As a middle aged mother of 6, I've never been to A&E, dont know if I should go today?

[PeppasNanna]

More of a WWYD then AIBU, Sorry!
I think I've broken my finger. I hit it off a door frame last night. Instantly I had a searing pain in my hand.

Went to bed got up this morning to a swollen, blue & very sore finger.
Is it worth going to A&E?
I've strapped my fingers. Taken nurofen. Its still very painful.

What else should i do?

Typically crap timing. Half term & going to a wedding in a few days. Million things to do rather then sit in A&E!

My mum broke her finger last year, she didn't get it looked at at the time and only went when it wasn't healing properly, she had to have an operation and now has permanent ligament damage, I would absolutely go back and at least get it xrayed

I don't know where the majority of you are based but I'm in London. I was in A&E for 2.5 hrs. Not seen by triage. 7 people still in front of me.

The fingers not that bad. Its swollen & bruised. If i coukd just have seen a nurse, it would have helped but i still needed to wait hours for a triage nurse.

Draylon me leaving wasn't due to having children or 'six child life'. It was because I'm on nights this week & needed to get some rest...

Are you aware that you can see a pharmacist who may be able to advise on minor injuries?

Speak to 111 and see what they say - you may not have a walk in clinic as close as your A&E but there may be one nearby where you'd be seen sooner than you will in a busy A&E, or there may be a local community hospital..

A&E's are busy, an inner city A&E you'll wait a long time very often but its important to realise that just because you are waiting a long time does not mean you do not NEED to be seen... what it means is, whilst your injury needs seeing, other peoples need seeing sooner.

I hope it IS just bruised and sore and that you don't have chips of bone floating around, or nerve damage, or a compressed blood vessel...

I'm a physio that has worked in a fracture clinic recently. Nurofen is not what you should be taking at this stage with ligament damage. Paracetamol or something else stronger prescribed by a doctor is what you need.

Great minds think a like Widdlin. Stop off at the chemists on the way home this morning. She told me to alternate paracetamol & nurofen. Elevate & rest my hand as more likely to be bruising then broken.
Spartak why no nurofen? Chemist seemed to think it was ok.

Anyway. Thankyou for all your replies. I need a few hours sleep as im going away later today.

A pharmacist is useful for coughs, colds, rashes, cuts and bruises and ear aches. Not potentially fractured digits or limbs.

I used to work in A&E, then primary care (I'm a nurse). If you came to see me with those symptoms I'd send you for an X-ray via MIU or A&E. Swelling, severe bruising and altered sensation can indicate a fracture - yes it could be bruising rather than a break but without proper assessment you just don't know. I am astounded the pharmacist didn't advise further investigation. Was it a pharmacist you saw, or a pharmacy assistant?

If you're in London, there has to have been a minor injuries unit somewhere reasonably accessible.

You'll have more time off work if it is broken

I would strongly urge you to get an xray. My friends daughter knocked the edge of her hand on a wall and thought her little finger was just swollen, as did her mum (who is a nurse). Swelling didn't go down after a couple of days so went to a&e and she had chipped a bit of bone off the base of the finger and needed surgery. It has affected her grip and there has been some nerve damage.

I would strongly urge you to get an xray. My friends daughter knocked the edge of her hand on a wall and thought her little finger was just swollen, as did her mum (who is a nurse). Swelling didn't go down after a couple of days so went to a&e and she had chipped a bit of bone off the base of the finger and needed surgery. It has affected her grip and there has been some nerve damage.