Aibu to think this GP was wrong to give antibiotic?

[Cheeeeislifenow]

My 13 year old ds, has a cold he has asd and should add has a liking for the dramatic's. He was "dying". Husband booked him a GP appointment I didn't feel it was necessary to be honest but went with it. I should add, he had no temperature,no lethargy, just a cough not even complaining of a headache.
So I brought him to Gp I also wanted to get his bloods done because I thought he might need Iron.
She examined him and said she couldn't see anything physically wrong with him. She asked me what I thought I said I think it's a cold but he may need Iron. She said okay we'll go with that and we will give you an antibiotic just in case. I said should he take that now, she said yes in case it turns into something.
My son told her he was feeling tired, before I knew it she suggested he should go to A and E!
I asked why would he need A and E, she said she will give me a referral letter to go later if I decide I want to.
Our A and E here in Ireland is MASSIVELY over crowded, our nurses are going on strike for 24 hours tomorrow?
Aibu to think she was being ridiculous in A offering an antibiotic, just in case and to offer to send him to A and E for a sore throat and no other symptoms!

Are you sure you saw a qualified doctor 😂 our gp you have to be dying to get antibiotics and on the floor before the hospital would be suggested (if you can even get an appointment). I’d follow your instinct to be honest, give ds some vitamins or something in place of the antibiotic if he remembers he should be taking them, then watch and wait.

She isn't my GP. But her name is above the door. I hate giving antibiotics unnecessarily.
No wonder we have an overcrowding issue.

What did she think A&E were going to do? Serious question. I’d be making a fuss. It wasn’t an accident, so it must have been an emergency. In what way?

Our GP has sent us to hospital urgently for two things: child with suspected appendicitis (fortunately it wasn’t), and adult with chest pain (fortunately not the heart). A bad cold would get you a thorough checkup, a paracetamol and a shrug!

That's odd to say the least. Our surgery is plastered with the antiobotic doom posters, rightly so, and I have to fight for them a few times a year despite my notes obviously indicating a historic need.

A&E??? Hmm. Very strange. I've waited 7 hours with breathing oddities, and i think most plaes are the same. What did the letter say?

By why did you take him if there was nothing wrong? You weren't going to listen to anything she said, so what was the point? It was just a big waste of everyone's time.

I really can't believe a qualified to would tell a patient to go to a&e with a cold. There must be more to it. She's a Dr and you are not (I am assuming? Otherwise you would have examined him yourself) so presumably she saw/heard something that made her think it wasn't a cold?

She must have given you some reason, read the referral?

That’s odd. We can only get antibiotics when we are at deaths door (obviously that’s just how the patients feel).

We’ve been sent to hospital to go to pediatricts, early pregnancy unit, Medical Assessment Unit and for x-rays. So all by passing A&E.

What did she think A&E would do for a cough?

If he was exaggerating his symptoms for dramatic effect, this GP, who doesn't know your son, might have been erring on the side of caution. She couldn't pinpoint the cause of him feeling like he was dying, so gave you the ok for a&e if you thought it was necessary later.

Though I can't think why she'd prescribe iron on your say so, or decide that antibiotics were needed. Sounds like she didn't want to send you home empty handed for some reason!

Antibiotics are overused. She gave him the antibiotics in case the sore throat was strep, which often presents the way you describe. It may also be that the doc was aware that it's spreading in the schools, as it's quite contagious.

In the US we have a rapid swap test for strep they do in the primary care office before rx'ing antibiotics. If that test is provided by the NHS she should have used it.

You don't have to fill the prescription, you know. You can hold off for a few days and then decide.

I often took my DSs to the GP on a Friday if they were really ill, explaining that if it were earlier in the week I wouldn't, but it was either that or risk A&E on the weekend. Only 1 in about 5 times (or even less) would I need to fill the prescription, and the GP would give me the signs to look for.

That is indeed VERY odd. Strep doesn't usually present without a fever. If he had a cough and no fever it's less likely to be strep. I agree that a rapid strep may have been reasonable.

I'd be getting a second opinion if you think it's warranted.

@blue

I wanted to get iron checked anyway. Which I had been meaning to do.
I am not lying I think I will ring my own GP who I have a good relationship with and mention it.

Sorry to clarify she didn't prescribe iron on my day so, she took bloods to check for iron and folate, which I asked for.

I suppose the answer to your title question @Cheeseisforlifenow depends very much on whether you are a medical doctor yourself.

If you are, then yes, you may have an informed opinion that feels this GP was wrong.

If you are not, then you don't know enough to have an informed opinion and are coming to a conclusion without the same amount of training.

So, if you are a medical doctor then you are not being unreasonable,

If you are not a medical doctor, then you are being unreasonable.

How often do those words of Pope prove apposite in a case like this: "A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing."

There you are and I hope that clears your mind for you.

He is now no longer coughing has had no temp and no headache and she hasn't diagnosed him with anything except a "could be something".
If she were diagnosing at the very least she could be more clear on what "something" is
No I am not a Medical doctor but I do have the right to ensure my son hasn't been given unnecessary penicillin.
I feel it was an unprofessional consultation.
And I do have the right to feel that's unreasonable even if I am not a medical doctor.

Lethargic, pale, infection, not quite himself?

She could have been thinking it's some sort of haematological malignancy. Hence the suggestion for A and E for more urgent bloods.

But how do you know it was unnecessary?

Have you studied penicillin? Do you know as much about it as the GP you saw?

Of course not! Yet, you still feel able to give your unqualified and medically uneducated opinion as much weight as the doctor?

Why is that?

If she thought that though she should have explained that instead of saying "in case it's something". She also said he could go to A and E if I feel he needs to. I asked what to look out for and she said , well in case he is feeling worse.
She said there was in her words "nothing physically wrong with him, but to be on the safe side".

No I haven't and that's why I think she should have given a diagnosis or a reason to offer an antibiotic. Because I don't understand why. She she has prescribed it.She said he doesn't seem to have an infection
By the way I didn't start him on antibiotic. I'm waiting for a day or two.

She sounds pretty rubbish OP.

Giving antibiotics to take now, just in case he turns into something Is stupid. That is very different to handing out the prescription and telling you only to collect it if he gets worse. A referral letter to A&E just incase you want to go is also silly. I don't need to be a GP to know that.

Sounds like they could use you to work in the overcrowded A and E as you're such an expert! Why don't you volunteer?

so presumably she saw/heard something that made her think it wasn't a cold?

Well, is that was the case she should have explained that to OP, instead of saying she will give her a letter just incase she wants to take him later.

I am not an expert, but are we not allowed to question doctors? Do you think they don't ever get it wrong or make bad judgement calls?
Antibiotics with no diagnosis?
A letter for accident and emergency when the only symptom is a sore throat?

Your son was being, 'dramatic', you saw little reason to take him along to the first appointment-but you did- and now you are thinking about going to another GP to waste yet more time!

I hope, if you are selfish enough to do so and then arrogant enough to give your opinion on penicillin-a subtle drug about which you know nothing-he runs you out of the door.

Other posters have already told you why the GP may have acted as they did and yet, you pay that no heed but give little puffs about your opinions, which-in this context-are probably as informed as the budgie's but maybe more dangerous.

And you didn't ask at the time because....?

If you knew your son didn't need treatment why did you take him to the GP for a cold? what a waste of time . If you were only interested in getting a blood test you should have just asked about that and not asked about this non existent cold !