To not go to A&E?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Smashed my chest in a trip against a very very hard edge about a month ago. It was right across the top of my chest around the top of my boobs. Gave my breast bone a huge whack as I am size 8 with no boobs, so not much cushioning! Totally winded me and in horrible pain. Bad bruising.

But now it is still very painful and my DD (HCP) thinks I may have a fracture,and says i should get an X ray. But the waiting times at our A&E are very long, its not an emergency and even if there is a fracture there is bog all they can do about it anyway, its like a broken nose or rib, you just have to wait it out.

I cant see the point in wasting my time and the NHS's time and resources over this. But DD thinks I really should go.

ETA I am a single parent and carer to ill parents so finding time to go is nearly impossible, next monday would be the next window.

Go to your gp or call 111 for advice. You need to be checked out but A and E may not be the most appropriate route.

I'd try and find a minor injuries unit nearby or failing that I'd get an appointment with my GP and take their advice. Hope you're discomfort improves soon OP

Can your GP not refer you for a routine X-ray?

Or is there a minor injury or urgent care center near you?

Minor injuries unit

I did, as a compromise with DD, call my GP. Didnt get past the receptionist as was told that it was an A&E matter. You are more likely to find a pot of a gold at the end of the rainbow than an appointment with my GP.

We dont have Minor Injuries here. The nearest one is in the city about 20 miles away which isnt really doable with my responsibilities unless it was a genuine emergency which I dont feel that this is.

I have looked it up on the NHS website and am doing everything says for self care and says that rib fractures dont usually need an xray so I think DD is over reacting because of her job, she sees the really serious stuff rather than the more minor stuff.

Minor injuries is a good idea. I know it's luck how long you have to wait but IME it's not usually more than a couple of hours. Ours shuts when it gets too busy then reopens when it gets quieter.
At any rate it will be quicker than A&E. With so many responsibilities you need to take care of yourself.

When I had a fall hurt knee and ribs badly went to urgent treatment center had x ray on knee they don't bother with chest the pain in my ribs was hurting a lot longer than my knee did.

FWIW I fractured my sternum in a car accident 18m ago and while there was nothing they could do for it, I was glad I knew that there was a fracture there as it took a long time to heal, and just knowing it was there gave me reassurance months later when I was still in pain. I fell earlier this year (a year after the accident) and the force of the fall made my chest pain flare up again and I was diagnosed with Costochondritis which then lasted about a month. Doc said it likely wouldn’t have happened if previous fracture hadn’t happened so again, I was glad to know I’d had that fracture as it explained things, even if they couldn’t do anything for it

I had a heavy fall and probably broke ribs, it was diagnosed by taking the history of the fall and symptoms rather than x-ray so I suspect you are right, if you did go you wouldn't get an x-ray anyway and would be advised to follow the advice you are already following. Is the pain getting worse?

Can you get an infection from a fracture like this? I know some untreated fractures can cause infections but I have no idea how you know which is which? I'm just thinking maybe that's the sort of thing your DD thinks they need to check for rather than just confirming if it's broken. It'll also mean it's on your medical records in case of any future complications from it.
I'd go around 9am on a weekday to get checked. Don't go now, you'll just be there forever.

Sounds like you should go to a&e, particularly as a single parent and carer you need to be in good health and prioritise yourself on occasions like this. Can your DD help with your care duties while you go to a&e?

Its not getting worse no, and DD said to keep an eye on the area and if it starts to feel hot then go straight in as it may be infected.

They don't X-ray for rib fractures as there is no treatment either way.

You could see if someone thinks it's something else, if you're worried, otherwise it takes 6-8 weeks to heal

(previous victim)

You're correct in that there is no treatment for a broken rib or sternum (which it sounds like it could be) and will heal by itself, so A&E seems unnecessary to me unless you have some sudden breathlessness with the pain or something like that. However the receptionist of your GP surgery telling you to go to A&E is shocking. I'm a radiographer so I XRay broken bones for a living, for a month old injury A&E is not appropriate unless sudden severe changes and your GP should absolutely be seeing you and putting through an urgent xray referral to have it done as an outpatient (if they deem it necessary, not sure about a suspected one month old sternal fracture).

It’s not an accident (recently) or an emergency. Get a GP appt (lie and say for something else if necessary) and they’ll refer you for an xray if needed.

She cant she works stupid hours and cant be around when my parents would need her. My sister is carer ffor her husband as well as working FT and other DD is too young at 13 to take any responsibility.

In an emergency we would manage but I dont want to pull the rip cord unless it really is an emergency!

Yes it does rather sound as if your DD is overreacting, I agree.

Yeah I was a bit shocked by it too, I suspect she just heard "fall" and assumed it was more recent and wasnt really listening to anything else.

Will call again if it isnt better by next weekend and as a PP said, lie if needs be!

this isn't strictly true though is it. Broken ribs are not always simple injuries, and sometimes do need intervention either for the injury, or the secondary damage they cause. Ditto for sternums - while they don't often need intervention to fix the bony injury, there is a real association with mediastinal/blunt cardiac injury.

a one month old injury that's not getting worse probably doesn't need much doing, but your post sounds more like it refers to rib/sternal fractures more generally, and in that case it's not completely correct.

I think on balance I wont go but will follow the NHS advice and keep an eye on the site incase there does seem to any indication of infection.

As I said, in DD's job these days she only sees the worst case scenario so tends to err on the side of caution.

No I agree occasionally there can absolutely be complications as a result of rib/sternal fractures hence why I mentioned in the absence of any breathlessness or onset of other symptoms, I just meant it in the context of the OP's post. Also things like listening to the chest to check air entry etc can be done at GP level and then escalated if necessary.

As a HCP, your daughter should know A&E is not appropriate

If you're still having pain, see your gp