Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

OK - Quick survey: A&E/ambulance use

151 replies

roisin · 18/06/2006 20:33

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?

OP posts:
TwinsetandPearls · 22/06/2006 00:09
  1. dd is 4
2. never called an ambulance 3.twice and it was both on the same day 4. first she swallowed a coin and then we got home and she fell out of her high chair.

Not a good day.

northstar · 22/06/2006 00:28

Q1. 13mths and 4
Q2a. Once
Q2b Baby not breathing - I re-started him somehow with all my shouting and shaking and running outside into the howling wind - ambulance took 2 hrs due to same howling wind, trees down everywhere. diagnosis failed cot death, after viral infection and 3rd 5in1 temperature spike. He was in shock for 3 hours then absolutely fine. 2 days observation in ward.
Q3a. Never
Q3b. n/a
Can I add that the ambulance was on the way back from a 999 call from a woman who thought that maybe something had lodged inside her 6yr old sons ear before he went to bed that night(it was 4am) but went to bed herself before the ambulance arrived and didnt answer the door!

NotAnOtter · 01/07/2006 22:30

Agree with your brother roisin

claireh11 · 03/07/2006 21:17

Q1: 3
Q2a: never
Q2b: n/a
Q3: Never
Q4: n/a

bogwobbit · 03/07/2006 21:29

1 - 19, 15, 8 & 2
2a - Never called an ambulance myself but police did after dd1 was run over
2b - Kept in overnight beause of concern re fractured skull - hit head off windscreen of car and smashed it (the windscreen that is, not her head fortunately ) Only lasting damage was scarring to her back.
3 - 7 altogether, I think.
3b - badly bruised fingers after hand slammed in door (thought they were bruised); stitches needed under anaesthic after bad cut between eyes; constipation - bit embarassed about that one but poor wee soul was bursting bloodvessels in her eyes with the straining; bead stuck up nose; broken nose; broken wrist; broken collarbone

Angeliz · 03/07/2006 21:30

Q1-5 + 1
Q2a- never
Q2b- n/a
Q3a- A few, can't remember. I'm 'one of them' aren't i?
Q3b- various!

But don't we always say on here 'oh get them to A+E'. I feel a bit of a paranoid freak now unless i'm the only honest one!!

trinityrhino · 03/07/2006 21:34
  1. 6 and 15 months
2. Never 3. N/A 4. Never 5. N/A

Crossing all my things now that it stays that way

bogwobbit · 03/07/2006 21:37

Personally if I had any immediate, urgent concerns about my kids health I would take them to A & E unless I could get them seen by another doctor (eg GP) straightaway. I'd hope that the staff there would understand that risks shouldn't be taken with children's health / wellbeing.

spidermama · 03/07/2006 21:42

Q1: 7, 6, 4 & 1
Q2a: Never
Q2b: n/a
Q3a: 4
Q3b: Chest burn, broken foot, swigged Calpol but was fine, swigged Ariel liquid but was fine.

flutterbee · 03/07/2006 21:54

Q1: 8 months

Q2: Once when ds wan't breathing and was limp

Q2B: 6 weeks old with bronchilitis (sp) he was kept in for a week

Q3A: Never

Q3B: N/A

essbee · 03/07/2006 22:00

Message withdrawn

frogs · 03/07/2006 22:07

Q1: How old are your kids? 11, 7 and 2

Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? Once, when ds had a head injury (walked into a lamppost, hard) and then woke up later that night semi-conscious and vomiting. Not a good moment.

Q2b: What was the diagnosis? Concussion

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 3 times, I think.

Q3b: What was the diagnosis? Dd1 aged 6 had an abscess in her salivary gland which required surgery and IV antibiotics; Ds then aged 2 had persistent high fever and dark red rash, but turned out to be nothing sinister; Ds aged 3 sent to A&E by GP who suspected inhaled object, but turned out to be bronchitis.

I am firmly at the crap end of the parenting spectrum wrt to doctors -- usually by the time we finally do go they fix me with a stern look and say, "And how long has he/she been like this?"

Rowlers · 03/07/2006 22:07

Q1: 2
Q2a: Never
Q2b: N/A
Q3a: Never
Q3b: N/A
Lucky so far

festiveface · 03/07/2006 22:20

Q1: How old are your kids?
10 and 7

Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them?
never.
Q2b: What was the diagnosis?

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids?
ds1=3 once as a tiny baby, would not stop crying=colic
once with a banged head= was a fluke he was spewing as had a bug.
once with suspected meningitus= was hand, foot and mouth.

ds2=6 once with a very high temp and rash = some sort of virus
twice with dislocated arm = was clicked back into position
twice with banged head = concussion
once after falling from a tree = nothing broken, being a drama king!

mears · 03/07/2006 22:28

Q1: How old are your kids? 19,17,15,12
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? Twice for DS3 when he could not breathe with asthmatic attack

(Friend called ambulance for DS1 when he fell and broke his arm)

Q2b: What was the diagnosis? Asthma

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? DS1 once
DS2 twice
DS3 twice
DD1 three times

Q3b: What was the diagnosis?

DS1 corneal abrasion

DS2 head injury
broken toe

Ds3 asthma x 2

DD1 head injury needing stitched
broken collar bone
dislocated elbow

QueenPeaHead · 03/07/2006 22:31
  1. 8 5 3 5mths
2a once 2b 2nd degree burns 3a ummmm 7 3b congenital hypothyroidism (went to a&E with jaundiced newborn); broken wrist x 4; pneumonia; xray for suspected broken leg but just bruised.
Caligula · 03/07/2006 22:34

Q1: How old are your kids? 4 and 7
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? 4
Q3b: What was the diagnosis?

  1. Knocked head no damage
  2. Knocked head no damage
  3. Split lip, needed operation to ensure no bad scarring
  4. Cut mouth, eat ice cream
LeahE · 03/07/2006 22:41

Q1: 17 months
Q2a: Never
Q3a: Twice
Q3b: (i) [GP first spoke to paediatrician who advised we should go to paediatric A&E] whooping cough, admitted for several days on supplementary oxygen and monitors
(ii) [not exactly a diagnosis requiring huge deductive powers] deep cut near eye that needed to be glued. Would have gone to minor injuries unit instead but they don't treat under-2s.

My brother might as well have lived in A&E as a child (you name it, he would fall off it, run through it, collide with it or have it land on top of him). I'm worried DS will be the same.

hulababy · 03/07/2006 22:48

Q1: 4
Q2a: never
Q2b: n/a
Q3a: Once
Q3b: hadn't broken any bones despite pulling chest of drawers over on herself with TV on top.

foundintranslation · 03/07/2006 22:51

Q1: 13 months
Q2a: never
Q2b: n/a
Q3a: once - he fell off the bed wth an enormous bump at 5 months
Q3b: he waa fine

chipkid · 03/07/2006 23:19
  1. 4 and 21 months
2a twice for 4 year old, never for the 21 month old

2b once with first allergic reaction to nuts. (age 23 months. The second was for a torticullis-couldn't move neck-in agony aged 4. (fear that neck broken/meningitis.)

3a Ds in casualty as detailed above, plus two head injuries, one requiring gluing. A damaged toe nail requiring aspiration (he is just one of those children!)
DD just the once (touch wood) falling from highchair onto stone flagged floor

edam · 03/07/2006 23:35

Nearly 3

Never

N/a

Once

Can't recall exactly but some sort of infection requiring antibiotics - he was actually ill, bless him, and it just happened to be in the middle of the night, and his temperature was above whatever the limit is that you are supposed to worry about, and I couldn't bring it down with calpol and bathing. Not that I'm embarrassed, or anything...

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 04/07/2006 00:00

Q1: How old are your kids? 6 and 4
Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them? 0
Q2b: What was the diagnosis? n/a
Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids? 5 (I think)
Q3b: What was the diagnosis? 1 pulled elbow; one ripped bit that joins your lip to your gum (she was pfb, 4 months old, there was a lot of blood)one bronchiolitis and 2 cases of bugger off it's a virus not meningitis.)

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 04/07/2006 00:05

actually, in my defence, it wasn't immediate bugger off, it was let's keep an eye on them for a couple of hours, then you can bugger off

ghosty · 04/07/2006 00:49

Q1: How old are your kids?

6 and 2

Q2a: How many times have you called an ambulance for them?

Once for DD when she was 2 months old

Q2b: What was the diagnosis?

She was throwing up blood but it turned out she had rotovirus and had thrown up so much she damaged her oesophagus, which caused the blood ...

Q3a: How many times have you been to A&E with kids?

Once with DD (sent there by GP as she had a very high temp) 3 times with DS

Q3b: What was the diagnosis?

DD - suspected meningitis ... but wasn't in the end (we were sent by GP)
DS - 1) suspected meningities ... but wasn't in the end (we were sent by GP)
2) gashed his chin ... needed stitches
3) cracked his head ... needed stitches and x rays