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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be panicking re. call back to a&e?

313 replies

Finsmum86 · 18/04/2018 23:32

So took my 3 year old to a&e two nights ago as she managed to get hold of button batteries from a supposedly (!) secure location in our house and I couldn't be 100% sure she hadn't put one in her mouth and they can be very dangerous. I was almost certain she hadn't but better to be safe than sorry of course.

No battery showed up on the x ray so all fine.

Got a call this evening asking me to bring her back in to a&e tomorrow morning and I have spent the rest of tonight an anxious mess. The person on the phone couldn't offer any information about what it's regarding.

Anyone have any experiences of being called back to a&e after an x-ray? I'm assuming it's not battery related as I think they would have had us back in straight away and the doctor said when we were originally at the hospital that they are pretty easy to spot. But sounds like something semi urgent if they want her in at such short notice?

I don't think I will sleep tonight. No point to this post really and apologies for posting in AIBU but appreciate the traffic in case anyone has had a similar situation or knowledge.

OP posts:
notapizzaeater · 19/04/2018 00:03

If they had seen a battery then they'd have got you back straight away, hope it's nothing serious x

vulvacious · 19/04/2018 00:06

My OH went to A&E a couple of Boxing Days ago after we thought his drunk brother might have broken it falling on him. They did an X-ray and gave him the all clear.
The next day he got a phone call asking him to go back the day after. Turns out the senior radiographer had reviewed the X-ray and one of his toes had looked like there might be something wrong with it. When he saw him in person he could see it was just the natural curve of his toe (he has weird claw feet) so he just sent him home again. But he needed to check it in person against the X-ray because if someone with more... ummm... "average" shaped feet had X-rayed like that it could have indicated a problem.

Bumdishcloths · 19/04/2018 00:06

If they'd spotted a battery you'd be back in tonight, not the morning. Fingers crossed all goes well Thanks

twer · 19/04/2018 00:06

Ok, sorry OP ignore me Thanks

Fruitcorner123 · 19/04/2018 00:07

Wow Bettiedraper a scary list to post when the OP is already quite concerned.

To be fair they found my pneumonia so it was a stupid question. But they presumably only looked at the OP's daughter's stomach so most of your examples aren't valid.

Catstar123 · 19/04/2018 00:09

My sister fell and hurt her foot. Went to a and e. They said there was no fracture. 2 days later we get a call saying can we go back in tomorrow. We go back in to be told senior radiologist reviewer and there was in fact a small fracture, but there was nothing they could do. Did wonder why this couldn’t have been told over the phone.

Senior radiologist almost certainly reviewed and seen something; however, if it was anything serious you would not be told to wait till the morning they would have sent an ambulance/said come now.

AjasLipstick · 19/04/2018 00:09

If they had any concerns there was a battery in there, then you'd be called back immediately OP...it sounds like a very worrying time. But it is fine. If they had found it, she'd be feeling it by now.

Bettiedraper · 19/04/2018 00:11

Apologies Fruitcorner. I was answering another poster's question, not suggesting that these conditions might relate to OP's daughter.

CheeseandGherkins · 19/04/2018 00:13

I would call back and ask what it was regarding. Also ask what time they want to see her tomorrow.

Fruitcorner123 · 19/04/2018 00:15

Bettiedraper it was my stupid question. No need to apologise just wanted to reassure the OP it's unlikely to be anything from the list. Am sure anything serious would require an arranged meeting with a consultant.

Juells · 19/04/2018 00:20

Have you been having a look in her poo?

Pandoraphile · 19/04/2018 00:23

Sorry Bettie but I do think that to post that list is very insensitive. An anxious mind will absolutely panic over almost all of those to a terrifying degree. I know I would.

And I think we've established that the OP is anxious.

Fruitcorner123 · 19/04/2018 00:26

Could your daughter have swallowed something else?

Bettiedraper · 19/04/2018 00:26

I apologise for being insensitive.

LadyB49 · 19/04/2018 00:27

To be fair.... Prob more than stomach xrayed. Likely chest as well to check the full journey that a battery might have taken.

Bettiedraper · 19/04/2018 00:27

FWIW, none of the things on my list would actually be dealt with by an A&E doctor, so they would refer back to the patient's GP.

Fruitcorner123 · 19/04/2018 00:32

Agreed bettie and many (pneumonia for one) would require more urgent treatment than tomorrow morning. Especially with a child and especially given the x ray was two nights ago. Hopefully the Op is asleep now and not fretting.

Jenasaurus · 19/04/2018 00:34

Try not to panic OP, My DS swallowed a button battery when he was 2, I instinctively knew he had swallowed it, my DF was changing half used batterys in his calculator for an exam later that day, I arrived with my DS who was nibbling chocolate buttons, then I spotted it had gone.

I was correct it showed up on the x-ray and I was told to give him lots of milk to flush it through. I noticed his stools turned black and went back, they re x-rayed him and it showed it was in 2 halves and the black stool was blood from the corrosive battery....but it eventually passed through him and he is now 29 and has had no health repercussions.

Wanted to share to help ease your panic

Original poster
Finsmum86 · 19/04/2018 00:36

She didn't have blood tests just an x ray and we have never been to a&e before. The fracture/bone scenario makes sense but I guess I'm just worried as she didn't have the x-ray for that reason. Not that the x-ray was pointless, obviously the battery situation had to be checked, but there is actually (as far as I know) nothing wrong with her.
I just rang a&e and spoke to one of the radiologists who looked her up on the system, was quiet for ages and then was still really vague, said she couldn't give a report out over the phone (understandably) and then said that recalls can be for a review (which surely wouldn't be necessary unless there was an issue - as per a previous posters experience with potential swallowed battery situation) or that x-rays can pick up all sorts of things. So now I wish I hadn't rang as I'm even more worried as if it was admin/original x-ray not being clear them wouldnt she have just said that especially as i said i was really anxious and couldnt sleep or are they not even allowed to give that level of info out either?

Oh and don't worry about the list of potential conditions that an x ray can pick up - I have been googling all night - something I always advise others not to do in medical situations Confused stepping away from google tonight now...
I know I'm catastrophizing but I can't help it. But thanks for all the reassuring responses, trying to relax a little

OP posts:
TodayImThisName · 19/04/2018 00:36

That’s annoying they didn’t give more details.

Original poster
Finsmum86 · 19/04/2018 00:39

And if all those conditions would be referred to GP, what kind of things would be recalled to a&e not immediately but the next day?! It's all really confusing.

OP posts:
Aridane · 19/04/2018 00:39

Go along at 8am tomorrow. Try and get some sleep 💤

crunchymint · 19/04/2018 00:44

I am sorry this must be worrying. But if it was really urgent, they would have had you in tonight. So hopefully something like they think they spotted a small fracture. Try and get some sleep.

Likejellytots88 · 19/04/2018 00:47

Haven't had this experience but i agree with others, try to stay calm its probably not battery related or they'd have made you come straight away. Easy to say and not do I know. I hope your little ones ok. Things do get missed on x-rays, I know this from experiences with family members, might turn out to be something of nothing but as you said better to be safe than sorry

BarbraDear · 19/04/2018 00:54

I would be sat in the waiting room at 8am.

Hopefully it's 'just' that there's been a mix up in the xrays/xray not clear/want another look (I've known a GP to call a patient back in as they weren't convinced they had given the right diagnosis and wanted to be sure) and that you will be posting tomorrow to say it was something minor.

Good luck and I hope you get some sleep x

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