To wonder why they ask for last period date in A&e

[User70]

I've recently been to A&e when I was being triaged the doctor asked when my last period was. I would have thought if you thought you were pregnant you would inform them.

When I worked in A & E, every woman that came in under 60 was assumed to be pregnant until proved otherwise.

I see it as something they need to know so can make the best decision to help treat me without causing me or a possible foetus any harm.

It's in the same category in my head as are you taking any meds, any allergies. It's health care professionals asking because they need to know to provide best care and having a full picture helps to make clinical decisions.

I've provided many samples and will continue to do so when needed. I would rather the HCP had the full picture as far as possible rather than guessing in the dark.

It's to do with insurance.
The trusts who can prove to their insurers that they have policies in place to prevent damage to fetuses by inappropriate medical treatments will have lowered insurance premiums.

I don’t know why they bother asking. They should just ask to do a pregnancy test and be done with it. It’s just annoying if they’re going to test you anyway no matter what you say.

When I had an operation I was mid-period - they had to give me pads to wear during the operation and i’d bled over the sheets by the time she came round - and also told them there was no chance I was pregnant. So what answer would have resulted in them not doing a pregnancy test?

It’s fine if they have to test and I understand why they do, but I don’t know why they waste their and my time asking when the answer makes zero difference.

I broke my ankle/foot and had extensive ligament damage.

HCP: any chance you’re pregnant
Me: none
HCP: are you absolutely certain?
Me: categorically
HCP: are you sexually active?
Me: yes
HCP: contraception?
Me: Mini pill and condoms, plus I’m infertile
HCP: date of LMP?
Me: yesterday - I’m on my period.
HCP: if you could just take a pregnancy test.

Which then meant me hobbling in pain to the nearest loo.

I mean that was ridiculous.

"I took a pregnancy test in A&E once when I hadn't had sex in years, because they need to be able to record that they checked."

This is a silly waste of time and money.

Dipstick = pennies. Wee plus dip test took a minute. Procedures that minimise risk to women and unborn children are worth it. How on earth do they know whether I'm being truthful? I can see that tests when it causes pain or huge inconvenience feel frustrating but for the majority it's nothing but a formality that means HCPs can be sure they know the full picture.

I was asked this at A and E a year ago. I was 54,so I was . I hadn't had one for 5 years! She said they have to ask every woman between the ages of about 12 and 55.

I’m always interested by what HCPs mean when they say “Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”. How much of a chance do they mean? My partner and I use contraception, but we have had sex in the last 9.5 months, so I guess there is a chance I could be pregnant? Or is it more are you actively TTC/not using proper birth control?

Any nurses/doctors etc able to enlighten me?!

Last time I went to A&E they worked on the assumption that women of childbearing age were pregnant until proven otherwise.

I assured them I definitely wasn't but took their test anyway.

Readers, I was pregnant.

@Bellatrix14 - is there any chance you could be pregnant = have you had sex since your last period

Because if you ask "Could you be pregnant?" people will say no when they think it's unlikely, rather than when it's literally impossible.

I remember a thread on here years ago when a MNer was having abdominal pain and people asked if she was pregnant, she said no, she'd been to A&E and been sent away, then Reality (I think) came back with something like "Do not fuck about here, is there ANY REMOTE CHANCE you could be pregnant?" It turned out she was and was having an ectopic pregnancy. She lost a tube but could have died had she not gone back to A&E and insisted on being seen again.

Bellatrix - it probably depends what you're there for. If it's a dental X ray, then likelihood is fine. If they're trying to assess whether you have something life threatening and are ruling out pregnancy then it's probably better to be specific and say "Well I'm in a long term relationship but using contraception."

It is a reasonable precaution, surely. They need to know for sure as it has a bearing on many of the decisions they may make.

If they make a wrong decision with a woman who later did turn out to be pregnant, even if she had insisted that she couldn't be, then the results could be catastrophic. There could be things like a missed ectopic pregnancy, or an adverse effect on a developing foetus, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy.

I am sure there are other things too. Not unreasonable to ask, and not unreasonable to do a test in order to err on the side of caution.

I was taught to pregnancy test every woman from 10 to 55 whether they wanted it or not - led to a few arguments but they all did in the end.

And also turned up quite a few pregnancies in women who had sworn blind to me that 'No way I am pregnant, no chance, I don't see why I have to take that test', often expressed rather more rudely.

Given I was seeing them all for abdominal pain, was quite important as some of these miracle pregancies were ectopic.

I know of two people who found out they were pregnant after they had had a minor car accident and gone to be checked out afterwards. (Two different women, two different accidents.)

I was having a smear test done and the nurse quizzed me about contraception. I told her about the haphazard method we were using and when she pointed out it wasn't very reliable I laughed and said it worked for us. I was actually pregnant at the time and didn't know (you are not supposed to have a smear test when pg but anyway it was fine). The next time I saw her I contemplated hiding under the table in reception out of sheer embarrassment. I couldn't though, because of my big fat belly.

nurse: Could you possibly be pregnant?
MeAbsolutely not because...
Nurse: interrupting with patronising smile, head tilt and tone, 'looking at your notes just because you've had chemo and you're in your 50's, doesn't mean you can't be'
Me: no but last year's hysterectomy makes it highly unlikely don't you think?
Nurse: ummm

I would have thought if you thought you were pregnant you would inform them

Hahaha no.

I remember scanning somebody who had been sent up to us in the renal dept with high blood pressure, proteinuria, and abdominal swelling - her GP sent her to us for a renal biopsy to see if she had a renal condition called nephrotic syndrome. No, definitely definitely not pregnant as she was a virgin. No test done.

What she actually had was pre-eclampsia, because she was about 9 months pregnant, and when I scanned her (which we usually do before booking the biopsy in order to check both kidneys are present) I found a cheerful-looking fetus waving back at me!

Lots of women conceal or refuse to acknowledge pregnancies for lots of different reasons, it’s really not uncommon.

The thing is I wouldn’t have cared had they just tested. But to go through lengthy questioning and then in effect say “yeah we don’t believe you” is pretty patronising.

I'm trying to work out how many people I've encountered that definitely couldn't be pregnant, but were actually in labour. Into double figures over the years. So must be a lot more common earlier in pregnancy.

The thing is I wouldn’t have cared had they just tested. But to go through lengthy questioning and then in effect say “yeah we don’t believe you” is pretty patronising

I agree - it's better just to say, "It's our policy to test everyone. Can we have your consent?". Pregnancy is potentially relevant in almost every A&E patient because almost everyone is going to end up with some medication and/or an x-ray, or they have symptoms in which pregnancy could be part of the diagnosis - which isn't just the obvious things like abdominal pain, but also headache (pre-eclampsia), shortness of breath (pulmonary embolus), backache - the list is endless.

Routine safety question as treatment will vary of you are. I was doing a pre op assessment the other day and had to list surgeries. Right up there at the start was my hysterectomy. The nurse asked me if I could be pregnant. I guess they have to ask but really?!

I have had one better....I went into the ante natal unit for monitoring when I was about 7 months pregnant and the junior dr asked me when my last period was!

Asking when your last period was, rather than the due date when pregnant is just another way of him working out your gestation

This is where we are wrong with today's society. It should go like this:

Doc: Are you pregnant or could be pregnant

Patient: No

Doc: Can we test to make sure

Patient: No

If treatment is then given and patient was/is pregnant, there should be no way patient can sue the hospital, doctors or anyone else. Any case should be laughed out of court as its the patients own fault.

But no, we have to have someone else to blame.

@iolaus but he had already asked my due date and no of weeks pregnant so it wasnt really necessary. It was just one of many stupid questions asked

"Doc: Can we test to make sure

Patient: No

If treatment is then given and patient was/is pregnant, there should be no way patient can sue the hospital, doctors or anyone else."

Exactly.