Do I need to go to a&e?

[OuchThisReallyHurts]

I was out walking my dog earlier today and fell over. I slipped going downhill on some soggy leaves. I smacked my left hip/buttock area quite heavily and also hit my knee on a rock. It now hurts in both hips to take a deep breath, it hurts to walk, I can’t sit comfortably and my knee is in quite constant pain. I’ve taken paracetamol and ibuprofen and they’ve not touched the sides of it. I’m quite worried I’ve done something significant

Why bother doing this, it’s a complete waste of time. She’s had an accident and is in severe pain. Who on earth is going to tell her she doesn’t need to be seen at a&e?

Exactly! And the benefit of being exposed to radiation (I.e a diagnosis) must always outweigh that risk.

I’d phone them early then. Like 5 or 6am or whatever if you can’t sleep.
They can sort out a referral to minor injuries for an X-ray or whatever so they know you’re coming.

given you walked home and are in your 20s and it was only earlier today then no I wouldn’t go and sit in a&e for 12 hours …Id dose up on the 500mg paracetamol with codeine and sleep it off but then again I have a fairly high pain threshold and am old enough to know it’s going to hurt before it gets better and to give it a day or two of rest (but then I’ve ploughed through from falls from horses and putting my back out barely able to walk as a single mum of 3)

If you go to a&e you might be waiting hours to be seen & won't be given a bed. They will prioritise emergencies like heart attacks and people struggling to breathe. Pain is bad but it won't kill you so it doesn't mean you'll get prioritised unless they think whats causing the pain could kill you.

Id wait until the morning and go to minor injuries, you will be really uncomfortable in an a&e chair all night

Every time I yawn it’s completely taking my breath away. It’s too cold to go out now, and my local A&E apparently has 85 people waiting to be seen, so it’s off the cards for tonight

I’d probably sleep it off but if you’re no better tomorrow go and get seen.

DH fell over on ice in winter (he was early 40s) and was in agony. I called an ambulance the next morning as it took him an age to get up and down the stairs. The ambulance crew basically said if he could move at all it wasn't broken and so he would be better off at home rather than in A&E

If you’re not going because it’s too cold and too busy that’s a pretty good indicator that you don’t need A&E. Minor injuries perhaps, but not A&E. Probably the same as many of the 85 people who are already there.

You may have winded yourself op, I did that as a young girl and thought I was dying, breathing hurt for a day and night.
I would Call 111 to see what they say.

It's not A&E anymore - it's ED - the emergency department, has been since 2003

It was changed precisely because of people like those above who say 'it's an accident and therefore I can be here'

Accidents do not always need an emergency department. Many many things which are accidents are very minor, which is why minor injury departments have been developed.

111 would be appropriate to triage the injury. They will be able to assess which service would be best for OP.

Hope you feel better by the morning OP, sounds like you have taken quite a knock.

If you are having difficulty breathing, then yes, it’s a trip to A&E. Alternatively is there a minor injuries unit nearby? I would definitely call 111 for some advice.

You will sit in a hard chair for hours. I would keep taking the painkillers all night and go to a minor injuries in the morning.

For some fractures you can suffer an embolism …so if your breathing is affected you really ought to be checked out

My local hospital has three options once you are triaged - an urgent treatment centre, a minor injuries unit, and the proper emergency area.

So I don't understand when people say you shouldn't go to hospital - that is exactly where to go here.

Recently both my adult daughters ended up there at the same time. One was triaged through to the emergency area, the other to minor injuries (subsequently upgraded to urgent treatment).

It is a great system because you don't have to try and guess where you need to be.

Breathing you definitely need to go

I’d wait till tomorrow and go to the minor accident and illness department rather than the emergency department. It’s not an emergency.

If you’re not going because it’s cold outside presumably you don’t feel that bad?!

I’ve fallen over a few times as an adult whilst out running and I’ve been really sore afterwards all over, it’s quite a shock to the system.

You will be triaged so you might not have 85 people in front you . Last time I was A and E the numbers on the board didn't change at all and we were seen fairly promptly ( busy London hospital.)

If you think you can sleep I would and go first thing but really if it hurts to breathe that's quite worrying so wouldn't be an over reaction to go now.

See how you feel in the morning. I'm currently nursing a fractured ankle as a result of rolling my ankle taking the dog for a walk. I left it four days before deciding if I should go or not and was fully expecting to be told it was to be a strain. A quick prod of my ankle and I was referred for xray, diagnosed and dispatched with a boot. All done and dusted in a couple of hours. Wish I'd have gone sooner.

I fell over hard in the garden running away from a disturbed wasps nest.. .. don't laugh.....and really winded myself. Enough to have to lie in the ground for about 10 minutes. I was really sore and stiff for days. Falling over hard is a shock to all your muscles and bones. I also face planted on a doorstep tripping over in flip flops, and bruised my nose and gsve myself a black eye. Didn't go to a&e for either, and they gradually improved over a week. Wait until tomorrow and see how you go.

Call 111. They will triage you over the phone and book you in for an Xray if they think you need it. Cuts waiting time significantly and means that ED already have most of the details. I was in and out in less than an hour for XRay and outcome at a busy ED in Manchester with suspected broken bone in foot, with usual wait time of 5 hours. So definitely call 111 tomorrow to set your mind at rest if nothing else.

How are you now? It sounds like you need A&E. You just don’t know until you have an xray. A family member, not old, broke his hip slipping on some decking and sat on it for 36 crazy hours before going to A&E. Not advisable for quick healing.

The paramedic in the ambulance with me on the way to A and E said, "Oh, your hip's fine!" because i kept bending my knee so that my heel was tucked under my bum. This was involuntary, like a reflex action, as any attempt to straighten my leg was agony. I said nothing and just thought, I'll wait to see what the x-ray says.

Turns out I had indeed broken my hip; the ball snapped right off my femur. Movement doesn't negate the possibility of a fracture.