03

is she eating and drinking? If so I'd leave it an hour or two to see if it goes away. If not I'd probably take her in.

TheFairyCaravan · 12/04/2015 11:03

I wouldn't take her to A&E. I would ring the GP in the morning to see if they can chase up th referral.

jeee · 12/04/2015 11:03

You know this isn't an A & E visit - you've said this. Don't waste your morning, and A & E resources. Nothing will come of an A & E visit - you won't jump any queues.

Unfortunately, however helpless you feel as a mother, all you can do is ask the GP about your referral tomorrow.

Icimoi · 12/04/2015 11:04

It won't help her to make her sit for hours in A&E. Do you have any drop-in centres nearby?

noonoos78 · 12/04/2015 11:04

how long does the 'curled up in a ball' episode last for?
does calpol ease it?
how often does it happen - eg once a week, once a month, twice a week?

is there an out of hours you could take her to today?

Sirzy · 12/04/2015 11:04

Can you get her checked over by ooh?

AlwaysandForever09 · 12/04/2015 11:05

Could you ring out of hours

Sidge · 12/04/2015 11:05

A&E is not appropriate.

Either get an out of hours GP appointment or wait until tomorrow and call your usually GP to expedit the referral.

TheoriginalLEM · 12/04/2015 11:06

im torn. as an emergency admission with bleeding from back passage (which turned out to b piles) my mum got a ct scan that day and x rays. Had she gone via gp it would have been weeks rather than days i think.

Id probably take her tbh as it may well speed things along.

CMOTDibbler · 12/04/2015 11:07

I think in a child with no fever, nausea/vomiting, and generally well apart from the pain, A&E is not appropriate.

It could be that she is getting abdominal migraines though, but the hospital will look into all causes when she gets seen - probably no quick fixes though

engeika · 12/04/2015 11:07

I wouldn't do A and E as I suspect they can only do what the GP has already done.

BarbarianMum · 12/04/2015 11:07

I agree that you should chase the referral. I was diagnosed with coeliacs and Crohns a few years ago so have had all the sort of tests associated with gut pain. None of them will be available instantly via A&E.

Purplepoodle · 12/04/2015 11:08

Does ibuprofen and paracetamol help?

hackmum · 12/04/2015 11:10

A couple of years ago on Mumsnet someone posted something similar about her 9 year old daughter and it turned out to be an ovarian cyst - extremely rare among children, apparently, but not unknown.

I don't know. I imagine your GP thinks it's psychogenic, and of course kids do often suffer from tummy pains that have no known organic cause, and it's because they are being bullied at school or have some other emotional problem. But I think I would see that as the explanation of last resort after the other possibilities have been eliminated.

I think I probably wouldn't take her to A&E - if these are pains she's having regularly, then they are unlikely to need urgent treatment. If they get really incapacitating or she develops a fever, then yes, take her to A&E.

Original poster
cattypussclaw · 12/04/2015 11:10

Thank you, you've all pretty much confirmed my thoughts. I just needed to know that I wasn't being a neglectful mother in not wanting to spend half the day at A&E.

But to answer some of your questions... This happens probably every other day. The major pain tends to last an hour or two, then she'll say it still hurts but less. Calpol doesn't help and, after chatting to the doctor, we've stopped Calpol as I was aware that ibuprofen can irritate tums. Perhaps I'll give OOH a call. Or the NHS number.

OP posts:
mariamin · 12/04/2015 11:11

Could it be wind? Wind can be very painful.

BarbarianMum · 12/04/2015 11:11

But LEM you were bleeding. I would hope no one would be offering a CT scan and Xrays based on an unspecific periodic tummy pain with no other symptoms. Both are pretty useless for looking at the soft tissues.

Blazing88 · 12/04/2015 11:12

I would.

Cabbagesaregreen · 12/04/2015 11:12

Get a referal to see a gastroenterologist. We had similar with dd and it was only a gastro who was able to diagnose. Turns out she'd had her condition since birth hence all our visits to GP and a and e but didn't get diagnosis till 8.

TheFairyCaravan · 12/04/2015 11:15

I would start keeping a food diary and a symptom diary catty. Write down everything she eats and drinks, it will be very useful when you finally get your appointment.

Sirzy · 12/04/2015 11:16

I agree with fairy, I would also try to film her when bad so you can show doctors what is happening

ahbollocks · 12/04/2015 11:18

Appendicitis/inflamed appendix? Can you press down on her tummy?

Also good idea to start a good diary to see if there is any correlation between foods and the pain

Original poster
cattypussclaw · 12/04/2015 11:21

I have been thinking that, as this has been going on for several months, with no escalation of either pain nor any new symptoms, that it is something chronic, rather than something that will worsen until an emergency. I have been wondering about coeliac BarbarianMum, my sister had coeliac as a child so it is "in the family".

Thanks Fairy, already started a food diary in advance of our hospital appointment as I thought it might be something they'd ask us to do anyway. A food intolerance, maybe?

Thanks for everyone's advice, I know this isn't an A&E thing in my head but my heart needed convincing!

OP posts:
popalot · 12/04/2015 11:23

I would go to A and E, if the GP isn't going anywhere. She's curled up in pain and obviously needs scans and tests. The GP requested it and was turned down. I think A and E is your best option now. It's not a waste of their time. You need to get to the bottom of it. People go to A and E with long term illnesses that have symptoms that need hospitalisation, I would put this in that category. You are not wasting anyone's time and the GP would probably want you to do it.