Shall I take her to A & E

[S0uthernBelle]

My 14 year old daughter broke our dinning room chair Friday night, she just sat on it and it broke (old wobbly wooden chair). Since then her foot has been give her pain, she is sleeping fine so the pain isn’t keeping her awake. She has a bruise coming out on the foot as well as a scratch on the top of the foot. She can just about to weight bear with the pain. Also there’s minimal swelling around the scratch and bruising. I’m torn as to weather we go to A&E? I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. Shall I take her in case she does have a broken foot? Or give it time and see what happens?

Ring 111 for advice.

As PP said, ring 111.

No don’t take her, it’s not an emergency go to GP in the morning , they will at least be able to make an educated guess about whether a break is suspected / X-ray is needed.

Can she walk on it?

She can just about walk on it. I don’t have much faith in 111. Was just thinking will just wait to see GP in the morning.

I doubt 111 will be able to advise. Someone needs to see it. My leg didn’t ‘sound’ as though it was broken if I described it (no swelling or bruising, it did bruise but not for. few days) but an X-ray revealed not only a crack across the bone but also part of it had chipped off. Do you have a minor injury unit anywhere near you? That would be my first port of call.

Oh and I could just about walk on mine!

Minor Injuries unit is set up for just this kind of thing.

If she’s not in a massive amount of pain if watch it over the next few days.

*I’d

A minor injuries unit or urgent care centre would be better. Check your local one has X ray facilities and head there.

Saves you a massive wait in A&E and saves A&E seeing someone who could be seen elsewhere.

111 can’t xray her foot. I walked on a broken foot for several weeks. Weight bearing isn’t necessarily an indicator of a broken bone.

Sadly no walk-in centre or minor injuries units near by, closest is in the next county. About 25 miles away.

Not everywhere has minor injuries units - here it’s A&E or nothing. GP will just send you to the hospital since they can’t tell if it’s broken (or they tell you it’s just a sprain, and then when it happens again six months later and you go for an X-ray, they point out the old poorly healed fracture on your X-ray, as happened to me).

If she can’t bear weight on it at all then I’d get an X-ray done however is easiest where you live. I’ve had torn ligaments in my ankle that were far more painful than when I fractured it - way more swelling and bruising too. I had real problems with that as scar tissue formed and it hurt to walk for a long time - needed physio in the end.

I’d go to A&E. She has had an accident and will need it X-rayed to rule out a break. GP will just send you to the hospital anyway.

If you don’t have minor injuries unit then a&e 111 can direct you to whichever is appropriate in your area.

Obviously make sure she’s having regular pain relief appropriate to her age/health status don’t not give so they ‘can see how sore/bad it is’ which I’m sure you wouldn’t do - hope her foot is ok

What the point of using a GP appointment when they'll just send her to a&e anyway for an x-ray?

Unfortunately from what you've said I would think an x-ray is in order. I would take her in.

I’d go to a&e for an x ray. My dd had similar and she’d fractured her leg and had 5 weeks in a cast.

Just take her to A&E. Unless your GP is very unusual and has a full range of X-ray equipment on site, you'll be getting sent to A&E tomorrow anyway.

@game as we live rurally our GP can send us to get an X-ray at a non emergency hospital in the next village along so no need to clog up A&E it’s a shame it’s not open on the weekend.

Ah that is a shame. Always seems to happen on a weekend these things don't they?

In that case, getting it seen by your GP tomorrow sounds sensible, but it wouldn't be the end of the world to go to A&E - my local MIU is an hour away, and when I limped over there with a possibly broken foot, they politely implied that I was being a bit bonkers and should have gone to my local (much, much closer!) A&E instead...

111 can't diagnose, they can get you an appointment at the most appropriate place.

If no MIU and non weight-bearing/severe pain then that probably justifies A&E, certainly people will turf up with much less emergent issues.

Otherwise if you’re sure to be able to get a GP appt tomorrow for an x-ray referral then pain relief and RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) overnight.

I think either option is reasonable tbh! A&E probably quicker if you have a high suspicion of a fracture though. If your GP refers do you then have to trundle back to the GP for results and then probably another referral on to fracture clinic if it is broken?

What did you decide to do? Hope she’s ok x