To refuse to take DS to hospital for a sprained ankle

[Paurie]

He twisted it badly enough that it can’t weight bear. I’m confident it’s not broken. Strapped it up, iced, elevated - & picked up a crutch so he can be mobile without stepping on it while it heals.

School say the crutch can’t come to
school unless it’s signed off as necessary by a doctor and is fitted by a professional.

AIBU to refuse & just keep him home?

It seems really not sensible in this climate to burden doctors with signing off on a self-limiting problem that I’m confident I’ve treated correctly - and batshit crazy to take a healthy child to sit being sneezed on in minor injuries unit for however many hours it takes to be seen.

A bad sprain can be as bad as a break. Take him to A and E and get it seen to properly. Once he is able to he can go back to school.

Depends how long you would be keeping off school
Sprained ankles can take much longer to heal than breaks (speaking from mine & DH experience) so could be on crutch for days/weeks depending on the severity

Also unless you are a qualified HCP, YABU really not to take him to A&E to double check in case it's fractured

If he can’t bear weight how on earth can you be certain it’s not broken? Get it checked out.

If he is injured to the extent he needs a crutch then he is injured enough to need proper medical examination.

Even without a break (which unless you have x ray vision you can’t be confident of) if he has done something the longer it’s left the worse the potential long term damage

YABU. There is a reason doctors use xrays. No matter how "confident" they feel.

Are you a medical professional?

If not, you can’t diagnose a break without a proper x-ray

Yabu

You can not possibly know it’s not fractured or broken.

Do you have X-ray vision? 🤦‍♀️

Definitely needs checking out, my ‘bad sprain’ was a displaced fracture 😖, ICE had zero effect after 48 hours.

Take him to a&e. I sprained my ankle bad enough that it has left me with a lifelong weak ankle.

if you don’t get him checked properly you could be setting him up for a lifetime of problems, you haven’t got X-ray eyes you can’t 100% say he hasn’t got a fracture

Even if you are a HCP unless you have X ray eyes he needs to be seen. And some areas have walk ins with X ray that aren't in a hospital if you are worried about lurgy

If he can't bear weight your confidence that he hasn't fractured it is totally misplaced. Even a medical professional wouldn't be confident without an x-ray .Go to A&E and get it x-rayed.

It depends....when you x-rayed it at home was there definitely no fracture? Oh wait.....

IME they wouldn’t Xray in the first 48 hours anyway - I expect it will settle after a day or two being rested - the swelling is already much less overnight.

yabu
take him to a&e or minor injuries (if they do x-rays and see children).

Are you a doctor OP? For goodness sake be a parent and go and get your kid checked out. If it’s broken or fractured and not treated you could have lasting damage.

YABVU

Sorry OP, I think you’re more batshit not to get it checked out via X-ray just in case you’re wrong.

They would x ray within 48 in case it was broken and they needed to operate

I was on hold to 111 for 30 minutes this morning and didn’t even get through to a nurse.

The healthcare system really seems stressed - and even at the best of times it take hours waiting for anyone to see you.

What would the hospital ‘do’ different to what I’m doing over the next day or two while I see how it pans out?

YABU. My mother was sure my ankle was sprained, it was broken in two places. Take him to A&E

I don't how old your child is but if it does turn out to be broken and you haven't taken him to A&E social services might be interested.

That’s appalling. I can not believe you’d take the risk of it being broken.

He cannot bear weight!?

Have only got experience of a broken wrist, but they definitely didn’t wait 48 hours before X-Raying me for that. I’ve never heard of that tbh.