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Original poster

Survey: Have you been to A&E with an asthma attack?

40 replies

TinkerBellesMum · 03/10/2008 01:35

I've written about our experiences with Tink being taken into A&E with an attack last weekend and wanted to do a quick survey to help me know if I'm right in my feelings about the waiting time.

If you've been to A&E with an attack, how long did you have to wait before being taken to a cubicle/resus and put on a nebuliser? Also answer if you've taken someone else/ your child. If you can remember any of the details of your stats (what your heart rate was or your O2 levels) I'd also be interested to hear.

OP posts:

Saturn74 · 03/10/2008 01:45

Have been several times with DS2. Have been seen very quickly..... except for the first time.
That was particularly terrifying, and we were not treated well in A&E.
It led to us making a formal complaint.
There is a thread on here about it - will have to rummage, as not sure if I put it in chat (in which case it will have disappeared, of course) or in health.

I read your thread earlier - so glad Tink is OK.

Saturn74 · 03/10/2008 01:46

Thread will be almost exactly two years old now.

Original poster

TinkerBellesMum · 03/10/2008 11:14

Thanks HumphreyCushion.

Anyone else? I know I posted this a little late.

OP posts:

geekgirl · 03/10/2008 11:18

yes, I've been. I don't think I waited long - in fact I was probably seen and put on a nebuliser immediately (was 12 years ago so don't remember all the details).
A&E was empty though I think.

OrmIrian · 03/10/2008 11:20

Not A&E, but DH had to rush me to the GPs surgery in the middle of the night. Local A&E closed at night . Was seen and put on a nebuliser immediately.

CountessDracula · 03/10/2008 11:21

I did once - I had bronchitis and they kept me waiting for about 2 hours til I collapsed from wheezing and they had to keep me in for a week

freakypenguin · 03/10/2008 11:21

i have always been seen and put on nebuliser immediately too.

themildmannneredjanitor · 03/10/2008 11:22

had to take dh once-he was whizzed straight in and given a nebuliser immediately. his stats were quite low iirc

Tortington · 03/10/2008 11:23

i did many years ago - was taken by ambulance - seen v. wucikly had a chest xray and nebulised in a very short time.

dd had asthma when she was born and they always saw her quickly and admitted her quickly. they even gave me a mobile nebuliser so i could do it myself at home

this was all 15 and more years ago though.

cd thats terrible

TigerFeet · 03/10/2008 11:23

I'm not asthmatic but I once had a really nasty chest infection and had awful wheezing and shortness of breath - I went to A&E and within 10 mins I was on a nebuliser.

How long were you waiting TinksMum? I didn't see your thread.

hughjarssss · 03/10/2008 11:23

Same as freaky. Once I told them I was having an asthama attack I was taken straight into triage (sp) and then straight through onto a nebuliser without having to wait

Katisha · 03/10/2008 11:25

Both DSs have been taken several times to A&E with asthma when younger. (Hasn't happened since they gave me prednisolone to keep at home).
As far as I remember they were generally seen quite quickly as far as steroids and nebulising was concerned, but it took an age to get a bed out of the bright lights and heat, and an eternity to get discharged cos of waiting for the prescription. Could have done withouthaving to answer the epic questionnaires on admission as well.

Boco · 03/10/2008 11:29

DD went last week - thought it was asthma but turned out to be pneumonia. We went by ambulance so she was nebulised before we left and had oxygen all the time. Stats were 80 at the lowest point. We were seen pretty quickly - x-rayed within half an hour and taken to assessment unit after about 2 hours, then a ward a couple of hours after that.

I have also been into a&e with asthma attack and seen very quickly - stayed in a week then too.

Nemoandthefishes · 03/10/2008 11:29

I havent but DD1 has been frequently.
DD1 last went 2 weeks today and was seen within 5 mins, nebuliser within 15mins
Sats were Hr170 and o2 91
She was admitted within 2 hours and stayed in for 4 days with a 5 day course of steroids nebs and atrovent every 4hrs and inhalers every 4hrs.

Nemoandthefishes · 03/10/2008 11:29

oh and she is 2.9yrs old and known asthmatic[had problems since she was 3wks old] and was also tugging at her stomach and throat

suwoo · 03/10/2008 11:32

Took DD to walk in centre after being refused an appointment at the Dr's. They immediately called an ambulance and put her on oxygen (she was nearly 3). We arrived at A&E and went straight into treatment and on a nebuliser but I think this was as we'd arrived in an ambulance. I can't quite remember what her o2 level was, but it was ridiculously low and they were incredulous that she was still alive IIRC . Think it was 27-40 ish??? We stayed in for 4 nights and after originally thinking she had a collapsed lung, it transpired she had pneumonia. Horrible scary time .

Litchick · 03/10/2008 13:45

Ds was jumped to the front of the queue and nebulised very quickly.
The wait for an xray and subsequent transer to the children's ward took a couple of hours.
DS was in no danger at that point but it was hard going waiting around at midnight!

Horton · 03/10/2008 14:37

"If you've been to A&E with an attack, how long did you have to wait before being taken to a cubicle/resus and put on a nebuliser?"

Hi, I've only been to hospital as an adult with asthma, but in no case have I had to wait longer than half an hour (and that was a very mild attack, although they did keep me in afterwards for a week). On most occasions, I have been seen by a medical professional within ten or fifteen minutes and treated shortly afterwards. Arriving at A&E in an ambulance definitely gets you seen more quickly.

Original poster

TinkerBellesMum · 03/10/2008 16:16

So the consensus so far is PDQ.

Here is Tink's story.

Basically GP saw us, for something else but noticed she was breathing at 60 bpm. Gave her 10 puffs straight away and sent us to the waiting room while she moved her queue a little to see if she would improve. She didn't so she called The Children's A&E to warn them we were on our way. In the time it took to get there (2 miles-ish) her temp went from 38.4 to 39.6, she was breathing faster and the oximeter showed her O2 levels were around 90 (which is very low, it's no wonder they couldn't understand why your DD was still alive Suwoo) and her heart rate was high (the heart beats faster when there is less oxygen in the system to get what is there around faster). We were left in the waiting room after being told we were priority for 1 hour and 20 minutes. We watched the life drain from her in that time. At some points later on her heart rate hit 215.

OP posts:

brimfull · 03/10/2008 16:20

ds at around 3 yrs

we took him ,waited about 15 to be seen

he got nebulised straight after triage nurse saw him as sats were 85%

don't know what his HR was

yomellamoHelly · 03/10/2008 16:32

Have been many times (well 15 or so I think) with ds1. Only got to sit down once and that was for about 30 seconds. All other times we've been shown straight into a cubicle and ds has been nebulised almost immediately. At our hospital there's a nurse who seems to do this job and nothing else (she's been our first point of contact a lot). The care's always been excellent. Been to gps once (no car), but took half an hour or so to get him nebulised and we ended up having to go to hospital anyway.

Original poster

TinkerBellesMum · 03/10/2008 17:40

So I don't have to repeat myself, please have a look at my update on the other thread.

OP posts:

JuneBugJen · 03/10/2008 17:47

Been several times with asthma. In straight away as its a life threatening condition and couldnt breathe by time got there.

hecate · 03/10/2008 17:59

Yes. Many, many times. I've got asthma and respiratory depression (hypoventilation). I have been admitted many times and several times I've been in there a week or more. I have been given a steroid injection and a course of tablets many times! I have been nebulised and have spent many happy hours on 02.

Taken by ambulance and always seen straight away.

sats, well, they have been as low as 72 often, and regularly are in the low 80s. When mine dropped below 84 it set off the beeping on that machine they use!! I was monitored overnight and at one point it dropped to 26%. Once I was admitted for a week and I had to have blood taken from an artery every morning to check carbon dioxide levels (which hurts like buggery!)

I am surprised to learn that some people are not being seen and treated instantly, because it is potentially fatal.

MrsWeasley · 03/10/2008 18:04

I've been twice with DD when she was little but cant remember the STATs, sorry.
Will tell you that it took ages to be seen. The DR even said we cant treat her until she stops crying. (She was 10 months old and tired and having trouble breathing.)

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