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Would you go to A and E with this? (picture included)

664 replies

BalaRua · 31/12/2016 08:25

DH was weeing red yesterday and this is his wee this morning. He has a cold and has been taking lemsip. He's definitely had a temperature although no thermometer to check. Would this warrant a and e given the day/date? Thanks

Would you go to A and E with this? (picture included)
OP posts:
haveacupoftea · 01/01/2017 19:51

OP, I think you have done the right thing, and hope DH's wee goes back to normal very soon! I wouldn't bother going back to A&E unless he starts to become unwell.

BalaRua · 01/01/2017 20:02

Thank you :) he'll be going to the GP ASAP on Tuesday when it opens.

OP posts:
Olympiathequeen · 01/01/2017 22:04

passmewine. Missed that bit! So it could be kidney 'gravel' which is not so bad as a larger stone (well, they're pretty small anyway!) and that could be along the kidney stone lines. Nothing shows in blood tests either.

I'll be interested to find out what it is, but either way if the symptoms worsen or new ones appear I would go back to a&e.

passmethewineplease · 01/01/2017 22:20

my stone, when it was discovered it was 3.5cm, it wasn't moving and I didn't have any pain so I was on the wait list for a year for the op! When they remeasured it was a 6cm staghorn thing.

Strangely proud. Grin

bluetongue · 02/01/2017 02:51

Pass you had to wait a year when you had a 3.5cm stone Shock

Kidney stones run in my family and I had a suspected stone a couple of years ago. Two episodes of excruciating back, abdominal and flank pain and a couple of months of persistent uti symptoms in between. No infection detected. My GP at the time decided it was a virus Confused

Good luck with the GP appointment on Tuesday OP.

MissJSays · 02/01/2017 02:55

OP, do you have an update?
Hope all is well

MissJSays · 02/01/2017 02:57

Oop, just seen! Never mind

GreatNorthern · 02/01/2017 09:30

Framey Relating your personal experience is not really relevant, is it? I was making a general point, on the system as it is.

The facts are that there is no diagnosis, but passing large amounts of blood may or may not be life threatening longer term.

As the dr on duty didn't know what was wrong, it would make sense if the system allowed drs in A&E to refer patients to specialists asap. Instead though, people are forced to go back to their GP - and this could take weeks- and then be referred. I doubt it's the same in other European countries. This is partly due to our lack of consultants and 'protecting them' by only allowing GPs to refer.

It doesn't work that way in the private health sector. If a consultant can't treat someone they tell them fully, or know someone with more experience, they refer them personally to another consultant. The whole process is faster and more customer-friendly.

People ought not to go to A&E with colds, sore throats, ingrowing toenails and the like, of COURSE! But when someone has a potentially serious, undiagnosed illness, they should be fast tracked through the system, and drs in A&E ought to be able to do this. The system is antiquated, with people abusing A&E for minor issues, and people in real need being denied fast treatment by specialists.

thatdearoctopus · 02/01/2017 09:56

So, Northern, you've advised the OP to take her husband back to A&E because you believe it should be run differently than it is currently?

MountainPeaks · 02/01/2017 09:59

"Not everyone can get an appointment with a GP straight away"

Our GP surgery have appointments kept open and a walk in clinic just for times like this- the hospital will have faxed them the discharge notes.

Natsku · 02/01/2017 10:27

I doubt it's the same in other European countries

True. I'm in Finland and my local A&E is the same doctors that are in the normal surgery so if you go there because you can't wait for an appointment they will refer you on to the appropriate specialist from your A&E visit rather than make you make a normal appointment first. And besides that, anyone can self-refer to a specialist in the private system.

Namejustfornappies · 02/01/2017 11:03

Hope he's OK

AliceInUnderpants · 02/01/2017 11:03

I hope he gets to the bottom of it soon. Did the hospital do any ultrasounds for evidence of stones in his kidney/bladder or any of the plumbing?

hackmum · 02/01/2017 11:29

GreatNorthern: "when someone has a potentially serious, undiagnosed illness, they should be fast tracked through the system, and drs in A&E ought to be able to do this. The system is antiquated, with people abusing A&E for minor issues, and people in real need being denied fast treatment by specialists."

You've hit the nail on the head here. There are so many inefficiencies in the NHS, and this is a biggie. Doing it the way you suggest would be hugely beneficial for the patient, but also, crucially, it would reduce the burden on the NHS. As it is, you've got an overworked GP who now also has to see a patient who could have been referred to the appropriate consultant by an A&E doctor.

T1mum3 · 02/01/2017 11:34

"it would make sense if the system allowed drs in A&E to refer patients to specialists asap. Instead though, people are forced to go back to their GP"

Do you mean if it is non-urgent? We've been referred several times via A&E - maxillofacial a couple of times, endocrinology once without having to go back to GP.

MountainPeaks · 02/01/2017 11:47

""it would make sense if the system allowed drs in A&E to refer patients to specialists asap. Instead though, people are forced to go back to their GP"

A and E can refer to specialists. At least in London they can - they can get a same day specialist consultation and add to specialist 2WW list for urgent issues. Maybe it's just some specialities though.

fourkids · 02/01/2017 12:09

Lots of 'it would be better this way or that way,' and 'it isn't like this in other countries or the private sector.' That's right - it is organised this way because of funding streams and, in effect, internal billing.

Mrsemcgregor · 02/01/2017 12:52

Never before have I been this invested in anyone's pee.

Hope you get some answers tomorrow OP

BalaRua · 02/01/2017 14:03

DH's pee seems to be no longer bloody but extremely cloudy, turbid and 'thick', and brown. It's awful. I'm so worried for him but darent tell him that! He's not so bothered :(. Hoping the GP refers him on for scans urgently. I've also ordered urine dipsticks for delivery tomorrow as per PP suggestion (thank you Flowers)

OP posts:
BalaRua · 02/01/2017 14:04

I also felt bad sat there in a and e on Saturday as it may have seemed to others that he was just there with his cold, and hopefully he didn't spread it round to other poorly people Sad but obviously he was there for something much worse.

OP posts:
poppym12 · 02/01/2017 14:09

I'm sorry to hear he's no better. Does he have any signs of jaundice at all?

BalaRua · 02/01/2017 14:20

I don't think so. Looks his usual colour really!

OP posts:
BakeOffBiscuits · 02/01/2017 14:25

Don't worry about what others think while at A&E! They were probably too worried about their own issuesSmile

Make sure you tell the Dr's receptionist that the Dr's at A&E told you he must see a dr on Tursday if he was no better. They should make sure your seen ASAP.

BalaRua · 02/01/2017 14:31

Thank you, dh and I will make damn sure he's seen asap. He's complaining of pain in the left side middle of his tummy today.

OP posts:
ihatebikerides · 02/01/2017 14:44

My 18yo dn went to Urgent Care/Out of Hours earlier this year over a weekend. They couldn't/wouldn't do much for him at the time, but said he must insist on seeing his GP first thing on the Monday morning. Sil was worried he wouldn't be forceful enough in insisting on the phone (and as he was 18, couldn't really do it for him). As soon as he mentioned what OOH had said, they slotted him straight in.

He was in hospital by mid-morning and diagnosed straightaway with Type 1 diabetes. His blood sugars were 30!