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Original poster

To take two year old back to A&E?

77 replies

FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 15:24

On Thursday my 2 year old fell over and hurt his wrist, I wasn't with him but his dad and grandmother say he was beside himself but then was ok, just very quiet. He was very upset that evening and struggled to sleep.

Friday morning my husband took him to A&E, he was holding his arm against himself and using it as little as possible. He said it was poorly. A&E had a quick look, told my husband it was soft tissue and sent him home.

He is still very reluctant to use it, husband has taken him to a party and has rung to say he isn't using it and was in pain on the bouncy castle and had to come off holding his arm.

Would it be unreasonable to take him back and ask for them to do an x-ray? This boy is a trojan, he cut his face open two months ago down to bone, he cried for ten seconds and didn't bat an eyelid during gluing and steri strips being applied.

Is this just how toddlers are with bad soft-tissue damage? There is no bruising to see so it all seems really odd. He's protecting it a lot and is obviously in pain poor boy :(

OP posts:
Original poster
FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 18:52

Thanks you lovely bunch, radiographer has confirmed to DH after the x-ray that it is broken. Obviously need the doctor to review films etc, but (biggest ever drip feed..) as an ex-radiographer I wouldn't be telling patient's relatives that a limb is broken unless it definitely is IYSWIM. Being an ex-radiographer I can go one of two ways, over-react and insist people do things and under-react and do nothing. I won't actually believe it is broken until the doctor says so as I can't believe it. My poor boy.

OP posts:
Minisoksmakehardwork · 21/04/2018 18:56

Oh bless him. I'm glad you were able to get him x-rayed. Hope he's home soon and you all get some sleep tonight! (Memories of breaking my wrist and clonking myself constantly in my sleep)

supercalifragilisticexpiali · 21/04/2018 18:57

Bloody hell. Poor thing.

bluerunningshoes · 21/04/2018 18:58

he will be fine!

hopefully he gets a nice plaster now, which really helps with the pain.
he will be a bouncy toddler again in no time!

Highfever · 21/04/2018 19:00

Why didn't they x-ray it in the first place. Frustrating. Glad it's being sorted.

Helpme1980 · 21/04/2018 19:01

So glad you listened to your instinct (and mumsnet)! Poor baby - get well soon StarFlowers

Funnyface1 · 21/04/2018 19:01

That really sucks, I hope it's not a bad break and he feels much better soon. Can't believe they were happy to take that chance with such a young child.

Original poster
FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 19:06

Husband has sent me the images, yep, broken wrist, he is getting a cast now.

OP posts:
Original poster
FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 19:08

I was really cross that they sent him away yesterday without an x-ray, he's a total soldier, most toddlers are. Today he has been playing and being fairly normal and just carrying on, doesn't mean anything much.

He will indeed be fine :) And now will have a nice cast and a story. Of the time he walked around for two days with a broken wrist and daddy let him go on a bouncy castle.

OP posts:
CrochetBelle · 21/04/2018 19:16

Poor lad. The NHS are having to cut costs so obviously don't give out x-rays unless likely needed.

Your wee boy sounds awesome. Please make him a cape.

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 21/04/2018 19:19

Oh bless him. It's a bit worrying though that they are sending kids away without even an x-ray Confused

SocksRock · 21/04/2018 19:21

One of my DD’s walked around for a couple of days with a broken wrist. Not her dominant hand, and it really didn’t swell so it was only a couple of days later when she still wasn’t using it that I took her back. Still feel guilty but apparently it’s not that unusual.

Owletterocks · 21/04/2018 19:23

Just came across this and glad you took him op. Guarding his arm and not using it is a big sign of a break more so that complaining of pain. My ds is dramatic at the best of times but when he broke his collar bone he hardly complained at all, just held his arm still and stopped using it. Hope he is back to his normal self soon

Mischa123 · 21/04/2018 20:32

This will totally out me but my DD clapped her hands at school and they put it in a cast thinking she had broken it, it turned out to be severe ligament damage and she was in a cast for 6-7 weeks. This was in October, she did it again this week, we are waiting to see a consultant to see what's going on, she can hardly use her arm or hand

Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 21/04/2018 20:36

Glad he’s getting proper care now. I would be putting in a complaint as well to try and make sure it doesn’t happen to another small child.

Ellendegeneres · 21/04/2018 20:37

My ds broke his wrist and same as your radiographer, he pointed to his screen and said that’s either a malformed bone or a break. Don’t let him play using it.
20mins later dr reviews image confirms break and less than 30mins later ds in cast and sling in cab home.

Sorry your little one has had to go through the pain, hope he picks a nice bright colour for his cast! Ds went luminous green 😑😑

Original poster
FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 20:44

DH tells me the Doctor was there that dismissed it yesterday and he overheard him being given a dressing down for not properly assessing him yesterday.

He's going back on Tuesday (I have to take Ds1 [5] in for blood tests in the morning, DH may as well just shuttle the kids over) for a cast change, I am going to ask for a blue bottom and a yellow top and I'll turn it into a minion. Poor boy has gone to bed but wanted me to take his plaster off :(

mischa - your poor daughter, hope they get to the bottom of that!

OP posts:
greenyblue · 21/04/2018 20:45

Poor thing, glad he's getting it sorted now.
Surprised he wasn't x-rayed - we had two yr old refusing to move arm after a fall and got x-ray automatically (although that might have been because she refused to cooperate for doctor with examination).

Starlight2345 · 21/04/2018 22:38

Poor boy . Hopefully now it has a cast on will start to feel easier

Original poster
FridgeCut · 21/04/2018 22:44

Well, he is sound asleep so that's a good start :)

How on earth I stop him running everywhere and continue the potty training we've started I don't know, at least it is his less dominant hand.

OP posts:
CheeseandGherkins · 21/04/2018 22:45

So glad he was taken back today. Hopefully he'll be in less pain now.

One of my sons managed to break his foot in two places jumping around like a frog when he was 4. The hospital didn't believe him when they asked him to point at the pain faces and he pointed to the top one, because he wasn't crying. They suggested that maybe it was a low one but he still pointed to the top one.

They examined him and prodded him. Said he was fine until they got him to get off the bed, he would have fallen on his face if I didn't catch him. He couldn't put weight on it when he got off the bed.

X Ray was ordered and, yep, broken. He was non weight bearing for weeks and had to miss a lot of time from reception. 4 weeks in a cast and then when he had it taken off if was still painful, so he had another 2 weeks back in one.

He's 11 now and fine. Always makes me think though that pain isn't taken seriously in children if they are crying or showing it on their face.

MiniCooperLover · 21/04/2018 22:53

My DS was 3 when he broke his arm, just above the elbow and he happily stayed on the sofa while in the soft cast as long as the TV was on and snacks were offered regularly, topped up with Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. He may well feel sorry for himself for a few days but that's ok if it Keeps him quiet. We had a sling to use too which helped keep him quiet as it was uncomfortable if he moved with it too much. Hope your little boy feels a bit better now 👍

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 21/04/2018 23:00

I’m surprised he wasn’t xrayed straight away. My dd broke her foot last January running along the sofa, it was bruised but that was it she was still limping after a week so took her to the nurse at the go who said we should take her to A&e they xrayed and turns out she broke a bone that is suppose to be impossible for a child to break. We were in and out in 1 hours, she had to have a follow up appointment where they put a cast on and after 2 weeks had it off. She too was just getting on was just limping.

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 21/04/2018 23:03

Glad they finally got it sorted. They hate the cast my dd complained hers was itchy and she couldn’t have bath properly so she hated that. He will get us3d to it 😊

LakieLady · 21/04/2018 23:25

Thank goodness you took him back!

I'd be livid that he wasn't x-rayed at the time and was in more pain than he should have been for two days.

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