To please ask what you would do? A/E

[Lamplightlady4]

I’m an adult but hate wasting anyones time so I’m asking mumsnet for their opinions. AIBU for considering a and e?

I’ve had an ear infection for eight weeks: my ear is incredibly swollen, leaking pus and blood daily and smells like fish. (sorry TMI).

In the past 6 weeks I’ve has 5 doses of antibiotics, and steroid drops and it’s remained the same. My ear is still as it was eight weeks ago.

My GP has done an urgent referral to ENT but this is nine weeks away even as urgent referral.
I went to my GP a few days ago and was given another set of antibiotics and sent on my way.

But the issue is I’m getting even more poorly over the past day, my glands in my mouth have now swollen, saliva glands and it’s hard to swallow, my ear is still swollen and red and bleeding, and I’m shivering and clammy, waking up with wet hair and a wet back with sweat. I’ve also slept 15 hours but I can barely keep my eyes open at work. I don’t have a temp however.

im just a loss of what to do, I’m feeling so unwell within myself I can hardly function and do my normal activities but I cannot bear a 6th sent of antibiotics, and without a temp, I doubt they’ll do anything:

Does anyone have any advice? Even ibuprofen isn’t touching the sides.’

People, RTFT.
OP posted Saturday morning to say she was at A&E being treated.

In my opinion, if you preface something with "I'm a nurse" you should be used to reading the full report (i.e. thread) and seeing that the OP (in this situation, the patient) has gone to A&E and has been treated.

My advice for you going forwards @Seahorsemama is to not preface something with "I'm a nurse" if you're not going to read the whole thread or even just the posts that the OP put up, or else you may end up with egg on your face!

You do need to attend a+e ( I am a former a+e nurse!) sounds like a significant infection that’s not easing and causing other issues , sounds Likely you need admission for urgent ENT review and ? Possible IV antibiotics or ? Drainage , please don’t wait for an out patient appointment, no one should think your waisting any one’s time you have already tried several courses of antibiotics, you clearly need seeing by ent much sooner , a+e team can ring the on call ENT doctor to see you in the department ! Hope that helps , best of luck hope you feel better soon xxx

Pleased to see you’ve been to A +E !

Mastoiditis is a terrible infection. My DF and (D)SS both have total hearing loss in one ear from this. I'm worried that the advice to not give antibiotics for ear infections will cause more people to have this.

So glad you’re ok op, when you’re feeling better please complain to the practice manager about your GP. We can’t keep letting GP’s get away with this sub standard care.

please make sure GP follows up on this as well as you should be sent for a hearing test once things have cleared. DD had this and had an MRI scan whilst at the hospital to look at how far the infection got and then about 3 weeks later a hearing test and inspection with ENT to ensure it all cleared

I hope your ok. x

To those of you criticising the nurses for replying without RTFT I’m gonna go ahead and assume they did what nurses usually do and wanted to ensure OP got the care they needed urgently.

Did it occur to you they might be on their break and just quickly skimming through messages? Time enough afterwards to check if it’s already been resolved, but if I were a professional and I could clearly see it’s potentially a matter of life and death or serious illness, I wouldn’t bugger about with checking for updates first either, even if it’s quicker than replying.

Forgot to say, OP hope you make a quick and full recovery. Please update whenever you can 😘

I'm one of the people 'criticising' the nurses. Except I wouldn't call it criticising. I'd call it constructive advice.

I was suggesting, just like they would read a patient's notes, they read the whole set of notes, not just the top page with the patients name and date of birth, even in a life or death or serious illness situation. You never know what might be lurking on the second or third page of a patient history.

By clicking on the "Show All" link under the OP's posts (on any thread) you can slim down what is necessary to read from the point of view of the OP and it makes it really easy to follow.

I know this has been a few days now but I wondered how you were getting on @Lamplightlady4? Hopefully feeling much better!

Yes, I hope you're recovering well too @Lamplightlady4.