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.

So you're not taking him to A&E then?

Hope he gets it sorted and is feeling better soon. Sometimes there is no point in calling 111, it's just easier to go and get it checked properly.

Paurie

Which is more relevant to your son's injury? A generalised post about diagnosing sprains that refers to thumb and back injuries, or the actual NHS entry about possible broken ankles?

*@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius
I did exactly the same when I was about 10. My mum thought I was being over dramatic and took me to A&E to prove there was nothing wrong. The XRay showed a hairline fracture.

Op please take your child to A&E. My own DS sprained his ankle last year. Like you we left him for couple of days to see if it got better on its own but it didn't so we took him to A&E, and they confirmed it was just a sprain. They "fitted" him with crutches - they needed to be the correct height so he didn't damage his back. He was on crutches for nearly five weeks. I am glad I took him.

My mum sent me to school for five days with a fractured humerus.

Then when I injured my arm trampolining she didn’t want to take me to A&E either, but a relative was visiting and gave her a hard time - broken wrist and elbow.

Don’t be my mum!

What patients are supposed to do is get things checked out, 111 is just an advice line, not a hospital.

Paramedics said mine was a soft tissue injury, I had a double spiral fracture. He needs it Xraying, take him to get it checked.

Of course you should check it out at A&E!

Seriously take him for an x-ray, even a bad sprain may need a walker boot and you're risking making any injury worse. You've no way of knowing it isn't broken ffs.

Op I posted screenshots of the nhs advice I found and I believe I couple of other posters have quoted too which differs from the advice you yourself posted. If I had followed the advice you posted then both myself and my daughter would have been in a lot of pain and trouble. If he still cannot walk on it then I think that should tell you all you should need to know. Not a single member of nhs staff would tell you that you should not be there. They will X-ray it within an hour or two and then act accordingly. It is a risk I don’t think should be taken with someone so young.

I’m at A&E hanging out - it’s quiet.

The advice I quoted was perfectly relevant for my circs. If there are contradictory pages - then that’s a problem - but there’s nothing wrong with dialling up relevant NHS advice and taking it.

Google Ottawa ankle rules - he definitely needs an X-ray.

Christ. Poor lad.
My friend broke his ankle as a child and never had it seen to and he still suffers with it now at 55. His brother fell last year and was walking around for 2 days and still working before his wife told him to stop being a twat and get it checked. Broken. My friend fell down the stairs, her mum did t believe how much it hurt, 2 days later a&e. Broken. My mum, fell, a&e consultant pretty sure no fractures, just the obvious head injury. But CT showed a broken neck. My point is that people assume fractures equal agony and yet people walk round on them frequently thinking it's not broken.

Our 111 makes appointments - so you are given a time to come to minor injuries.

This is what a A&E is for... accidents ... look I get it they're stressed you don't want to add to it when it's just a sprain. But they won't begrudge you going in. However if it goes undetected it will cause more pain and money down the line.

I've broken a few bones ... once I got a Gp app and they fast tracked me to X-ray at hospital. Maybe call and see if that's an option? On that occasion I broke my tib and fib and shattered my ankle bones so had to have an op.

Please get it x rayed to be safe

Glad he's going. I had a 'sprain' like this. Two broken metatarsals and my ankle was broken as well. I had to have surgery.

Sorry just seen you're in. Honestly it's best for him and you to get it checked now. Hopefully it's just a bad sprain

Does this help?

Absolutely in agreement op that contradicting information is a problem and definitely nothing wrong with following the advice you’ve found but at the same time I felt it necessary to post the other side of the coin so to speak in the other contradictory information because when one thing says X and one thing says Y then it’s always best to ask Z. I’m so glad it isn’t busy and I’m so glad you’ve taken him in! Fingers crossed it’s a sprain that doesn’t need treatment and that you’re in and out in a flash!

Hopefully it’s just a sprain as you say but best to get it checked out. Good luck, at least it’s quiet.

Of course I'd be taking my child to A&E! I thought I had a sprain turned out to be a small fracture.

@Ren495 - I cut and pasted advice too!

Screenshotted below.

You might disagree with my actions - but I can’t see anywhere I didn’t follow advice

I’m literally following NHS printed advice - what else are patients supposed to do?

Take him to A&E or a minor injury unit for an x Ray.

I was at A&E until the early hours, no one was coughing and it was pretty quiet. My A&E have a whole separate area for anyone with Corona symptoms.

@Paurie you don't actually know if it is a sprain, you have not had him medically assessed.

I had a sprain diagnosed by minor injuries. They didn't feel an x ray was needed and gave me a leaflet about weight bearing exercises. 3 days later when I still couldn't walk at all my gp advised me to go to a&e where I was found to have 2 fractures and needed to be admitted for my leg to be elevated for 2 days before they could operate. 111 is a bit useless in my experience unless you need an out of hours doctor's appointment.