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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have not taken DD to A&E?

121 replies

fadingfast · 05/08/2015 22:19

We've just returned from a week of camping at a small local campsite.

There were lots of children there, and my ds and dd spent many happy hours exploring and playing with them. So far so good, and we actually had a lovely time apart from some truly shocking weather.

One evening, dd (7) found a plastic syphon tube in the woods at the edge of the site and was dared by some other children to drink what turned out to be residual diesel from the tube. She said she spat it out straight away but a small amount went down her throat. She rinsed out her mouth lots of times and we gave her plenty of water to drink. We were in a bit of a panic about what to do, but once we'd all calmed down we thought it would be best to keep a close eye on her and see how she was over the next 1-2 hours.

I kept asking her if she had a sore throat or tummy or felt ill at all, but she seemed absolutely fine (apart from obviously being upset about the whole incident). She slept well and was fine the next day.

Several parents have since said that they would have taken their child straight to A&E if it had happened to them. It's starting to make me think we were negligent parents for not rushing her to hospital.

What would you have done in this situation? We were approx 40 miles from the nearest A&E.

OP posts:
GloGirl · 05/08/2015 22:20

Same as you. Along with giving her a good bollocking for drinking it in the first place! Sounds like it was very much 'natural consequences' though I'm sure she's learnt her lesson.

Passmethecrisps · 05/08/2015 22:21

Cripes! Sounds very scary. In your circumstances I would have called NHS 24 and got advice from them. I would not have driven straight to A&E

Glad she was ok.

Original poster
fadingfast · 05/08/2015 22:23

Yes it was really scary and even thinking about it makes me feel sick with fear about what could have happened.

And glogirl she certainly got the message never to do anything so stupid again!

OP posts:
DoItTooJulia · 05/08/2015 22:23

I'd have rung 111 to check.

I drank half a bottle of witch hazel once as a kid and my mum didn't take me to A&E but I do rememeber phone calls being made and a doctor (possibly of the toxicology kind) being woken up at the hospital to check Grin

You used your judgement and it's all worked out fine, so you did the right thing. Hope she's ok now Flowers

Starbrite00 · 05/08/2015 22:29

I would have gone to A & E so yes yabu and a rad neglectful.

Original poster
fadingfast · 05/08/2015 22:32

We did consider phoning 111 (apart from the fact we had no phone signal!), but I suspect they would have just said to take her in to be checked. I don't have much faith in them to be honest.

It's really playing on my mind that we are terrible parents, even though she seems to be unharmed. Sad

OP posts:
lastqueenofscotland · 05/08/2015 22:32

YANBU

There are swathes of people in a&e who don't need to be there, with your daughter showing no signs at all of being unwell, no need!

Silvercatowner · 05/08/2015 22:34

I would have done the 'watchful waiting', same as you - but NHS 24 would also have been a good port of call. The 'straight to A&E' messages are part of the reason why the NHS is in such a dire state.

willconcern · 05/08/2015 22:37

I would have googled what to do if diesel is ingested, as I just did. I discovered that you should not make yourself sick. If sickness, coughing or choking occurs, go to hospital. So, I would have them done exactly what you did - watch my child closely & ask how they were feeling. I certainly don't think you were neglectful at all.

VivaLeBeaver · 05/08/2015 22:38

I would also have consulted Dr Google and followed their advice on how to proceed.

Todayisnottheday · 05/08/2015 22:39

If I was certain it was "just" diesel I'd probably have done the same or called the poisoning line although I wouldn't have raised an eyebrow at another parent doing the a&e route. Things like this are difficult to call imo and tend to get strong opinions.

I'm generally a watch and wait type, so far that's worked well for us.

Floggingmolly · 05/08/2015 22:42

How could you be certain what was in the tube??

Bakeoffcake · 05/08/2015 22:44

Another Dr Google person here. I find it very helpful.

I use it for the dog too. She was recently bitten by a snake in our garden. A quick google and we knew it wasn't poisonous and she would be fine. Several people couldn't believe I didn't call the vet immediately.Hmm

Sorry about my dog story- glad your DD was ok.

Original poster
fadingfast · 05/08/2015 22:48

Floggingmolly we could smell it! And the campsite owner said he had helped a man who had been using a diesel generator at an event held on the site.

(the fact it was even left there is a whole other level of unreasonable!)

OP posts:
RonaldosAbs · 05/08/2015 22:48

100% would have gone straight to A&E, not in a huge panic or anything, but I would have gone for sure. 7 year olds are not the most accurate storytellers, and yes, you know now what it was but it could have been anything, or mixed with anything.

In a situation like that, it would be better to be safe than sorry IMO. At an absolute minimum I would have called 101/a doctor/poison advice.

In the kindest possible way, you need to up your game a bit IMO.

Etak15 · 05/08/2015 22:52

I think whatever is was it must have tasted so nasty that it must have just gone in her mouth and back out again, I would have done exactly the same as you did. Wouldn't have gone to A & E, you've got to ask yourself - what would they do there if you took her? If the answer is nothing then you don't need to go! Although I am a nurse so go by the nurses unspoken rules that you would never go to A & E or call an ambulance - never - unless it's life or death Grin

passthewineplz · 05/08/2015 22:56

I would have called NHS 111 for advice, and the grounded her for the rest of the holiday!

ashtrayheart · 05/08/2015 22:57

I would have done the same as you.

TheHormonalHooker · 05/08/2015 22:58

No, I wouldn't have gone to A&E either. You did the right thing by watching and waiting imo. I'd have looked on the Internet or rang 111, but gone straight to A&E? No,way!

In the kindest possible way, you need to up your game a bit IMO. Hmm

No, she doesn't. She's doing just fine,.

Original poster
fadingfast · 05/08/2015 23:00

It was a tiny tube with only residual liquid in it, and I'm not certain she actually swallowed any but as you say Etak15, probably spat it straight out and could just taste it. But I do wish we'd at least got some advice from someone at the time.

Anyway, I'd best go now and 'up my game' Hmm

OP posts:
Jojay · 05/08/2015 23:01

Yanbu. Watch and wait is just right in that sort of situation. No wonder the NHS is on its knees with parents racing to hospital with children showing no adverse symptoms whatsoever.

DH is a mechanic and had had a mouthful of diesel in many occasions - something about sucking it along tubes I think - but no harm done.

The5DayChicken · 05/08/2015 23:01

Speaking from unfortunate experience (food stupidly stored below a leaking fuel can was fed to one of the family children while we were caravanning), she'd have had to consume far more than the tiny amount she did before needing A&E. Lots of water and observation is fine for that much.

StitchingMoss · 05/08/2015 23:02

Not neglectful at all, you did exactly the right thing. One of the reasons A&Es are collapsing is because people go for the most ridiculous things. I'm always horrified by the number of threads on here and FB where posters are told to rush off to A&E for the most crazy of reasons.

You kept an eye on her, she was fine.

Some people love a drama.

mariposa10 · 05/08/2015 23:05

You made a judgement call you thought was right at the time. No one else was there so they can't tell you what you should have done. Don't feel guilty, who cares what other people would have done. She's your daughter and you made the call as a parent that you thought was appropriate.