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.

Are there any vending machines or shops in the hospital? I know Costa opens until late at my local hospital.

No Costa - there’s a coffee vending machine and a drinks/chocolate/crisps machine.

the A&e is in a slightly separate area to the main hospital so no cafe at all.

They probably want the CT to rule out her having had a TIA ( mini stroke ) Best to wait

Uk healthcare is just shit. Here is Spain, our friend is unwell .. 15 minutes for ambulance. Operated same day for aneurysm. He's doing OK. He would likely be dead in uk

Oh that's a tough one

hope you get out of there soon

I’m actually in Ireland but it sounds similar.

Apparently the doctor has her card - anyone any idea what that might mean.

That they’re having a look at her notes and results and will probably call you through shortly.

Are you in SVUH by any chance OP?

Not sure which one that is. I’m in Kerry.

Sorry, Vincent's in Dublin. The way you described A&E layout sounds similar. I was just going to tell you there is a Costa in main building, but I don't know what time they close at. I hope you don't have too much longer to wait now

Hope you’re seen and home soon!

I find it insane that ab 82 year old, in A&E for 7 plus hours has not been offered a cup of tea. Isn't that a part of nursing care?

@Helladelinquent I'm not sure of your area, but here I could order a cuppa via Deliveroo. Any chance?

Hopefully you'll get feedback shortly. Fainting on standing up is common as anything, but fainting whilst sitting down is always rather more worrying. I presume she's had a normal ECG? Sounds worth waiting to see the doctor.

Just saw a doctor. CT is clear. He wants her to have a chest xray and she’s just absolutely refusing and wants to go home so badly she’s almost crying.

She’s absolutely exhausted and he kept asking the same questions over and over trying to see if she understands but she’s basically shut down.

They all want to go home. God love them. They just want to forget all about everything and get back to normal.

They don't realise the seriousness of their condition. My mother was the same.

Tell the nurse you mum hasn't eaten since yesterday and should she have something as she's been here seven hours and is tired.

What time is she due to take her medicine again? If now tell the nurse that too.

It's an Emergency Department. Nurses should be medicating people, triaging the waiting room/ambulance queue, suturing, breaking bad news, putting on plaster casts, ECGs, blood tests, answering endless queries about the waiting time....not dealing with requests for cups of tea. Get a grip.

The poor pet. Surely someone could get her a sugary cuppa?

Sorry I’ve not read the whole thread but I’d get her home then go through gp if needed x

We spend endless hours in a&e with my late mum and her mental heath really suffered as a consequence. If the scan is clear and just want to do a chest xray as a precaution but you are happy that she’s ok I’d get her home. If she can manage a few more hours and you think it would be worth it then wait but you know your mum and if the fainting was a one off then I don’t see the benefit of an xray. If you feel she needs to go to the gp then you could take that route another day.

I don't know her medical history of course

i do have an 86 year old mother for whom the priority now is to keep her out of hospital

last similar A&E visit was 22 hours wait before admission. She had had a stroke and needed a rehab place after

prior to that, I effectively removed her after an 18 hour wait but they did then emerge to say nothing was wrong except tachycardia

it's a dreadful judgement to have to make

she has also refused to go to A&E twice after that. I had to call an ambulance but even they understood why she said no.

what is the reason for the chest x ray and frankly, how does she feel about dying? My mum doesn't mind and would rather do that than be kept in A&E that long again.

if the chest x ray is a precaution, it usually means that they don't want to be sued.

She did have to go in for a broken wrist after a fall but anything heart related, she now doesn't want to go.

it does have to be your mum's decision. I left the room while she told the relevant people so there is no way I can be accused of influencing her either way.

she's had a DNR in place for years.

@RosesAndHellebores they dont do tea! They don't do water. You have to go to a vending machine. Mum went to A&E alone in lockdown and only got food because a kind paramedic got her a sandwich. She couldn't have walked to the machine. That was the time I barged in to remove her (having been told they wouldn't let me in). I finally decided if she was going to die, it was not going to be on a trolley in A&E.

I'm in ireland too and I'm sorry to say that she will just have to wait. A and e is shocking right now, no matter the county.

The nurses should have changed over by now, I'd find a nice one and ask if they can give her a reclining chair or small trolley so she can lie down.

In our a and e they will bring tea and coffee out around 10 ish, it's a hangover from covid, otherwise I'd pop out and get something cos dehydration is going to make everything worse.

@EmeraldRoulette similar to my mum but she was much younger. I did her discharge and the nurse signed off on it because the distress was causing more problems than the benefits at that point. Mum was on end of life care though and they still wanted to keep her in which seemed pointless. Best decision I made for her.

Take her home, the 'cure' is worse than the problem at the minute she needs to be home sitting with her feet up with a cup of tea and something to eat and then in her own bed. If they needed an xray they should have done it hours ago before the doctor did his assessment. If you can, make an appointment for an xray at a fixed time tomorrow. All assuming you can stay with her tonight just in case she does get worse.