OK - Quick survey: A&E/ambulance use

[roisin]

Q1: How old are your kids?
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them?
Q2b: What was the diagnosis?
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids?
Q3b: What was the diagnosis?

1. 13, 12, 3 & 2
2. twice in one night for youngest 2b)croupe first time was ok when ambulance got there second time he was much worse and rushed in he didn't respond and had every paed and on call doctor and eventually anaethnatist to tube him, but didnt ended up on high dependency 3a)too many times to remember 3b) worst - pencil through eye, suspected taking of tablets, drunk valve oil that you put in brass instruments, suspected meningitus, fingers caught in gate ripped nail from bed, minor - knocked ankles, wrists, thumbs.

Q1: 5 and 15 months
Q2a: once, and when I was put through having asked for ambulance I got a recorded message saying "Please hold the line, all operators are busy right now"!!
Q2b: Fibral convulsion
Q3a: once
Q3b: DS had urine infection

3 years old
Never
Never

Agree it feels like tempting fate

Q1: How old are your kids? 6 and 4
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? 1
Q2b: What was the diagnosis? Meningitis
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 2
Q3b: What was the diagnosis? Meningitis and bump to the head

13,13,16
never
N/A
too many to put a figure on
various but always thorough

My looks very callous ... It was more a case of the way the rest of that day/week/month had been, at the time it was laugh or cry!

Q1: How old are your kids?
5 and nearly 3
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them?
once
Q2b: What was the diagnosis?
severe chest burns due to spilling hot tea
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids?
once
Q3b: What was the diagnosis?
all was fine, we were just a bit paranoid as first time parents with eight month old dd1 who had banged her head

4 and 2
never fortunatly
N/A
Too may to count
puemonia, scarletina, fractured toe among many other thaings.

Q1 ages 8 and 2,

Q2- never called an ambulance

Q2b- not applicable

Q3 - once

Q3b- badly cut hand, poor thing

This is fascinating!
My bro is a surgeon, and comes out with the most outrageous comments, eg:
"That 80% of people in A&E are just complete time-wasters and just have nothing better to do"
But he does tell some shocking stories of reasons people give for coming in to A&E.
Another friend is a paramedic and tells some similarly frightening tales of reasons given for a 999 call.
I cannot imagine anyone going to A&E or calling 999 unless they were genuinely very worried about something (even though their worry might eventually have been proved to be unnecessary).

Btw my answers are:
Q1: How old are your kids? 7&8
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? zero
Q2b: What was the diagnosis? n/a
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 2 (both ds2)
Q3b: What was the diagnosis?

1. damaged eye (cornea) - courtesy of his bro and some perfume
2. fractured arm (two places) - fall "assisted" by his brother

.. hmm.. There's a pattern there, isn't there?

Q1.11,8 and 5
Q2.zero
Q3.twice each for the youngest two.

8year old..1.A&E whist in Canaries for head injury. 2. Problem with earring requirring removal under local.
5year old..1.4 day history of vomiting and dehydration. 2.Fell and fractured top of humerous.

Q1 - 8, 6 and 3
Q2 - Never
Q3 - N/A
Q4 - Once with Dd1, loads of times with Dd2 and I think twice with Ds.

Q5 - Dd1 constipation, Dd2 breathing probs, pneumonia. Ds breathing probs.

Q1: How old are your kids? DS, 8.5, DD. 2.5
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? NEVER
Q2b: What was the diagnosis? N/A
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? ONCE WITH DS BUT NOT UNTIL HE WAS EIGHT, WHEREUPON THE A&E STAFF CONGRATULATED ME ON HAVING GOT THIS FAR WITHOUT TAKING HIM
Q3b: What was the diagnosis? THE GLASS IN HIS FOOT NEEDED TAKING OUT WITH TWEEZERS WHILE HE HAD GAS AND AIR

Q1: DS1 4.5, DS2 20months
Q2a: once, for DS1 + me + another baby
Q2b: everyone was fine, car crash.
Q3a: DS1 twice, DS2 once
Q3b: DS1: both times, strange unexplained paralysis. DS2: baddish cut near eye, needed steristrip.

Q1: How old are your kids? 8, 5 & 2

Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? never

Q2b: What was the diagnosis? n/a

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 3 times that I can think of that I took them straight there. Have also had referrals from GP twice.

Q3b: What was the diagnosis? ds1 x1 - pneumonia, ddx2 - UTI (skin and lips went blue/blotchy), and split head after fall needing glue.

GP referrals were also for ds1 - both breathing/chest issues and again pneumonia.

So far ds2 has managed to not need to go to A&E for anything. Fingers x'd it will stay that way.

Q1: How old are your kids? 8, 5 & 2

Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? never

Q2b: What was the diagnosis? n/a

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 3 times that I can think of that I took them straight there. Have also had referrals from GP twice.

Q3b: What was the diagnosis? ds1 x1 - pneumonia, ddx2 - UTI (skin and lips went blue/blotchy), and split head after fall needing glue.

GP referrals were also for ds1 - both breathing/chest issues and again pneumonia.

So far ds2 has managed to not need to go to A&E for anything. Fingers x'd it will stay that way.

Q1: 10months
Q2a: Never
Q2b: n/a
Q3: Once
Q3b: Had hit head badly, given calpo and nurofen to take home, as well as head injury leaflet. He didn't need stitches

oops

1. 3

2a. Once 2b. Croup 3a. We have a different system with an out of hours doctor - we have been there and put in an observation room twice. We have been many times and been discharged. 3b. Allergic reactions

Q1: 3y4m & 5m
Q2a: none
Q2b: na
Q3a: none
Q3b: na

lucky i guess

Q1: 9, 7 and 10 months
Q2a: Twice for dd2 when she was 2 then 3
Q2b: Bowel infection causing bleeding from the bowel; broken arm
Q3a: Once - took dd1 to A&E on holiday when dh shut the car door of her hand
Q3b: Just bruised!

Q1: How old are your kids? DD 3 and DS 1
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? Once - for DD when she was 1 on advice of a GP who had asked to hear DD's breathing down the phone.
Q2b: What was the diagnosis? Severe chest infection and subsequently discovered asthma.
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 3 times with DD inc above - 1st time after nursery gave DD macaroni cheese for lunch despite being very aware of her cows milk allergy. 2nd time was ambulance call - she was kept in for 2 days, 3rd time we went to out of hours doc because she had the same symptoms as when ambulanced in and doc told us to go to A & E to get her on a nebuliser - she was kept in overnight.
Q3b: What was the diagnosis? as above

Roisin - My DB's girlfriend is a paramedic and she tells me the same. They get an inordinate amount of calls from people "faking" illness - particularly fainting, heart attacks or fits.

She has told me its very easy to work out/test a faker (wont say how). They do it for lots of reasons but seemingly it stems from getting out of work/dodgy police situation.

They also get ALOT of calls from people who really could have gone to a doctor first but just didnt. They have, more than once, been called out for a headache or common cold.

Its awful.

Roisin - tell us some of the shocking stories then... (broken fingernail? nosebleed?)