Judge my A&E trip

[PacificState]

DS (21) is in Europe and thinks he has done something to his ACL (playing football). He’s with mates who’ve done in their ACLs before and they say the symptoms are the same. I don’t have loads of detail yet but he’s having trouble putting weight on it.

He went to local hospital [thank god I made him get a GHIC] and they x-rayed it and said nothing broken, so looks like a soft tissue injury, but they couldn’t say more than that. They’ve given him crutches and a fitness to fly note.

He’s flying home late tonight.

So my question is: given (I think?) he will need a scan to determine what he’s done, are we spending tomorrow in A&E?

Final factor to avoid drip feed: he’s sitting finals this upcoming term. He’s currently living a couple of miles away from uni. Uni does have some welfare rooms in central locations that he would probably be eligible for if he has a serious injury. His whole term is going to be in the library (that’s where he studies and revises best), so if he is eligible for a welfare room he’d like to tell the uni asap.

Thank you for playing ‘judge my A&E trip’…

I would phone out of hours and see if they will see him or wait till Monday and contact the Gp i wouldn't sit in A&E for hours. Where they might triage him and make appointments anyway he has been seen abroad and diagnosed he does need a check up but Casualty isn't the place to go imo.

Thanks Lomonold. He hasn’t actually been diagnosed though, I think. They’ve ruled out a break, but can’t say what kind of injury it is with an x-ray alone — I’m guessing that for that they will need an MRI or CAT scan (never know what the difference is), and I’m also guessing that A&E is how you get one of those without waiting months? I could be wrong though.

A&E and minor injuries units are for recent ie last 24 hour injuries not injuries a few days old that have already been seen. If he's had an x ray and nothing is broken what else are you expecting to be done? I would think that GP is your first port of call.

From what I can make out from some googling, if it’s an ACL injury it won’t necessarily heal on its own. Some of them need surgery or physio - but we’ll only know if that’s what he’s got if he gets a scan, I think. That would be the point of going to A&E (in my head). Plus, just finding out what it is that he’s actually done — the GP won’t know any more than we do without a scan.

Well they said nothing Is broken and it might be a soft tissue injury, what do you think A&E will do over a weekend ?

A&E are most unlikely to give him an MRI for an injury. You may get a referral from
them but you’d be better going to a GP or Urgent Care if there is one near you. You can get private MRIs in some places without a referral - there’s a place by Waterloo in London for example.

If it’s a soft tissue injury, he needs an MRI not a a CT scan.

I think minor injuries would be appropriate for this one. Being called “minor” doesn’t minimise anything it’s just not about-to-die-or-lose-a-limb injuries which is where A&E comes in

Yes minor injuries would probably see him, ours you need to phone and get an appointment which has to better than sitting in A&E for hours.

Realistically this isn't a minor injury if it's his ACL, minor injuries is for patching you up and checking for broken bones, it sounds like that's basically what he's already done.
But there's no point going to A&E on the weekend, you'd be better going first thing (like 6am) Monday morning. The GP can't diagnose a ACL tear either and will send you to A&E.
Alternatively call 111 and see what they advise? However I did try that in the past with a sprained ankle and they sent me to the out of hours GP waited 2 hours and was told I had to go to A&E anyway for an infinite wait! So realistically you will probably end up in A&E but IF he did need surgical repair it wouldn't be immediate anyway, it would be scheduled as non urgent day surgery. Pain management over the weekend and tackle diagnosis and management on Monday.

Thanks all. He’s registered with his GP at his uni, not at home, which makes it a bit more difficult. I’ll get him to phone 111 when I’m driving him home from the airport and see what they say. There literally isn’t a minor injuries unit anywhere near us!

I think this does come down to him needing an MRI (thanks to the poster who clarified) and whether there’s any hope of getting one in the next couple of weeks on the NHS (and if so, how do we do that), or whether we should just suck it up and pay for a private one.

He can see your GP as a visitor

My friend broke a bone when she was away from her home town (in UK but 5+ hours away on holiday). They advised her to present at A&E on return to her home town and she ended up with an operation a week or so later. It’s unlikely A&E will do an MRI, he’d need to be referred for that via the GP - he can register as a temporary patient.

Need mri to diagnose fully but should be able to get an idea using anterior drawer test. I went to minor injuries last year with a knee injury and they manually checked for ligament damage by checking laxity of joint. Decent physio should be able to check.

Thanks all. I think you have collectively warded off a useless A&E visit!

By all means go to A+E but in all honesty your just wasting yours and there time
he’ll be booked in for a mri it’s not an emergency so very unlikely they will do it today
personally I’d ring 111 it’s already had medical attention so they will possibly do a phone consultation and then refer for mri
if he’s been deemed fit to fly and traveled home with it it can’t really be classed as an emergency

such pity he was stupid and didn’t pay for travel insurance that I doubt would of cost him over £20 they would of done mri with that they go all out when insurance is covering it

not really the point of the thread but it completely irresponsible to go aboard without travel insurance every year there’s a flood of go fund me with people who are totally fucked and facing bills of thousands stuck abroad
I’m shocked that any parent would let there child go abroad with no insurance it’s very cheap OP made a fuss about them getting GHIC card then waved them off with no medical insurance

Many people with an ACL injury don't get surgery and just live with it. Unless he needs it for elite sport then it is manageable.

They can't do much at A&E and you most certainly won't get those scans. Even a sprain they don't do much - a boot and crutches aren't supplied.

And yeah like the above, get travel insurance. Really really irresponsible if something worse had happened and God forbid he did need expensive scans or surgery.

Where have you got your 24 hour limit? That's invented.

If an injury worsens or you need further checks - A&E is still reasonable.

My DH ruptured his ACL. GP referred for MRI and he eventually had surgery and physio, but none of it was treated as an emergency - the surgery was probably a year or so later.

We have a new diagnostic centre locally, gps can refer there for scans so might be worth asking them first.

The OP didn't say he doesn't have travel insurance.