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?

My husband stumbled on a small hole when out running. Limped home. What we thought was a sprain turned out to be a nasty break that required surgery. At a and e they said that it can be really hard to distinguish between sprains and breaks, and often a bad sprain has to be treated in the same way. So if I doubt, get checked out.

If i couldn't walk on it after 24hrs I'd go to A&E. I wouldn't want to risk doing further damage by ignoring it.

I went to a walk in centre (the irony, I couldn't bloody walk!) the day after I sprained mine. They didn't even look at it but sent me straight to A&E who x rayed it and told me I'd done the right thing coming to them.

I broke my shoulder - still managed to drive, it wasn't until I went to see my physio - she took a look at the bruising and said - you need to see someone - she was right, i had fractured my shoulder - ortho was much impressed with my stoicism.
Dd fell at school, hurt her arm - first aider confidently told me it definitely wasn't broken - they had training and could tell these things - I took her to A&E anyway and guess what - broken.
I have friends who have run 3 miles with a broken bone - not a good idea, btw!
If it's sore and you are worried go to A&E

@PixieLaLa

No that’s not an A&E situation! Even if you have sprained or broken it there is nothing they will do just advise alternating using it and elevation. Don’t you have a local minor injures you can go to?

Do you have medical training? Do you think there is nothing they will do for a break? Standards in the NHS really are on the floor if this is what medical professionals are recommending.

I'm unsure as to why you're all assuming I'd judge others for doing so, I personally can tell the difference due to experiencing both many times each. 😂😂😂

@TasteRevolution

Alright there?

I'd phone the GP for a same-day appointment, or call 111.

No I’ve sprained my ankle a couple of times , rest , elevate and ice . Not a great deal they can do unless you suspect it’s broken but not for me day hours in A&e .

These threads always go the same way. Some posters are offended by the idea for an a and e trip for anything other than imminent death. In some cases it's downright dangerous the shit that is spouted.

In the case of an orthopaedic injury a delay in treatment may not be like threatening but where there is damage which requires intervention a delay may affect healing long-term. Also (for those berating people for accessing NHS care) it is potentially far more expensive for the NHS to fix something which should have been seen earlier. As for "go if it's broken but not if it isn't" or "the treatment won't change, broken or otherwise" wtf?

That said might be worth a call to gp for phone advice as if they think it's warranted they may be able to organise x-ray without the a and e wait.

Just seen the time you posted OP - hopefully you're sorted by now!

It could be an avulsion fracture. A tiny break but bloody painful and takes ages to heal fully.

@Starlitexpress What the hell will a pharmacist do

Pharmacies provide minor ailments care which will include being able to obtain appropriate support bandages, pain relief. Some pharmacists can prescribe. And if OP needs more medical intervention then then pharmacist can refer directly.

That's what the hell they can do.

then pharmacist can refer directly to who?

@TasteRevolution

then pharmacist can refer directly to who?

Round here pharmacists can refer for both a GP appointment (which cuts the waiting time) and for X-ray/a&e appointment. Which also cuts waiting times

Hope you're sorted by now, OP.

Yes, I would go to A&E, but specifically the urgent care centre part of A&E which is for things that aren't an immediate risk to life. The only way to tell the difference between a nasty sprain and a break is to x-ray the ankle, and the only place I'm going to be able to get an x-ray is the hospital. May be different where you live, but a GP round here wouldn't have the equipment to verify what type of injury it was.

Depending on how badly messed up your ankle is, the urgent care centre will be able to strap it back together with a boot and/or hand out crutches. Again - wouldn't be able to get that from a GP.

And as for a pharmacy - well, if the GP doesn't have an x-ray machine, who thinks the little shop on the high street has one? The answer is to go where the equipment is - and that's hospital.

It’s definitely interesting on threads like this where so many people assume that facilities are the same where the OP is as where they are.

Despite her saying early on there was no minor injuries or the likes. Just a&e.

I wouldn't. I sprained mine a few weeks ago. Just rested and elevated (as much as possible with work, dd and dog ) it's nearly back to normal now but it was bloody sore.

If I thought it might be broken then I would. My Partner broke his leg a few years ago and didn't think it was broken. When he eventually went to A&E it was a bad break that needed surgery immediately so I'd say better safe than sorry.

I have sprained bones before and not bothered but after icing and strapping it up it didn't feel as bad and after a couple of days it felt fine. It sounds like you'd be better getting checked as it sounds really painful

If you there there's a chance that it might be broken then do go to a n e. If you arents sure maybe call 111. Speedy recovery!!

@JustLyra is that a pilot program? - I've googled and all I could find was this link below - I know it's not the most current but couldn't find anything to suggest pharmacists generally provide this service, just that they'd want to.

www.pharmacymagazine.co.uk/latest/allow-pharmacists-to-make-direct-nhs-referrals-say-health-bodies

@PixieLaLa a &e will not tell them to elevate a broken anklle
The clue is in the name accident !!
They will triage accordingly once there
Such bad advice on here its not like op has just stubbed a toe

I would say most GP would not see you for this and would advise you get it looked at , I know mine wouldn't he would say get an xray

I fell down a couple of steps at work last July. Dragged my foot to a cab and went to hospital, thinking it was (yet another) bad sprain. (I'm accident-prone). Immediately after the x-ray was done the radiographer said I'd fractured my fibia.

Get it looked at. You're not wasting anyone's time.

OP I hope you’ve got it sorted. Just to say I sprained my ankle very badly a while back. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t broken. I couldn’t put any weight on it for 2 days, then I was told to get moving on it, but it was agony. Am attaching photos of the swelling immediately afterwards (shape of my ankle totally disappeared) and the bruising. I wish you well. Mine took a long time to heal.