Daughters foot - time for A&E or self care at home?

[Chatbotsarerubbish]

DD12 hurt her foot on Monday at school - someone fell into her as she was walking up some steps and she turned her foot (she thinks - bit vague!).

Monday she complained about it and said it really hurt walking home from school.

Tuesday struggled to walk to drive to school where she hopped around all day. Picked her up as too painful to walk. When she does walk she says it hurts less to walk on her heel

Today: appears more swollen. Movement is limited, hurts to flex her foot.
I rung the doctor but no appointments. 111 said self care at home but obviously haven't seen photos of it.

It always seems more swollen in the evening. Have applied cold compress and all that jazz.

What would you do? Photo of good and bad foot.

If she can’t weight bear properly and it’s getting more swollen then it needs an X-ray (doctor here)

Do you have a minor injurys nearby? Might be quicker than A&E but definitely need checking out. Hope she’s feeling better soon x

X-ray needed. In fact I had an X-ray on Sunday for almost exactly the same thing. It’s important to know if it is broken because the treatment will be different from a sprain.

That happened on Monday?
She couldn't walk on it after but you sent her to school on Tuesday when again, she couldn't walk, she can't bear weight on it. It's Wednesday!!!!

Get her to A&E for an X-ray! What is wrong with you!!!

Trip to walk in centre for an xray

X-ray needed. Go to a minor injuries unit though, not A&E.

I'd call 111 again say no improvement, actually worsening. Where I live 111 can get you an 'urgent care' appointment if you can't access the GP. Used to be walk-ins but perish the thought!

That's extremely harsh. She has tried to get a GP to see her and spoken to 111 for advice where she has been told self care at home. She is being sensible by asking here now as it doesn't seem to be improving following the medical advice she was given by 111.

It’s just shocking that you can’t get an appointment with your GP for an assessment on is it broken or not. Do go to A&E to get medical care.

@ILikePistachios I followed the medical advice I was given. In fact I'm ignoring the advice now and will take her to a minor injuries.

@ButterCrackers exactly - and the fact you have to fight just to get seen. I also took her to a pharmacist this afternoon in desperation.

I think with the situation as it is that's a wise idea. Especially with a dr above suggesting you do that too.

Fingers crossed for you that it's not broken and hopefully they'll give her some crutches to she can get around.

Another one seconding minor injuries.

I went to MI with a very swollen foot and was told that sometimes x-rays don’t pick up breaks if there is too much swelling. I think this is why doctors err towards treating as a sprain first of all. Rushing to hospital doesn’t always work in your best interest for thing like this.

As an aside, my x ray didn’t show a break. The CT scan I had weeks later did 🤣

What wrong with you that you think this comment is appropriate?

@StormingNorman so your pursued a CT scan because it wasn't healing?

It's odd because in the morning it didn't look as bad, it seems to swell and get worse as the day goes on

Yep. I actually had two lots of X-rays at two different hospitals, then I had an MRI and CT scan done privately. My foot wasn’t healing for about 12 weeks by the time I had the CT scan. At that point the break had healed itself badly so I needed physio to get me walking on it.

I should have had it re-broken but after 12 weeks off work they weren’t going to put up with me having any more time off than absolutely necessary.

A GP doesn't have XRay vision. Minor injuries is the place to go. You can often book a walk in centre appointment via 111 if it hasn't improved.

oh - Who’d have thought!
A GP can assess the foot and say it’s not a break or unsure in which case you get an X-Ray.

@Pigeonqueen what was the outcome for you?

will it? In what way? I've had lots of both, and the treatment has always been the same

Swelling will always get worse through out the day, it will be better morning vs evening.

@soupfiend and that was my mistake! I'd check it in the morning and think she was getting better. Then by evening it's really swollen again. I thought that meant it probably wasn't broken as surely a broken bone would be the same.

Foot injuries should be taken seriously. Badly healed fractures can cause lifelong pain and altered gait, which in turn can cause permanent back, hip and knee pain. I am glad you are getting it looked at now OP.

Definitely x-ray, going over on the foot often leads to classic 5th metatarsal fracture. One of my sons did it but walked home from school so thought couldnt be fractured so didn't take him to A & E for 2 days just used frozen peas🙈 needed a plaster cast for a few weeks.

From experience looks like a broken metatarsal I was the same as you as by morning it was fine but after a few hours it was big and unbearable pain. Nothing made me think it was broken until walking for more than a couple of minutes and the sadness in his voice and lo and behold it was broken. Oops.