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Original poster

Keep ending up in a and e with my DD

24 replies

babygirlmummy2020 · 03/03/2022 12:49

My DD is two years old and we keep ending up in a and e.

In the last 6 months, we've been to a and e probably around 4 times. This has all coincided with starting nursery.

We've had to go twice for croup related breathing problems and another time where she had trouble breathing because of a bad cough. Now is the third time and it's because she has a virus and isn't drinking and her nappies have been bone dry for over 12 hours.

I usually call 111 in most cases who always tell me I need to take her to a and e. I take her, they check her out and and they either give her medicine and discharge us, or they just send us home and say her vitals are all good and she'll get over it.

It's starting to get tiring now. Am I doing something wrong ? In all cases but one, I knew deep down she was most likely fine. But I went anyway.

I'm not sure if my strategy is correct in always ringing 111. Maybe I can trust my own judgement more on this stuff ? I took her recently because she hadn't done a wee in over 12 hours and had only done two wees in 24 hours. But they basically told me she was fine. I knew she seemed OK, not like a really sick child. But I couldn't help but worry that she might go downhill fast and I wouldn't know what to expect in the case of dehydration getting serious.

Any thoughts welcome.

OP posts:

Notagoodnight · 03/03/2022 12:51

How good is your GP?

Original poster

babygirlmummy2020 · 03/03/2022 12:55

@Notagoodnight

How good is your GP?

I see several. These instances always happen at night though, when I can't speak to the GP.

OP posts:

usernotfound0000 · 03/03/2022 13:09

Breathing problems I think are fine but I wouldn't have gone to A&E for not weeing. I would have tried the GP first.

peboh · 03/03/2022 13:13

Breathing problems, absolutely you should take them to a&e.
The dry nappies, I'd have personally waited until the morning to speak to your gp. The issue with taking a child to a&e for minor issues, is that you're taking time from people who really do need seeing. I can't say if you're overreacting or not, as I don't know your child but I would be wary about what you could actually see the gp for vs taking her to the hospital.

Footnote · 03/03/2022 13:13

If you’ve been to a&e twice for croup I would think that your GP should have acted after the first time. My son needed an ambulance the first time he had croup, the doctor called the week after seeing that he had had to be taken in, we had a follow up appointment and now we have dexamethasone at home for any repeat occurrence.

Footnote · 03/03/2022 13:15

Also, I only go to a&e for breathing if they have retractions. Everything else (like when you can hear that they have pneumonia) has waited until the next morning.

Original poster

babygirlmummy2020 · 03/03/2022 13:21

@Footnote

Well lucky you ! My GP has completely refused to help us at all. Saying we just have to deal with it at home and take her in if she can't breathe.

OP posts:

Duracellbunnywannabe · 03/03/2022 13:22

You definitely did the right thing with not weeing. It’s a sign of a greater issue (spesis) and it’s standard NHS advice to take an under 5 to A and E if they haven’t had a wee for 12 hours.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/

It’s common for children starting nursery to get many illnesses and add in being a covid baby so having lower immunity due to lower exposure to bacteria/viruses and that there are many going around it’s not surprising she has had lots of illnesses close together.

girlmom21 · 03/03/2022 13:26

If she's not weeing but is drinking id wait until the GP opens.

In nappies it's hard to know whether they're weeing because a small wee will absorb quickly.

pinguwings · 03/03/2022 13:33

This year has been another level in terms of bugs for babies and toddlers. You don't mess around when it comes to children and breathing difficulties.
You've rung 111 and followed their advice.
A&E will contact your GP with each visit, it should be your GP who makes a long term management plan.

Footnote · 03/03/2022 13:57

Wow, that’s a hostile response. I was just saying that your GP was letting you down, so agreeing with you, and giving you an example of something you could ask for.
When you said ‘any thoughts welcome’, what specific thoughts were you hoping for?

Susu49 · 03/03/2022 14:13

@pinguwings

This year has been another level in terms of bugs for babies and toddlers. You don't mess around when it comes to children and breathing difficulties. You've rung 111 and followed their advice. A&E will contact your GP with each visit, it should be your GP who makes a long term management plan.

I agree with this. And another pp who said that not weeing can be a sign of sepsis.

It might feel overkill and irksome but you're following medical advice in every situation and it's better to do that than risk your child being seriously ill the one time you don't go.

Ignore those who criticise you for 'taking time away' from others in a&e, you dont need that sort of guilt trip.As long you keep following medical advice, you're doing fine.

Rrrob · 03/03/2022 14:17

Totally disagree with people saying not weeing but drinking is fine. This was the first sign dd had kidney failure, and it was noticed too late (she was an inpatient in hospital at the time).

Raindancer411 · 03/03/2022 14:22

@Footnote

Wow through reoccurring bouts we were never prescribed anything from our GP. After one bout once, the A&E told us to make an appointment the following morning for the Dr as he would need another dose of steroids. When I went the Dr just said I don't know why you here!! Each time we just went straight to A&E as the A&E Dr there said too after that.

Original poster

babygirlmummy2020 · 03/03/2022 14:31

@Footnote

Wow, that’s a hostile response. I was just saying that your GP was letting you down, so agreeing with you, and giving you an example of something you could ask for. When you said ‘any thoughts welcome’, what specific thoughts were you hoping for?

Oh sorry. I really didn't mean to sound hostile in any way towards you. There was no hostility in my mind when I wrote it, I was just thinking about my GP

OP posts:

nearlyspringyay · 03/03/2022 14:38

I was in A&E pretty much every other week with DTs on an alternate basis when they started nursery for croup. They were prem and any sniffle turned into croup / stridor. After about a 18 months I was finally prescribed dexo to keep at home. I was more experienced in croup than the hospital team by that point. Mine are 11 now, but at the time they would not prescribe dexo for use at home.

I remember two nights were I took one in only to get a call from DH saying the second had gone down and having to get my mum to go and get them and bring them in. We've got one car. It was like hospital tag.

ThisBloodyNoiseInMyHead · 03/03/2022 14:43

Does your little girl cough at night? Could it be Asthma? My 2nd son was wheezy from being about 3 months old, and eventually was diagnosed with Asthma when he was about 9 months old. We frequently ended up at Casualty with him, and he was kept in hospital quite regularly. I should add that he's now 38, fit and very healthy.

Choppingonions · 03/03/2022 14:50

It sounds like you need a referral to a paediatric respiratory consultant probably ending up with a prevention plan for when well and a treatment plan for when sick.

You should certainly take them in to be seen if their tummy is going up and down with each breath and l/or resps are pushing high twenties.

GPs are so useless. I have beloved family members who are GPs but it's really hit and miss what they know about.

JudyGemstone · 03/03/2022 14:52

Do you try taking them into the bathroom and running the shower when they have croup? It worked well when my son had it many years ago, never needed to take him to A&E for that.

dizzydizzydizzy · 03/03/2022 15:09

I think it's just what happens with young kids. I had a period of 3 years when my DCs were born under 5 and we went there often, DC1 was even admitted a couple of times. DC2 should have been admitted once.

Both are now normal healthy teens.

choosername1234 · 03/03/2022 15:41

As an A&E senior nurse (paeds as well as adults) 4 attendances in 6 months does sound excessive. However no one here can tell you if they were genuine emergencies or a bit of an over reaction. You may find that the hospital try to link up in some way with your health visitor to try and prevent more frequent attendances.

Choppingonions · 03/03/2022 15:50

You must be seeing a lot of repeat offenders with GPs so hard to get near chooser.

yikesanotherbooboo · 03/03/2022 16:34

You might have needed to go and you might not . You obviously felt you did and were doing the best by your child. If I were you I would make an appointment with your doctor when you get a chance to talk through what you should do in future. Your baby will catch loads of germs over the n ctm year or two and A&E is rarely the best place for them.Apart from anything else you will most likely see an inexperienced young doctor trained to deal with emergencies and to turn patients around. For this reason patients often end up with antibiotics in A&E for earaches, tonsillitis, bronchitis etc most of which are viruses.Most of us end up in A &E at some point and things are always worse at night but if I were you I would have a bit of a debrief.

Rosesareyellow · 03/03/2022 17:02

I think you’ve just been a bit unlucky with a lot of ambiguous illnesses and symptoms - by which I mean ‘it’s probably nothing but may be something’ . With babies it’s good to be cautious. We went once because we were sent there from the GPs because they weren’t able to diagnose hand foot and mouth (which seems odd in hindsight). We never had breathing problems to deal with at that age but that’s just lucky. It’s annoying you’re GP won’t see you. 111 do send a lot of people to A and E on the side of caution… I don’t think they are helping offload the pressure there. It would be better to scrap 111 and put that money into more efficient GP services.

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