Would you go to a&e if you thought you had sprained your ankle?

[Awarethebear]

Hi, I ended up twisting my ankle whilst stepping off of a large step and onto unbeknownst to me slippy mud on the school run yesterday afternoon, it hurt straightaway but I was able to walk the twenty minute journey after ( in pain and with a limp). When I arrived home I noticed my ankle was swollen and after a couple of hours the bruising began. It's really painful to walk on almost 24 hours later, I'm wondering is it just sprained or could it be broken. Would you go to the hospital if this was you?

I'd probably leave it a few days it it was my ankle, but do know two people who have carried out regardless with what turned out to be a broken ankle. One turned it on a kerb in the starting pen of a marathon and still ran the race!

Strapping, elevation, ice, rest. See how it is in a few days. Not A&E.

If I couldn't bare weight on it then yes as I would suspect damage that might near more treatment than a diy tubigrip bandage.

Your title is misleading,

If you think it is broken go to A&E and get it x-rayed.

If you think it is just sprained then follow Beachsidesunset's advice.

I would see my GP, they do assessments like this and send you to the hospital if they think an X-ray is warranted.

Yes wait few days and see, it’s probable swollen so much because you had walk on it for 20min. You can ring 111 for advice and they be able advise if wait and watch approach is best until X symptoms appear.

No - I did something similar years ago, never dreamed of going to hospital. Ice, elevation, try to keep the weight off it. The bruising will probably be spectacular but should start to settle after a week or so.

If you google pictures of sprained ankles, you will see there is a classic bruising pattern. Do you have it?

I agree with Beachsidesunset entirely.

Oh and I've had ankle sprains I couldn't weight bear on thanks to damaged ligaments, there as I know people who have walked on a broken ankle.

Ice it and strap it, see how it goes.

It you had broken it, from experience I’d say you wouldn’t be walking.

Depends.
Spare 8 hours to sit in a windowless crowded and often smelly waiting room.
And then be rightfully treated to rather disdainful looks from very busy a&e doctors?

I did this and it was a torn ligament which has left me with issues, years later. Worth getting checked out if it continues to deteriorate.

It is absolute fucking madness to tell someone with potentially broken bone there’s ‘no way’ you’d go to hospital. For all you know the bone is displaced and she needs surgery to pin it.

OP, there are minor injuries units which are the ideal place for this. Go and get an X-ray.

Yes it may not be sprained, bruising implies bleeding under the skin which can be a sign of a break. It is perfectly reasonable to go to A&E with a broken bone, although some areas have Minor Injuries Units that can do x-rays etc

I work in xray and would always encourage a&e attendance for an ankle injury or any injury that could potentially be a bony injury. It's most likely a sprain but If it is broken you may need surgery which is always better done earlier because of the healing process.

@NativityDreaming

I would see my GP, they do assessments like this and send you to the hospital if they think an X-ray is warranted.

How does that makes sense? Even if you can get a GP appointment, you'll then need 2 visits with NHS professionals instead of one.

I'd consider a minor injuries unit. I didn't do this when I thought I'd sprained my ankle and ended up finding out I'd indeed fractured it (after going over on it again a year later, falling down some steps and fracturing my elbow at the same time. X-rays showed an old fracture and subsequent weakness).

Despite previous posters being determined to get hero points, yes if it was very painful I would go to minor injuries if possible or A&E if not, to check it's not broken and no serious tissue damage and take any support offered (I had crutches with 'only' a sprain as it was such a bad one).

Going to A&E for a bad sprain/possible break is absolutely fine. The purpose of A&E is kind of right there in the title afterall.

Absolutely, and have done before. I'm not into the 'culture of suffering' that seems very common of most people, at least on here; that you have to be in severe pain and for ages before you seek help.

Please go, if it's broken you could be doing it more damage by putting pressure on it

Yes, go to a&e. Breaks aren't always apparent. You're not time wasting at all, you need an x-ray.

Yes I would go in the situation you described.

I took my daughter to a minor injuries clinic after an accident where they xrayed and said not broken (but didn't examine her). Wasn't happy with her pain level so took her to A&E following morning where they x-rayed and examined and it was broken. So in future I'll go straight to A&E for potential fractures.

Not a and e no as I wouldn't see it as an emergency, however if it was very swollen I would got to a minor injuries unit to make sure nothing was broken etc.

I would go to A&E, unless you are a medical professional, it's difficult to diagnose
You may need crutches or a boot to aid recovery

I would go to urgent care, not A and E