17 year old son, GP or A&E?

[Imamumgetmeoutofhere]

My son is 17, almost 18. For the last 3 days he’s been peeing a lot more than normal and drinking a lot more than normal. This morning I found him asleep on the sofa and he said he had been too tired to go up the stairs to bed, but feels ok in himself today, just wiped out.

I said take him to A&E as these sound like possible diabetes symptoms, husband think it sounds like a UTI and has done an e-consult and urine sample for him at our surgery.

Am I over panicking? Or should I be trusting my judgement and taking him to A&E?

Thanks in advance

I would say GP

GP

If it was diabetes why would a GP not be able to deal with it ?

I would say A and E, unless that urine sample will be tested immediately for glucose. Very suspicious for DM.

A&E will see him with these urgent symptoms. If you're going to take him, do it now before it gets even busier.

Yes, you could hang around waiting for an e consult reply but it could well be that the GP would want you to get checked out in A&E anyway and by that time you might as well have been waiting in A&E. They won't turn you away.

You are not over panicking! Your local pharmacy would do a blood sugar finger prick test for you on the spot which would indicate if he has diabetes. Failing that, please go to A&E as this can be life threatening. My sons GP didn’t take it seriously or act quickly and it ended up with him being admitted and seriously ill with sudden onset diabetes

The urine sample should pick it up.

if you’re really worried though a pharmacy will do a urine dipstick, then if his glucose is high it will show and they will advise appropriate course of action.

Contact the GP and see what they say. If they are worried they'll send you to A&E.

They would deal with it by referring patient to ED for bloods etc - which they're unlikely to be able to do in a timely fashion at the GP practice.

Thank you, I didn’t think I was over panicking. Will take him up now to A&E

A&E will see him with those symptoms, offer new diabetes diagnosis coincide with another health issue at the same time so he should be checked.

The extreme tiredness is very worrying, good you are taking him to A&E. I hope it turns out not to be T1 Diabetes, but better safe than sorry.

I would have definitey said GP. Interesting to see so many people think this is an urgent A&E thing.

Because if it is diabetes he could slip into a coma while waiting for blood test results

I have two friends whose teenage DSes had similar symptoms. One went via GP, one went straight to A&E and was immediately transferred to a bigger hospital. Both were diagnosed with diabetes type 1 and both were admitted.

The one who was taken to the GP by his DPs was sent immediately to A&E. The one who went straight to A&E had previously seen a GP who said he had a stomach bug and should go home and rest. He was the most seriously ill of the two and ended up in intensive care.

Hope he’s okay OP. Better safe than sorry

GP

I'm not suggesting A&E is wrong advice, I'm shocked at myself for not realising this could be urgent.

GP? It’s not a medical emergency

given his age (and how many teen lads are diagnosed t1 around this age) I would go to A&E and advise of suspicion when being triaged. In the mean time plenty of water as that would help with both UTI and diabetes (body tries to pee out water to deal with blood sugars). Or if you have a blood sugar monitor for other family member/friend might be worth a test

It could well be if it's rapidly progressing diabetes. All the symptoms could fit with that.

I learnt the hard way! My 30 something son went to his gp and said he thought he might have diabetes. The doctor said ‘well you don’t look like you have diabetes but I’ll do a blood test’. One week later DS dragged himself back for the results and was sent straight to A&E where he was admitted and put on an insulin drip. They told him they didn’t know how he was still standing! The gp could have done a finger prick test on the spot but couldn’t be bothered. DS was very lucky 😬

A&E. Now.

It absolutely is. Those symptoms indicate diabetes and require immediate intervention.

No, he’s had a lot of water and is a bit knackered. That’s not a medical emergency.