Was I an ambulance timewaster?

[Orangejuice5]

Hi- im hoping that im tired and overthinking this but would really appreciate some perspective as I’ve got myself quite worried about it

I actually posted last week as I wasn’t sure if it was even an asthma attack or not but it was, but regardless of what it was I’m worried I’ve been a timewaster or called for help inappropriately

basically I have asthma and had a really bad attack in a public place. Someone called for help and I took 10 puffs of my inhaler which helped. By the time help came 15 minutes later, my attack had stopped and my inhaler had basically helped it. My heart was racing because of how many puffs I’d taken lol but apart from that I was fine and my wheezing and tight was was gone

was I a timewaster for getting help when I was actually able to manage it myself? Just wasn’t sure because if it had been a really serious attack obviously getting help is the right thing to do but for an attack which can’t have been that bad since I was able to manage it myself, did I call for help inappropriately or do something wrong since I was fine by the time they got there? and will there be some kind of black mark against my name for the future?

really hope I’m just over thinking this and I’m worrying about nothing but just worried I’ve somehow mis used the service as I should have given my reliever inhaler the chance to work before getting help and I’m worried that I’ll have some kind of black mark next to my name etc x

You absolutely did the right thing. Asthma can, and does, kill.

Ten puffs is advised as a substitute for a nebuliser when none is available. It's the dose typically recommended in an emergency like this.

Useful bit of info I only discovered after it would've been useful after a particularly nasty dose!

First of all you didn't call an ambulance, someone else did. Asthma can kill.

However, working in the nhs and knowing what I know, I would have put you in a car and driven. Ambulances take too long nowdays.

If someone collapsed and wasn't breathing but I gave them cpr and their breathing returned before the ambulance arrived would they be a timewaster? If someone was in anaphylaxis but the second epipen worked and it subsided before the ambulance arrived?
What if a child was choking on food but after 5 minutes of attempts it finally came out just before the ambulance arrived?

Restricted breathing kills, and quickly, waiting to see if you can fix it BEFORE calling an ambulance would be so dangerous. They would rather get there just as your breathing returns than get there too late and have to try and fail to bring you back.

What would you have done if the inhaler didn’t work or ease the symptoms then it took another 20mins for help to arrive?

You didn’t know be inhaler would work and irs
scary. 100% did the right thing

don’t have loads of experience on attacks and what a mild or severe attack is, and I’ve never been given an asthma plan either

I'm so sorry you don't have an asthma plan. Would it be worthwhile to have a chat with this helpline? They might have advice for you on a medication review and how to obtain a plan.

https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with?

What did the ambulance crew do and say?

I think you do need to discuss this with your asthma nurse and get a written plan. My DD is on the MART plan and there is a specified number of puffs she takes at home first before calling 999 or going to hospital. As you didn't have a plan you did the right thing and there won't be a black mark, but getting a suitable plan would be a good idea.

A bad attack is scary and can kill you. If your inhaler hadn't worked, you would have needed a nebuliser. You should definitely follow up with your asthma nurse and get a proper plan put in place.

You might want to track your peak flow for a while. Do you use a spacer for your preventer? If not, your preventer might not be getting into your lungs properly. Learning breathing techniques to control breathing helps to stop panic when you get wheezy too.

Don't feel bad, you probably panicked.

Would a review with your asthma nurse be helpful?

If someone had waited to call an ambulance until the ten puffs on your inhaler didn’t work, it could have been too late.
It wasn’t worth the risk, it’s better to call an ambulance with a bad asthma attack than potentially losing your life.

It was certainly alarming! He had it once more, several years later, and we could identify what it was because of the previous incident and so took him in ourselves.

I didn't know that about the 10 puffs. My last attack I did call out an emergency doctor and was given an injection of something.

You do need to go back to your GP for an asthma review to check if you have the right medication.

OP you need an asthma plan. Mine tells me to call 999 if my peak flow is half my normal and inhalers can't improve it or if 10 puffs have not stabilised ilmy breathing. The asthma plan tells you when to call 999 sp you don't have to second guess yourself or try and think things through when all your efforts are going on breathing. I expect you need more inhaled steroids or a long acting ventolin.

I met another patient in hospital recently who was sent home by the hospital and rang an ambulance over 10 times, 13 if I remember correctly, when she got home because she wanted a particular medication she wasn't allowed.

This girl had difficulties and I'd definitely never judge why she was doing it because I can't imagine how awful her life is and from what she told me, she definitely need a better support system in place, but her behaviour is probably less isolated than we imagine and those kind of things are what are killing the NHS.

I don't think we should feel guilty for anything serious, which asthma is, don't feel bad. Just be glad you are good now.

10 puffs is quite a lot but I think in this case a little bit of panic kicked in which is understandable.

Calling for an ambulance was the right thing, sometimes inhalers just won't touch and you need a nebuliser.

Get an asthma review with your GP, you may need to have your meds tweaked. Also ask about an aerochamber/spacer, the inhaler goes through that but it helps you regulate you breathing whilst taking the inhaler.

I've been asthmatic since I was a kid, I've had time to learn what triggers it and I've learnt how to deal with an attack you will get used to it but the first step in an attack is not to panic, which I know is easily said.

Ten puffs is advised when you need a nebuliser but there isn't one to hand. OP did the correct thing.

No definitely not a time waster

I don't believe in the "black mark against your name" (my stepdad always goes on about them and he is an idiot, not saying you are though) you were in need of help. You did NOTHING wrong at all.

Asthma Is very common. That doesn't mean it's trivial. "Is the patient conscious? Is the patient breathing?" Isn't that about the first thing you're asked if you phone for an ambulance? I think that shows how seriously they take breathing difficulties.

As an aside, how would this "black mark against someone's name" work? They would have to take people's full name, DOB, etc before even thinking about sending an ambulance 🤔

If you couldn't breathe then of course you needed an ambulance. But as soon as you were fine, someone should have cancelled it.

No - you were correct as PPs have said, asthma can be a killer.

Our old neighbour used to phone an ambulance on average once a week for his wife. He used to say that if he called 111, they wouldn't come so was quite proud of the fact that he'd say she had difficulty breathing so they would attend. None of these callouts ever resulted in her going to hospital so was a gross misuse of the service. It angered me that somebody like the OP could genuinely need an ambulance.

They've moved away now so the local paramedics must be heaving a massive sigh of relief.

If it’s getting worse call your GP. Ask for a same day appointment. Ask to see a doctor not practice nurse or physician associate. Tell them you’re well now and don’t need hospital but had an asthma attack that meant an ambulance was called, and that you need your asthma treatment escalating to manage it before it becomes dangerous. They’re mismanaging you if it’s worsening and you’ve just got a brown and a blue inhaler.

Very much depends on the individuals own asthma plan ( everyone with asthma is supposed to have their own one) however
10 puffs is standard to a lot of asthma plans.

You did the right thing. Asthma can be dangerous if not well managed. There’s no black mark system - some people call ambulances several times a day everyday and even then they still look at every call seriously.

It sounds like you aren’t confident with managing your asthma so you need to ring to GO surgery and ask for an asthma review. They will make an asthma plan with you. Usually the advice is to have 10 puffs of your reliever for a bad attack but that’s not to say you wouldn’t need an ambulance in certain situations.