AIBU to second guess what A&E said? Blood clot risk.

[SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt]

Swollen lower leg, red and achy. I’m 40, a bit fat and have been on oral contraceptives for half my life.
I went to the hospital this morning as per the advice of NhS 111.
A&E did a D Dimer which was 480 and the cut off is 500. They have sent me home.

I cannot shake this feeling but I don’t want to waste their time. I could go to the GP tomorrow.

I am not a particularly anxious person but my gut feeling said “are you sure??”. I don’t want to make a fuss.

AIBU to be feeling really unsure and uncomfortable? Happy to be told I need to chill the F out.

I'd do the gp. When i had similar but my thigh, the gp phoned me, then called me in in person, and then sent me to hospital while sending a letter over so they knew to expect me. It was very impressive. Or walk into the surgery with the big leg. It's not worth the risk, as in my case one had migrated lung wards.

Definitely go to your GP, and tell them your d dimer results when you’re asking for an appointment so they don’t try and fob you off.

If you start getting chest pain or shortness of breath, get yourself to A&E as an emergency. Don’t even stop to wonder whether you should, just go!

Thanks! I feel a bit dramatic, I am not even anxious but I have this gut feeling...!

You’re not being dramatic. These things can kill you. They’re too serious to mess about with, so you’re doing the right thing by not ignoring it.

Apart from sending you home, what did they tell you is the reason for the swelling etc?

Definitely follow it up. I can't remember my D Dimer results other than the nurse said they were fine. She still sent me for a scan due to the swelling which showed a clot in my calf.

I would go back to A&E, or a different one if you have the choice

Ask for a scan, then at least it'll put your mind at rest

If PP has had D Dimer results that were fine but still had a clot, it's not worth waiting. If it moves to your lungs or heart it could be game over. Please don't feel you're wasting anyone's time. You only get one life, protect it.

What did A+E say apart from d dimer below cut off?

D Dimer is just if there is diagnostic uncertainty - did they do a wells score?
A Doppler is the right test if clinically there is a DVT

https://nhsdorset.nhs.uk/Downloads/aboutus/finance/03_CVDS_0036%20Community%20DVT/03_CVDS_0036%20Appendix%20C%20Wells%20Score%20Tables.pdf

The A&E doctor said they won’t do a Doppler scan if D Dimer is below 500 and that’s their protocol.
She said to keep an eye on the swelling which isn’t insane but there is some swelling. She did agree with me.
I should have asked more questions!!

Can you go to a different A&E? Fil score was low but he had a clot as I insisted they check as his leg was swollen. Luckily they listened.

I could go to another A&E but the doctor seemed really clear on the policy and I don’t want to be a time waster.
I am not worse this evening so I will wait till my GP opens tomorrow morning.

my friend was sent home after horrendous chest pain, couldn't breathe in properly, was told it was just ‘anxiety (she was on contraceptives inc the one associated with clots and gp thought it was a clot sent to a&e).
told her to come back the next day for a scan if she was that worried.
she did.
it was a clot.
i do not trust a&e with things like this.

This is your health and potentially your life. Stop putting the thoughts of someone else above your feelings. Doctors make mistakes that mean people die that could and should have been saved. If you want another check then go. You know your own body.

Did they not give you a blood thinning injection while you were waiting?

Can you work out your wells score?
See my post above above

If 1 or below the dr was correct looking at the d dimer . However if your leg is worse then the D Dimer needs repeating

If your wells score is 2+ then a scan should have been requested and anticoagulant started whatever the d dimer is

Your gp will redirect you to ED or MIU they won’t see a Dvt that has already been seen in ED.

Either you trust ED and their advice or you go back but your gp can add nothing else.

I think my Wells Score is 1. She said my swelling was borderline and not that bad.
i am no worse this evening and I will either see my GP tomorrow or go back to hospital.

I have worked as medical admin in the past but my knowledge of medicine is obviously very very minor and I know almost nothing about clots except they told me a lot about the D dimer and obviously I had hours to read about it in A&E today.

praise to the nhs though, the nurses and HCAs and reception staff were very kind and very efficient.

My GP might be able to refer back to the SDEC to save me going via A&E. They have done this for other illness in the past.

I am going to measure both legs and really check the swelling and leg colour and warmth etc tomorrow morning before I make any decisions.

I started getting breathless and uncomfortable in my chest and I’m back in a different hospital waiting for a scan.

Glad I trusted my gut for once!

Glad you went to hospital. Good luck and I hope you're ok.

I had a swollen lower leg also red and feeling hot. I had broke my toe and had a lot of pain in my calf. I was immobile and was also on the combined pill not a good combination. At my review a week later at A&E the nurse clocked on right away to my swollen, red and hot calf. It was also painful and very hard. Very much text book symptoms. I was taken to x ray where my foot was injected with dye and a clot or clots in my case were visible on the screen. Immediately I was taken to a ward and put on a drip plus warfin and also put on total bed rest for 7 days. I realise that things are done differently today but I would definitely see the Gp or go back to A&E.

Good luck glad you’ve gone back 💐

Good luck.