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.

If they'd suspected sepsis then absolutely should be proactive rather than reactive .

Often kids go off again after the non hospital measures have worked so best to be checked over

I do think there is a lot of over cautiousness with regards to continuation of care. I called 111 regarding a rash on my baby to appease my husband. The operator decided to call an ambulance for her, despite me insisting we could nip her to hospital 3 miles away. The crew came and assessed the rash as viral, but said since the ambulance call had been made and that she was a baby she had to be taken in. Again we said we would drive her to free up resources but they had non of it.
They said it was their duty for continuation of care incase she was to deteriorate en route. I’m thankful they were here within 5 mins of being called, I’m thankful they cared for her and took us to hospital. But they knew, and we knew that this was not a serious case and that we were caught in a paperwork loop. I really really hope that no one else needed the ambulance whilst we were using it 😕 it’s out me off calling 111 if I’m honest though, if I’m worried next time I’ll drive her In myself.

my ds was sent home from doc..he's fine he said
I took him to a & e straight after he had badtrial mengitis. it was touch and go.
u called the doc after and he said he never would have guessed and was so sorry. I only told him so he d be more aware...you never know With kids

nebulizer can act like magic (& they tend to make dc hyper) but the problem that caused the attack is still there - dc might have needed it again or oxygen, so no I don't think the doctor was wrong.

They did the right thing. DS was born with an airway defect, and also has asthma. He has been in that scenario multiple times. One example:

He's blue-lighted in, goes to Resus. At which point he start singing, trying to crawl out of my arms, climbing medical equipment. The staff start laughing at him. His sats, temp etc by this point seem fine. It's busy so we're sent to paediatric waiting area and he plays whilst I keep an eye on him. A nurse comes to do some monitoring about an hour later, and he's suddenly in respiratory distress. She legs it down the corridor, back to resus. An hour later, he's fine, so as there are emergencies coming in, we go to a cubicle near the nurse's station. He then spends afternoon causing havoc because he's full of beans...

I've seen him go downhill so quickly on a number of occasions, and also perk up, and go downhill again. Children compensate by using accessory muscles etc to get more air in, until they can't, and that flip from coping to dying is incredibly quick. When it happens you need to be in A&E, not en route, not walking home from the GPs. I once thought I wasn't going to make it to A&E in time, because I'd driven instead of calling an ambulance. I wouldn't wish that journey on anyone.

I didn't want to but I have to say this based on your stupid comment below.....

#I'm not a doctor, no, but my other child has spent many months in hospital previously with breathing problems. I do know what to look for which is exactly why I took my youngest to UCC. But I also know, based on all of signs following the neb - good sats, no signs of respiratory distress - that at that point she wasn't an emergency#

I am asthmatic, dp is and 3 dc so obviously years of experience (as you say you have experience.... Read on) with managing the condition for everyone at different ages so we're confident with asthma management.... 5 years ago eldest dc was struggling with her asthma, it was managed as usual we had seen gp and got steroids etc.
She wasn't good in the day and we thought we would see how she goes and watch her closely (12yrsold so she could tell us clearly how she was) she woke in the night needing her inhaler (I was sleeping next to her) , this was a fairly regular occurrence, she was struggling a bit, no concern however as this was 'normal', usually have spray and calming down and things start to ease.
After 5 minutes she was still struggling, we were immediately worried at this point as she was different to usual now, called the ambulance (ambulance called within 5 minutes maximum), before they arrived she suffered respiratory arrest and ultimately cardiac arrest.
ASTHMA KILLS AND KILLS QUICKLY don't think you know what your doing, leave that for the hospital staff.

You are SO BU

Nebs have side effects too.
They do help you breathe but they make me vibrate, it's not fun
I'm an adult who can deal with it and I understand it, but a child who is suddenly bouncing off the walls, and only because they are medicated and may suddenly drop again.
Asthma is really scary.

My god they did the right thimg, what's wrong with you...

OP I would keep an eye on your LO because I have had a similar experience and it turned out that the corticosteroids were providing a boost but masking something else. After several trips to A&E over a few months they finally tested saturation levels and they were under 90, and an xray showed a serious lung infection which required intensive care, and something caught in their throat. Hadn't had asthma. My LO is fine now but it was awful and it took a long time to recover. So just keep an eye on things and be careful.

Is this a wind up? Not many people complain about their child getting excellent medical care - especially if they have any understanding of how life threatening asthma can be.
Stop criticising the Doctor and just thank them.

Sorry but YABVU children’s compensate very well. A child’s Satsuma in O2 can stay the same right until they become very ill and crash, it not like adults when it’s a gradual decline. They would have been looking other signs as well as the sats and the fact your child was signing.

My god they did the right thimg, what's wrong with you

On the contrary, what's wrong with you, @winniestone37? OP accepted more than a day ago that they did the right thing. Why not read her posts?

I think the issue is that the op feels guilty that she used a scarce resource that she felt un necessary based on her experience. And she accepts that may be she has become desensitised to her children's breathing and problems. But the bigger issue is that it feels as tho the NHS is in such crisis that people feel guilty about using it for genuine medical needs! I felt like an utter shit requesting an elective c section rather than a vbac after the consultant midwife told me how much more it would cost the NHS. I live where prescriptions are free and loads of us discuss why the NHS won't allow voluntary payment. It's so sad it's come to this. Glad your LO is OK OP. You shouldn't feel bad, your child is utterly precious and things could have gone bad quick lt. The Drs were providing first class care despite all the budgeting difficulties they must be experiencing. X

You are unreasonable, when you think of people - children, young and teenagers who have been diagnosed as “okay”, ‘fine” “nothing serious” or “go home and get some rest” and the worst ended up happening to them. Just be thankful for the care given/taken.

I think you’ve probably got the point by now OP but just to hammer it home YABVU. They did the right thing to make sure your child was safe. How can you find something to moan about in that?

I’m finding this judgemental mumsnet attitude re ambulance resources ridiculous. When my stepfather became suddenly unwell we were asked to drive him to the nearest department, unless we wanted to wait hours for an ambulance. We rushed him in and passed a group of paramedics smoking outside next to 2 emergency vehicles. I won’t judge...they might have been on their break. Equally, I don’t believe anyone can judge others emergency situations.

Wow. A thank you card is what you need to be doing. Not posting on MN
.

"DD, aged 2, was having breathing difficulties. This is the third time in 2 months." ...only read this far and was thinking "ring an ambulance already!!"

Did they give you any advice for what to do if it happens for a fourth time? An urgent care centre in a hospital with no A&E is not an appropriate place for a 2 year old with breathing difficulties, for reasons that previous posters have suggested and you seem to have agreed with now.

How lucky are we to live in a country where this is a PROBLEM?! the nhs has its flaws but talk about ungrateful.

My son had sepsis twice and nearly died both times, in fact watching my son less than a month old grey and unresponsive was the most harrowing image and it is etched in my brain forever. I imagine these doctors have seen similar are well aware of the very real risks that there are for sick children.

I hope she makes a speedy full recovery, and I hope you can learn to appreciate just how privileged you are to have access to proactive health care professionals and free (yes I know not technically free) health service.

The updates didn't come up sorry. Very gracious op, fingers crossed your baby doesn't have any more episodes x

you would be on here moaning and crying if they hadn’t called ambulance and she had got sepsis !!!
seriously
be grateful and show some appreciation
go back and say thank you to them 🙄

also
why did you not go straight to A and E yourself ma child with breathing problems needs to be seen urgently they decline rapidly !!!!!

Is this for real?!