was i right to go to A&E?

[Carrie5608]

Last night Dd aged 10 had a seizure. Fell to the ground with a twitchy leg and stayed like that unresponsive for three minutes.

I took to A&E by car where we waited four hours to be seen. The doctor then told us A&E not necessary for a first seizure unless it lasts over 5 minutes. She can just go to GP next time.

She really hurt her neck when she fell and had a numb arm.

Seriously, is there any Mumsnet parent who wouldn't have went to A&E?

I think I would have dialled 999.

I would register a complaint about a doctor talking such arrant shyte tbh and making you doubt your parental judgement, and encouraging parents to put their children at risk.
What if it was three minutes or six? were you timing it with a stopwatch? I doubt it.

Definite report him. I was told I'd wasted their time when I took DS to hospital. He could have died if things had escalated.

Phew, I was beginning to think I was overreacting by saying I'd complain.

When DS had a first febrile seizure at 2 years my parents (both Drs) dialled 999 and they sent a response car and an ambulance without hesitation.

After that we got the five minute advice - but only after.

Yes, complain. No parent just shrugs their shoulders and administers a bit of Calpol in this situation. I would have rung 999. You don't know what's going to happen next in this scenario.

When I had my first seizure my parents called 999 and we had the first response car, ambulance, CT scan, 5 nights in hospital, and seen by a Neurologist. That Dr is talking bullshit.

We did a child safety course at work last month including a part about seizures. We were told to call an ambulance if it's the child's first seizure, so you did exactly what I've just been told by a professional organisation I too think you should complain. Hope your DD is feeling a bit better.
That must have been really scary OP

100% right thing to do!

I used to have seizures reguarly as a child and teenager and was told to ALWAYS go to A&E if it lasted more than a minute!

I'm a gp and I'd have told you to go up and get checked if you'd called me or appeared in surgery !

Easy for the doctor to say! Of course you did the right thing.

Protocol for first seizure IS A&E. He's a fool. And how the hell would you know about the 5 mins thing, which is true for subsequent non-complicated seizures.

One of my DC has epilepsy. Called an ambulance for the first one, didn't enter my head not to. And unfortunately for others too.

DS had a seizure when he was 15 mo. Admittedly it was a long and bad seizure, but he was blue-lighted straight into resus. He was given rectal suppositories of diazepam and monitored in resus until he was finally out of the woods. We were kept in children's ward for observations before being discharged. Doctors told us to go straight back - no matter how big or small the seizure, or absense episode - and to not worry about calling an ambulance day or night.

In your shoes I would have gone straight to A&E or called an ambulance. My DS has suffered a few things - suspected meningitis and lumbar puncture being just one - but I can honestly say I thought we were going to lose him when he had his seizure.

The doctor you saw needs to brush up on their bedside manner

Sheesh! I might have been tempted to call 999 - but definitely A&E.

Good lord! I would have rung 999

I would have dialled 999.

What sort of follow up is there going to be?

Exact same thing happened with my dd who was 10 at the time.
We phoned 999, and she was seen immediately and kept in for observation.
I was told repeatedly I had done the right thing ( it was the 1st time I had ever called an ambulance in my life ! ) and was told to do it again if it happened again.

Yanbu at all. When my dd had her febrile seizure I dialled 999 and she was taken to A and E and kept it overnight (she was only 9 months old).

I was also told next time don't ring an ambulance just go to the GP unless it's over five minutes. Touch wood it hasn't happened again but I am not sure that I could watch it happen again and not go to A and E.

Thanks all. I did act on instinct and think I would go back again regardless. They did do blood sugars, ECG etc and I have to go back to a clinic for an EEG. If she had been feverish with a temperature I might not have brought her but she was absolutely fine before and after. She is away to school fine. I will go to see GP

I'm a nurse and I would have called 999 in that situation.

Absolutely do not allow the doctor to make you uncertain about going again - trust your instinct, and definitely if you think she has bumped her head or her face in the fall.

Of course you did the right thing.

I would have dialled 999. I certainly wouldn't have let the seizure pass and then dismissed it as something that can be checked out when, and if you can actually get a GP's appointment.

He sounds dangerous to me, handing out advice like that.

Definitely complain, he needs to know he's an idiot.

I would have called the ambulance in the 3 minutes she was unresponsive.

How do you know it is epilepsy if she is undiagnosed!!

The doctor was wrong. At the point that she was fitting, no-one could know how long it would last, whether it would happen again in quick succession, whether it was meningitis or a stroke or a brain tumour etc. He had the benefit of four hours 'hindsight' and at that point it was clear that she wasn't critically ill, but she still should have been referred to paeds for observation and investigations.
It used to be the case that anyone was allowed to have one unexplained seizure, but nowadays it is good practice to investigate after one.
You need to complain (if only to make sure the A&E does some education for its staff, who are often quite junior and not well supervised) and see your GP.