To not go to A&E tonight

[Ribbityrib]

I got hit by a car today on my bike and am 98% sure I've broken some ribs. No other damage, it was a v localised bump on the bonnet! I'm in agony moving and breathing deeply but otherwise fine, not breathless or anything.

Ordinarily I know that it'd be worth getting checked out just in case break is not clean or has damaged the lung, but (and what are the chances?) I actually have a CT scan booked for tomorrow morning for an unrelated chest issue! So AIBU to wait until then? I had a chest x-ray last week too so I don't want to be adding in another one unnecessarily. Am I likely to come to any great harm overnight?!

I name changed, I've told all my friends about this so quite identifiable
I didn't know the answer, no, that's why I asked.

Go to A&E

The chest scan tomorrow is unrelated. If something shows up on the scan it will be really difficult to get the appropriate help if you haven't gone through a&e, its unfair to turn up to a regular appointment and throw in being hit by a car.

Not to mention the fact that you might have punctured a lung, I know the culture is don't put additional pressure on A&E but this is what it's there to deal with and set up to deal with. By going to your CT your putting additional pressure on the staff for that appointment and they are not set up to deal with it.

Stop being daft and go in, it's not the person's job tomorrow to deal with you for an unrelated matter.
Someone I know had an accident and thought he was ok. Turns out he had an internal bleed and almost died.

What is it with all these “shall I go to A&E” posts lately.

Surely it isn’t rocket science. If you are in agony, you get it checked out. Why wouldn’t you?

Not to be doom and gloom OP but you can't be certain that the car driver won't try to claim against you. I know it's unlikely but having documented injuries may just dissuade him/her should they be considering it. It might be worth going for this reason alone.

You need to be taking the right pain relief so that you are breathing properly (ie deeply enough) to protect yourself against pneumonia btw.

I had internal bleeding a few years ago and had no idea. I actually felt fine and was quite surprised when they said I might have to be moved for a blood transfusion as all indicators were showing heavy bleeding. I’d definitely go to get checked even if you feel ok!

If it was your child, your OH, your mum, your best friend would you tell them to go?

If it was my mum I'd march her there. Health & loved ones are the most important things we have.

I could imagine not going.
You are a grown up. You're allowed to make these choices.
Since you mention being in agony, though, I imagine I'd pop along for some nice drugs!

Let us know what happens OP?

Go to A & E if you have broken any ribs the pain you feel now is nothing to the pain you will get in a few days.
As other posters have said you might have lung damage.

@Ribbityrib was the car travelling at speed or did you just fall onto it?

Have you got strong enough pain relief at home? They don't do xrays from broken ribs but can do a clinical assessment to make sure you haven't punctured a lung (very unlikely as it happened this morning)

A lot easier to treat injuries just after they've happened than later down the line!

If you have broken a rib your at risk of a chest infection from not breathing properly so need to be sure you've got adequate pain relief in board

Written from an A&E nurse

Go to A&E.

The CT sounds like a non-urgent one and will most likely not be looked at and reported for a week or more.

You need pain relief and a proper assessment sooner than that.

Mumsnet are right and I am sure you will be at A&E. Get some pain killers because the hurting goes on a bit and also really be careful for a few weeks - no stretching or bloody much of anything. I don't know how it happens but I had the muscles tearing as well (hoovering) and it all hurt a fuck of a lot more. Take heart, you will be all better soon.

Gosh hope you’re ok 😭

My lung collapsed after I was hit by a car when cycling. Didn't have a rib fracture. Pain was bad but I had no idea i had internal bleeding.

Ended up having chest drain and was in hospital a week. When they discovered the bleed they said they needed to do the procedure asap, didn't even wait for a theatre to be free.

Just go to A&E.

My
Husband went with suspected broken rib and they would t even X-ray him.

Same with me, clutch. Went to A&E with broken ribs (I heard them crack!) and they said they don't bother with x ray as they don't treat them unless you have signs of breathing difficulties.

When I cracked them again after a skiing fall, I didn't even bother going in to the clinic at the resort, they soon healed by themselves.

ICU nurse here. Go to A+E. For all the above reasons like the CT tomorrow won’t be reported and passed on for days. I know you feel ok now but you really don’t want to go to bed tonight, throw a blood clot and not wake up. Be smart on this one.

Thought I'd update - I'm still alive A&E were very thorough, they checked I wasn't dying in first five minutes, but A&E was packed to the rafters so I then waited another 5 hours until nearly 1am for an x-ray and the all-clear.

Had the CT scan this morning and the results this afternoon including checking whether or not ribs were broken (reminder to some: not all hospitals have the same systems...).

It turns out... they are not, just v badly bruised! But it is agonising all the same so I am very happy to have come away with heavy duty painkillers. Moral of the story for me is that on the whole instincts are correct, but that the mn coven is worth listening to all the same because a)you never know and b) codeine does really help!

For those saying 'surely you know the answer really', the answer is really not! When you have had a fairly shocking experience, are in a lot of pain, but your instincts are that you are probably fine, then it really doesn't feel obvious what to do, especially when you know that a&e are at capacity. So i am genuinely grateful for all the advice!

Thanks for the update! Glad you got some lovely painkillers.

Enjoy the codeine and remember to purposely breathe deeply to avoid infection...

Thanks! Random i am trying hard to do that, though its like breathing through bits of broken glass!

Try a large glass of red wine too

You poor thing. I'm glad there's nothing broken, thank feck for pain medication!