Anybody know anything about sprains and fractures? Do I take dd to A@E?

[Boco]

Ok I know that it'll be me deciding and everything. But, I'm not sure. The nurse has left it to my parental instincts but they tend to not always work.

DD age 3 was at toddler group and the helper lady was swinging her around by her wrists and she suddenly started screaming. An hour later and she was still sobbing and wouldn't let go of it, any slight movement made her scream.

I took her to the drs and saw the nurse who managed to move it around and she can move all her fingers. She said that it's not obviously broken or dislocated, and is probably just a bad strain, but there are lots of little bones and one could be broken - but it was up to me as it may not be, and to decide by 3pm what i want to do. I have no car, dp would have to come home, find someone to look after dd1, it's 45 mins to hospital. Would go in a flash if i thought it was, of course, but i have no idea and she made it sound fairly unlikely.

So, my longwinded question is, swinging round, is it likely or possible to have fractured a little bone? How can I tell? Would a strain be this bad?

She's sitting very still with it on her lap and won't move it or let me touch it, and as i come into the room she says 'no, mummy, stay over there!!'.

Boco, just caught up with thread. Take her back. As said yesterday, she should be back on track by now and using arm. Agree with luvaduck that she should def be using it. As for pain after dislocation, it is still extremely painful after joint goes back into place.

They will totally agree with you for tyaking her back to A&E and they won't think you are a neurotic mother or anything.

it is but pain should be getting better
maybe an option is to call a+e and ask to speak to the consultant who treated her for advice if its a 45 min trip?

Just a quick one to add - my ds broke his arm in September. Dr didn't expect it to broken and there was no swelling. Lo and behold, x-ray showed a clean break across the lower bone in his arm. He was in a lot less pain than your dd too.

Dd been a total nightmare tonight, but because she's exhausted after not sleeping last night, so still wailing and shouting. Still not using it at all, but not complaining about it either. If we have another bad night or she's still saying it hurts tomorrow then i'll get her to the doctors.

I know it's not really the same Boco - but I remember spraining my ankle when I fell down the (concrete - ouch!) stairs at school - it was x-rayed and definitely not broken, but it was bloody agony for about three or four days afterwards. I remember it vividly even now!

Hope she feels better soon (and you get some sleep!)

Sorry to hear about this Boco but when you say doctors I hope you mean A&E. Your local GP will not be able to tell you anything. My only thought is to wonder why the wrist or elbow is not strapped in order to support the joint.

I agree, when I tore a tendon it actually got worse befoer it got better. So it could be that, but I was in real pain!

Are you combining Calpol and Ibroprofen? Max dose of each 2 hours apart (alternated so you don't give one more than once in 4 hours?). It may also help to give Medised instead of a calpol dose at night as it will relax her so she can sleep but not knock her out. I am sure I am teaching you to suck eggs but you never know

Hope she feels better tomorrow, if not get her to the GP.

They said they didn't want to strap it as they wanted to encourage her to use it - but this seems a bit mean as she'd certainly be more comfortable with it strapped.

I know you're right about GP, but am a bit stuck as live 25 miles from nearest hospital, in a rural area, with no car during the day. Our trip to A&e the other afternoon took several hours only to be sent away with calpol. If she's in a state i'll find a way to get her there, but may need the gp to agree with me in order to persuade dp to take more time off work and take her.

I hate to say this but my dd pulled a bone out of place when she was walking along holding my hand but decided to throw herself on the floor,i was still holding her hand so it pulled, she then was screaming in pain i toke her to A&E & she had pulled a bone out of place just in the middle f her arm where the elbow is but on the inside, they managed to put it back into place so to speak but she had a sling & would not use it for about a day or 2.

Could it be this?

I don't know, confused, consultant at a&e did check for pulled bones, and said it could have pulled and gone back in again, but all the pain is in one point in her wrist.

Will see how she is in the morning - if we have a night like last night i'll find a way to take her back. Hopefully it is a sprain and will start to get better.

Hmm we all thought it was dd's wrist at first until they said there is a bone which i can't remember the name of but it is very common that it comes out of place in little one's.

If you push a little on the middle of the inside of her arm she would cry in pain ( i know that sounds awful) but she won't let you touch it, how is she with you around the middle bit of her arm?

I was also told that where it was so much pain the little ones still think it is going to hurt & that's why they hold it still/don't let you touch it, dd had hers in a sling even though it was back in place she still cried & would not let you anywhere nr it.

how is she today boco ?

Well, i tried to get a dr appointment this morning as she's still not using it, and thought that at least if he says she needs an xray i could persuade dp to drive us. But, no appointments, so made one for tomorrow.

She's ok, doesn't seem to be in pain, but just won't use it. Was playing at a toddler group today and people kept pointing out that she won't use it, so tried to make a game of it and got her to very slowly raise her arm - was the most she could do, but i guess it could still be that it's the sprain and hurting in her wrist. She woke in the night again aswell. I'm not so worried today as she was still tearing about and happy, so it's clearly not agony, but would feel better if they'd look at it again. No way dp will take her unless he really believes she needs to go as it's miles away.

My advice would be to get gp to re examine her wrist/elbow/shoulder and see what he thinks. All gp's have worked in A&E at some point in their career so they know how to examine things.

If she is still not using it and doesn't appear in pain then i would be more worried as she obviously is unable to use it not unwilling.

Is it right or left arm and is it her dominant hand that the problem is with.

I would def see another doctor and have it re examined as children will use their limbs as soon as they can to get thinks that they like iykwim.

I wouldn't just go with the flow yet. I don't normally advocate xrays for everything as they are not always necessary but maybe this time it would be indicated. Speak to gp and tell him you want it investigated more as it is not a run of the mill recovery.

DP needs to be a dad.

My DD wouldn't use her arm, I did wonder if it was fear that it would hurt but once she had the pot on she was a bit better. We are still very careful with her arm now. A friend thinks over the top careful

It's her left wrist, and she's right handed, so she's coping very well without it - but still, pulling herself onto and off chairs is hard, and she's not confident coming down the stairs. Got an appointment for the morning so will take her back to the GP then - did try for today but all full and no evening surgery.

Thank you for advice

Oh I think he is, he's not just being mean - it can be a good 4 hours out to take her to a&e and he's making up the time in the evenings - which of course he doesn't mind, but going again so soon - he just wants to be sure it's not a waste of time and that they'll just have a quick waggle of it and send us away again. He says he'll take us, but is happier to wait and see now that she's not obviously complaining about it - he's of the mindset that the doctor said it's a sprain, so it must be a sprain, and will just take a few days to feel ok - which isn't unreasonable - but as her mum i'm also fretting about greenstick fractures and dislocated bits adn thinking i should be doing more to get it seen to.

I really hope you get this sorted quickly. Such a worry for you all.

Poor wee soul! Do be comforted though Boco - even if it is a greenstick fracture they don't always put it in a cast as it doesn't make that much difference - dd2 had a greenstick one at about the same age and they ummed and ahhed about whether it was worth putting it in a cast (in a roundabout way I am saying that even if it is a greenstick break you won't have done any harm by leaving it)

Boco - I'm not reading any of your threads again as the phone rang this am to say could I get dd2 from school as she had fallen over on her wrist and I need to take her to A&E. Spooky eh?

On closer inspection (and in the comfort of her home with TLC, before flying off to A&E - our's is a good few miles too) I could see that all fingers and hand/wrists movement were fine, if a little sore to perform.

Boco - if you ever jinx me again I'm coming round to have a quiet word!

Hope your dd is better soon.

Oh dear sorry Wotz.

So, you're not going to read my next thread then, entitled 'I've just been arrested on trumped up drugs charges, and while in prison i've discovered i'm pregnant by my fil, or maybe my bil, can't be sure, and i've got thrush, and scabies, and my dp is going to have a sex change and call himself Crystal.'

NO and remember not to put put any @@@@@ in the title or else they'll ALL be after you with pitchforks.

Oh that @ in this title was a mistake and it really bugs me. It isn't A at E, it's A and E. You see, i was very much stressed. Here in prison i'm much calmer.