A&E or wait to see the Gp??

[ohnoohnoo]

Have posted a few times about this issue, I should probably change my username as my details are now probably quite outing but I've kept it the same so people can see the previous issues!

Short version of backstory is that DD (5) has been poorly every few days since Feb which was when she got admitted in to hospital with stomach pains and vomiting. Eventually needed a drip and was told it was some sort of gastroenteritis. Since then she has been on antibiotics almost constantly for different things, tonsillitis, urine infections etc. She can't seem to go more than 5ish days without coming down with something else.

Things ramped up 3 weeks ago when she got another urine infection. Temp went to the highest it had ever been (41+), got put on antibiotics and after a couple of days seemed to be getting better. However she then developed severe diarrhoea, going up to 15 times a day and it was just fluid, sometimes had blood in it. That has continued and is still going on.

Gp agreed to do a stool sample and also referred for bloods to see if there is a reason she keeps getting poorly. Stool sample has come back negative for c diff, gastroenteritis and anything else they tested for. She is booked in to the hospital for bloods tomorrow.

Here's where I'm not sure what to do. I picked her up from school yesterday and as soon as we got home she started screaming and crying saying her stomach hurt again, she was literally lying in the foetal position and said she couldn't move. Gave her some calpol and rang Gp to let them know it was happening again. They have booked us in for a face to face appt this morning. Since then she has developed a really high fever and is still crying with stomach pain.

Should I wait and take her to the Gp this morning or should I just take her up to A&E so they can see how bad she is getting and hopefully find the cause quicker? I don't want to waste anybody's time but I'm also at the end of my tether and just want somebody to help her.

I've just been reading through your thread. I had endless bouts of tonsillitis as a child but they didn't get removed until I had a Quincy when I was 14/15. .

It was very similar to what you're describing, it came on over a couple of days but my mum thought I was making it up to skip exams! When she eventually took me to a doctor he said he was considering an ambulance but my mum said she'd take me straight to the hospital.

I hope you get a call back soon but if not I'd drive to the hospital just to be on the safe side.

Should have said, I had a quincy and was in hospital 5 days with it, antibiotics for another week, the day after they stopped I was back with a quincy again. They then kept me on antibiotics until they could operate (a week or so) but they had to remove a bit of my throat that was still infected. No issues from that though. Figures crossed you make some progress and your daughter gets sorted asap.

Dr phoned us back fairly
Quickly and told us to get straight to a&e so we are here now just waiting to be triaged

@ohnoohnoo fingers crossed for the right consultant this time. 🍀🍀🍀

Oh thank goodness. Now let’s hope she gets seen and sorted.

Admitted into the childrens ward and given antibiotics by IV.

Seen by a general surgeon who will then book her in for a operation

All the things she needs

Thinking of you and your DD

4 medical professionals including a paediatric consultant, doctors and nurses - are all in agreement that it is not serious and nothing can be done at hospital?

4?

@Doingprettywellthanks yes that's what they all said at the time. Our Gp has made a complaint and that's how we've ended up with an urgent referral finally

@Doingprettywellthanks and to confirm the paediatric consultant didn't see her or even look at her notes, he was just told she had tonsillitis and said they don't deal with that in hospital

Only just seen and caught up with this thread. I feel so bad you are in A&E again after your previous experiences. As an adult I have suffered with terrible tonsillitis multiple times recently and can’t even begin to comprehend what your little girl (and you, of course) are going through. Sending you all the best wishes that you get this sorted ASAP now xx

@ohnoohnoo this is just awful. I hope you get a decent doctor this time

Poor girly. I don’t know wether this has been tested for or discounted, but is it possible (with her tummy pain) that she has/had appendicitis and it burst and so know she has sepsis? I hope it’s not that, poor sweetie though, hope they do something with her at hospital. Have a handhold and give dd a hug from me. Xx

LongLostTeacher : it sounds as if your DD has cyclical vomiting syndrome. My DS had regular bouts of extreme vomiting inexplicably triggered by mild illnesses and he ended up in hospital many times between the ages of 2 and 10. No-one gave us an underlying reason until a consultant came around with a group of students and almost casually mentioned the name. Look it up, you'll find lots of info online. It's a form of stomach migraine that children sometimes grow out of but sometimes also turns into regular migraines. We too were given anti emetic meds, which worked and meant we avoided further hospitalisations and luckily my DS grew out of the condition. I hope your DD is one of the lucky ones too.

@Doingprettywellthanks and that's how things go wrong. I had to take DD2 back four times before they trusted me and did an X-ray to discover she had pneumonia rather than trusting them saying it's a virus.
Also suggest you read this story, it's heart breaking but shows sometimes parents need to be stronger and not blindly trust doctors amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/03/13-year-old-daughter-dead-in-five-weeks-hospital-mistakes

Just been triaged. The nurse rang straight through to Ent and they have asked for her to be put on IV antibiotics and steroids, they are also taking some blood tests and then they are going to get an EnT consultant to come and review her once we have the blood tests

Oh poor little lamb. Hope she feels better soon, Iv anti bs should help get her back on her feet soon. Stay positive and strong sweetheart, you’ll get there in the the end xx

I remember reading this back in June, disgusting it's still going on.

I really hope things are sorted urgently and she is finally properly on the mend.

Hopefully they will agree to do the surgery urgently now. Hoping the IV antibiotics help.

DS kept getting stomach pains and temperatures. Ended up being something wrong with his kidneys. Worth getting that checked?

Rest of thread loaded. Ignore previous post!

Hope they get those tonsils out ASAP. Much too much for such a little tot to have to go through

Blimey OP, just read through the thread. Your poor DD and you, it's absolutely exhausting having to fight for her I know. You have to have really sharp elbows to get anywhere in the NHS at the moment, going through something with my own DD and it's so hard.

I really hope you can get some answers tonight/tomorrow and that the IV helps her. Poor little lamb.

ignore my other post. Hope little one gets those tonsils out asap, and feels better soon. As other posters have said, the doctors can sometimes make mistakes. When I was a little girl (11) I had a temperature and pain in my right side of my tummy. Not “enough” apparently to be appendicitis, the gp said when we went, and they gave me antibiotics. Went back in three days, more pain and again, urine infection. 2 days later went back again. Gp was concerned about retroceceal appendicitis and sent us straight to a&e. Had bloods done at a&e, no infection markers up. But as I was in so much pain, they admitted me. Next morning, ultrasound, again nothing. They decided to take my appendix out as I had all the symptoms and was in so much pain. It was so close to bursting. I was in for a week. Listen to your gut sweetheart. Hope lo feels better soon, and hugs to you both xx

Oh my gosh I’m praying they operate tonight . Sending you tonnes of support I don’t know how you have managed for so long and you poor little one . The state of the nhs is appalling. Please do get in touch with your MP to complain .

Oh no I'm so sorry to read your DD is still suffering. I'm glad you finally got a proactive GP but it's outrageous no one has taken her suffering seriously until then
I really hope they decide to remove her tonsils during this admission
You've been so strong fighting for your DD