To leave a&e?

[Helladelinquent]

Mum fainted at mass this morning and an ambulance was called. She was sitting down and felt everything going black and fainted.

she came to and seemed fairly coherent but pale. Ambulance assessed her as blood pressure fine but pulse tackicardic (not sure how to spell that).
she said she hadn’t slept well, hadn’t had anything to eat or drink before mass and had taken her tablets (that make her sleepy) in the middle of the night as she’d forgotten them earlier.

I met her at the hospital at about 11.30 and we’ve been here ever since. Her bloods were fine but then they wanted a CT scan of her head.

she’s insisting on going home now before seeing the doc about the results and to be honest I’m not sure how to argue that she shouldn’t. Shes 82 and has been sitting on a waiting room chair for 7 hours. I feel it’s healthier for her to be at home in front of her fire and having her dinner.

she’s had no episodes/symptoms since we’ve been here.

Yes I would leave.
The scan has been done if there's anything worrying they can contact you

Did she hit her head when she fainted ?

The CT scan will be to exclude bleeding on her brain . Is she on blood thinners?

It will be much quicker to stay and wait for the results than to come back and restart the process if she starts getting symptoms again. I’d just tell her to wait it out.

She didn’t hit her head. She just went sideways into the person next to her.
she is on blood thinners though.

My mother is not someone I can tell what to do! She’s very stubborn when she’s made up her mind.

Well if she’s relying on you to drive her home just say no

If you leave, and need to go back you start the whole process again. It’s tedious but sit it out.

I’ve done it three times this year with my mother, 14 hours, 10 hours and 7 hours - it’s a PITA but it is what it is.

I would also leave but stay with her to monitor her for a while. Anything too serious the doctor can give you a call. Hope she's okay! X

Stay. It's tachycardic. Correcting because I'm adding a link.Tachycardia - Wikipedia

I'd stay. They may well be giving her some time to assess her whilst the test results are being sought. At 82 it could be a multitude of things - plus it'll stop her from doing silly things like not eating or drinking and perhaps do mass another day if she's not really up to it. I hope all is ok

They’re not assessing her though. In between bloods and scans we’ve been in the main public waiting room, not even the ‘inner’ waiting room.

I asked the desk and her results are back so I’ve convinced her to wait a bit longer.

thats how I’ve kept her here this long but she is fully capable of just walking off and letting me run after her!

She’s tachycardic, on blood thinners, had an episode of syncope and ED have advised she needs a head CT. She needs to stay.

If she’s capable of walking the full distance home and prefers to do that than to wait to see the doctor with you then get a lift home then that’s I guess that’s her choice and you may as well just go home and leave her to it.

Given her age and the fact she’s on blood thinners I’d do what I could to get her to stay.

if she faints again which could be possible you will have to do it all again so please stay for results. they may well have the results but there are so many people they are dealing with so please be patient its frustrating but would be best

I read about a guy on twitter who got fed up of waiting to be seen, went home and died of an aneurism. It might be boring waiting but I would wait a bit longer for the all clear

I was in your position with my 81 year old mother about three weeks ago. After about 7 hours she signed herself out against medical advice. She went home, fell about twenty more times while I was there, and is now, horrifically, on end of life care in hospital.
I guess not signing herself out would have made little difference except she would have sustained fewer injuries if had stayed in hospital... sorry. I don't know why I'm sharing this, except that I thought I'd just go along with her discharging herself and it would all be over
Ignore this post if you like.

I'd personally stay you've got through most of it now and to be on the safe side with her age she needs to be fully checked, go get her a cup of tea and tell her to relax , it will soon be sorted or she will have to do it all again , best to push through now.

You didn't witness the fall..trying to leave is sometimes a symptom of confusion following head trauma and that will be why they did the CT. Obviously it's prob clear but if it isn't you want to be in hospital when they read it. Don't worry about nagging though - radiographers will usually spot anything urgent fast but they can't officially let you go till a radiologist signs it off as clear and that can be slow. Only because the radiologist will be reporting on lots of others too but sometimes a nurse saying can we sort out Mrs Smith as she's been here since 11 and is desperate to get home can help.

So yes, please try and stay. But don't be embarrassed about explaining the situation and that if the CT is clear she really needs to get home and rest. I have had similar with family lately too and some staff have been really excellent at keeping us informed.

She’s most probably a bit dehydrated if she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything before mass. That can cause tachycardia too. But I wouldn’t be taking any chances at her age, they’ve decided she needs a scan etc so it would be wise to make sure everything is fine before leaving. I completely agree that it’s a long painful wait when you’re elderly but at the end of the day she has been taken there because she was unwell. You’ve waited this long, results should be back soon. Hope all is ok.

Probably and probably more dehydrated now. Still waiting.

is she refusing water?

She’s had a few sips but in general she hates water. At home she lives on half cups of tea.

I’d wait it out as she has already waited this long.