To think they shouldn't have called an ambulance

[Andyetanothernamechange]

DD, aged 2, was having breathing difficulties. This is the third time in 2 months. I took her to the local urgent care centre where she was seen quickly and put on a nebuliser. Half way through the nebuliser she perked up massively and started singing! After the neb her sats were fine, but by that point the doctor had called 999 for her to be blue lighted to A&E. When the paramedics arrived, DD was singing baa baa black sheep. At this point the doctor said she had previously suspected sepsis but not anymore and the blue light wasn't needed. DD sang for the entire journey in the ambulance. At A&E we waited a while, gave her her inhaler (which I had already) and were given a course of steroids. I know that breathing problems are not to be dismissed, but after one nebuliser she was markedly better and UCC could have prescribed the steroids without needing to use an ambulance or A&E time. Of course it's better to be cautious with small children, but it just seemed as though they made an initial decision and then couldn't go back on it. Ultimately, I felt like it was a waste of resources for her to be sent my ambulance to another hospital when she could have been treated where she was.

Ok what's done is done now though and it sounds like they were all working and doing their best for your young child. Maybe a thank you instead of a disagreement is better?

YABVU.

What if that nebuliser hadn't worked? And the doctor hadn't called the ambulance?

Luckily for you, it did work. But they hadn't bothered - like you're suggesting - and the nebuliser wasn't a success then it could have been a very different outcome.

Ive worked with children who used to be able bodied and now are severely disabled with cerebral palsy due to hypoxic brain injuries.
It's not fun and games.

You know, after reading a story earlier about a little boy who died of sepsis after being sent home by medics I would just be really grateful that they were on the ball and did everything they could to make sure your child was okay.

Maybe a thank you instead of a disagreement is better?

Quite!

You have no idea what back ground these people have come from or prior experience

Better to be safe than sorry

If that's the third time, I think the cautious approach was warranted. 3 times in 2 months is not normal.

I agree with *NoThankyouHun

Good to hear your DD is well.

brain damage can happen in 3 minutes time. so better to call and cancel than do the neb and if unsuccessful call following. when things go badly with children it can go downhill very quickly. better safe than sorry.

I'm guessing you would be on here complaining also if she had become seriously ill because the doctor dismissed it and didn't ring an ambulance huh?

Just appreciate the help you were given and say thank you as they were erring on the side of caution

Glad shes feeling better, are they investigating why this is happening to her. The g.p. did the right thing.

I can't believe you're even moaning about this..... The absolute correct procedure was followed.
A child can appear well very quickly and deteriorate very quickly.
ASTHMA KILLS.

I’d rather see you on here saying they were over cautious than telling us they weren’t on the ball and that your daughter went downhill because of it?
Young children can deteriorate very quickly.

I would be greatful.

Asthma can be life threatening. At two she won’t have asthma diagnosis but wheezing has same underlying risk of bronchospasm. Children do recover quickly but they also ‘go off’ very quickly too.

Yabvu

Kids go down hill very very quickly. They compensate very well, but once they start to decompensate, it is very difficult to stabilize them. If there is ever any doubt, an ambulance should be called. Better called and not needed than not called soon enough.

I have seen the outcome of what happens when a child decompensates. I have also worked up my fair share of child cardiac arrests from asthma. Respiratory distress and respiratory failure is one of the major causes of cardiac arrest in a child.

You should be thanking them.

This is getting ridiculous now, every day on mumsnet theres a new thread about an ambulance being called supposedly unecessarily. Suspected sepsis is a valid reason to call an ambulanw. arent you glad they erred on the side of caution

YABVVU. When a doctor or nurse does something a layperson thinks is overcautious, it's usually due to bitter experience of having seen a similar situation go wrong. I agree that resources need to be used appropriately, and I understand that an important function of GPs is to evaluate risk and manage it sensibly, so I do sympathise with you, but I am personally always a bit twitchy about a child being sent home if they perk up after a neb - what happens in a few hours when the neb wears off and they don't have a nebuliser at home? By definition, if I've nebbed someone, I want them to be admitted at least for observation. (I'm a GP.)

Have to agree with the others... I'd be very thankful

They called an ambulance for your two year old on a third visit for breathing difficulties in two months?

What utter bastards! Not.

My son had a winter where he had 3 admissions to hospital for his asthma. By the 2nd one they just sent an ambulance to the house, no questions asked. He was always nebbed either in OOH or by ambulance crew before we left but straight to hosp. He was on half hourly nebs for one of the visits, it was scary how quickly he dropped his stats after each one for the first couple of hours, you never know with kids how they will respond even if they seem ok at first. Better safe than sorry.

Well in this case you're right an ambulance was unnecessary. Doesn't mean calling one wasn't still the right thing to do.

You're griping about your toddler daughter receiving thorough medical care? What's the matter, did it inconvenience you or something?!

I am delighted to hear that a GP was taking seriously a child that young who was sick enough to need a neb. Especially if they were using the standard rule of thumb: if you're happy with their oxygen levels, you give 10 puffs via a spacer, if you're not happy with their oxygen levels you give a neb.

Define 'waste of resources' when there's a toddler with breathing difficulties and sepsis is suspected. What on earth are you on about OP?

I think in this instance an ambulance that wasn't needed is better than no ambulance that is needed.