To ask that Out of Hours GP does bloods tonight

77 replies

SnugNightsss · 05/04/2025 15:57

We’ve got an appointment for my child this evening. I’m concerned it might be appendicitis. I have not had good experiences at the out of hours service locally. Those who’ve had children with appendicitis, how did they diagnose it? Should I ask that they take blood to check for infection markers? Anything else I should be aware of?

OP posts:

Natsku · 06/04/2025 09:52

Greybeardy · 05/04/2025 22:23

the doctors in your country are using it in a completely different context - I'm sure their doctoring is spot on for what they need it for. The inference of your original comment, whether you meant it or not, was that a finger prick crp would've been useful for the OPs child if they'd gone to the GP and that is not true and our GPs would not be deficient for not offering it. Outpatient CRP monitoring is useful in some contexts, usually where the underlying problem is known and a response to treatment is being monitored. It is still not a specific marker for infection, it is a marker of inflammation (one cause of which may be infection). In the acute phase of an illness, a wildly high CRP often supports that there's bacterial infection (but that'd often be barn door obvious anyway), but a slightly raised CRP (or even a normal CRP very early on) doesn't necessarily exclude bacterial infection so you'd treat based on clinical suspicion and the rest of the tests. It matters not one bit that it can be used to make decisions/monitor respiratory illnesses (your example) when the OP's child is presenting with an undifferentiated acute abdomen. Hope that clarifies my point. As a bit of an aside, a finger prick test that's perhaps more likely to be useful in a sleepy, unwell child with belly ache would be glucose.

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When my daughter had suspected appendicitis (turned out not to be, thankfully) the very first thing the doctor did after the physical exam was a quick crp and leukocyte test, before ordering fuller blood tests and then sending her to hospital (our health centre has its own lab so the bloods were tested and when the results were back we were sent off), so it is definitely part of the process in these situations too, even though its not the main use for it.
But my comment on it originally was more of an aside, as the OP had asked if the GP can check infection markers and others pointed out that wouldn't be possible because it would involve lab tests which can't be done immediately at the GP, and I pointed out it is possible, but just not so available yet in the UK (I expect in time it will be, I think in some areas it already is). I also said A&E was the right place to go for suspected appendicitis, not the GP.

Original poster

SnugNightsss · 06/04/2025 11:06

Natsku · 06/04/2025 09:44

Glad she's doing ok OP, definitely keep a low threshold for going back but does sound more like a stomach bug.

Thanks. A&E were brilliant, no waiting around & the nurse was so good with her taking bloods etc.

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