Should I go to A&E or am I being silly?

[Dumdeedahdumdeedo]

I went out on Friday and was attacked in the toilets by a random woman. There was no argument, no build up, she literally just launched herself at me and attacked me

The police came and she was arrested but during the attack she bit me on my knee

She broke the skin on my knee and I have a giant bruise there too. I've woken up today and I'm struggling to bend my knee, it really hurts, all down the back of my knee hurts when I try to bend it.

It doesn't look infected, there's the cut and the bruise but it isn't hot to touch.

I don't k ow if I'm being dramatic or not, I'm starting to worry maybe there's an infection inside my knee that I cannot see.

Would i be dramatic to go to A&E over this or do you think it just hurts to bend because she bit my actual knee cap so there's bound to be some pain?

I'm a single mum I have a 5 year old and 7 year old I don't really want to drag them to A&E but at the same time I'm starting to worry about my knee

I don't know what to do

A+E staff range from cleaners, receptionists, support staff, to nurses and doctors. No one person/role is "better"/ more important than any other in general, but generally those qualified to give medical advice don't do so over the internet.

This is awful, you poor woman.

" I keep crying about it which is silly isnt it but it was just so unexpected"

Not silly at all. A terrible thing to happen. Glad you haven't gone to A and E and hope all is fine. XX

Often they are age an out of hours appointment.

What a load of rubbish. If you really work in A&E I pity the patients. I went to A&E with stomach ache once, I suppose you would have frowned upon that. It's a good job I did though as I had pancreatitis and an inflamed gallbladder. No doubt someone like you would have tried to make me feel guilty for going.

Yeah, even if you've been shot in the knee at point blank range, don't ever go to A&E with your knees.

A human bite.
On a knee.
Potentially very serious in infection terms.

Bullshit you work in A&E. If you do, you're dangerous.

With family today and two doctors said this is absolutely a case for presentation in A&E because skin was broken by a human bite.

It couldn't be a clearer cut case!

Total rubbish

Yeah you may even need a tetanus and hepatitus jabs for that.

She may have been a drug user so yeah, I think you are best getting it checked out. Best to be safe than sorry.

Absolutely A&E. I'm a healthcare professional and quite often despair at how patients present trivial things at A&E, but on this occasion you ABSOLUTELY should go. There's not only infection to consider but tetanus, hepatitis etc.

I also hope the woman who attacked you gets the book thrown at her!

A GP visit would not be appropriate.

The NHS guidance is that a human bite where the skin is broken should be seen immediately and where severe A&E is appropriate.

I realise the OP has waited but the fact that there appears to be an infection would indicate that it is serious.

Jesus Christ. Hope you're not working in A&E for much longer.

Absolutely go get checked out.

and if you’re symptoms include a change of skin colour, moaning and a desire to eat others please let us know! 🧟‍♀️. Nothing will surprise me these days!

Please do get it seen. It’s not silly at all to be upset. You were attacked! That’s a really traumatic experience

I wouldn’t go to a and e.

but I would ring my GP and get an urgent appointment

I went to A&E with heartburn about 7 months ago 😂 To be fair it was agony and I didn't know it was heartburn. I had a vomiting bug a couple of days prior and genuinely thought I had ruptured something or had an ulcer or something. I couldn't sit or lie down or get into any comfortable position at all. Gaviscon etc didn't help one tiny bit. They did lots of tests then gave me omeprazole and it got better. But they were very nice and also discovered I had a congenital heart condition when I was there which now requires monitoring and possibly surgery so it wasn't a completely wasted trip...

Anyway yes absolutely you should go to A&E or your local minor injuries unit if you have one. Best to get it checked out. Hope you feel better soon and sorry about what happened to you ❤

Yes, you do need to get it seen. Colleague of mine also works as an A&E doctor and sees loads of human bites - if the skin is broken there’s a strong risk of infection. He sees a lot of people who have been bitten in fights but were scared to get it looked at because the fight took place in dodgy circumstances… but then end up in A&E anyway a week later, in agony with a disgusting bacterial infection. Call 111 and they should be able to tell you whether A&E or a walk-in centre would be best place to see you.

Hope you're getting yourself to A&E now, and hope the wait isn't too long for you!

Absolutely the RIGHT thing to do, regardless of the idiot advice given by some people who, if they actually knew what they were talking about, wouldn't give that advice.

I hope the police charge the woman who bit you as well!

Again, it would be frowned upon. GP, or minor injuries yes of course but most definitely not A&E main unit.
Why people think it's appropriate to attend A&E for such things amazes me.

Funny that.
Relative ended up in Intensive care from a tiny graze on her elbow from a trip on her way to work { ironically In a hospital}
The infection was bad enough for her to be in ICU.

Any bite on a joint needs reviewed. It's a few days old, might be past antibiotics for prophylaxis but may need some for treatment if it's hot, red swollen.
All human bites that break the skin need an assessment for hepatitis vaccination.

OOHGP will send you to ED/MIU ( I work in ED, OOHGP will want you assessed). I would fully expect to see this kind of injury come to me. Get it looked at by a clinical professional.

How about the other doctors (I've got two with me!) and nurses who say that broken skin from a human bite requires urgent attention and that A&E is entirely appropriate as it is an emergency and the effects can be time sensitive because OP will likely have shots.

Are you a medical professional? Client facing?

It's a bank holiday.

You're quite the little keyboard warrior, you, aren't you?