Think DH has a cracked rib, does he need to go to hospital?

[MegBusset]

He fell over onto the corner of the bed (don't ask) about a week ago and hit a rib, it was one that he broke years ago. He thought he'd just bruised it but the pain seems to be getting worse.

He is being all manly about it and resisting going to the doctors. Do I need to badger him into going, is there anything they can do about it anyway? Would he need to go and have an x-ray or something?

is he getting pain on breathing in or finding it more uncomfortable to breathe?

Worth checking out to ensure there are no complications, but they can't plaster a broken rib.

He is OK until he breathes in sharply or the rib gets touched.

Oh, apparently yes it does hurt when he breathes in deeply.

I would say he should get it X rayed just to be sure that he hasn't punctured the lung or something awful.

could also be the muscle in between the ribs that got bruised.

if he has pain when breathing in it needs checking out as could be a sign of a clot. do you mean breathe in deeply when you say sharply? if so he needs to go to A & E tonight to get checked.

I had a cracked rib and went to hospital. There was nothing to do. They did give some very cool painkillers, though.

Yes it does hurt when he breathes in very deeply, but mostly if the rib is touched or knocked. I'm not sure how he would have got a clot?

Internal bleeding, Meg. Seriously, it is probably absolutely fine but one of those things which should be checked out. Just because most people who have broken ribs have no complications doesn't mean complications do not arise.

As an aside, I fell off a horse and thought I had broken a rib or two because I had breathing problems. I had in fact fractured my spine in three places, including a crushed vertebrae. Self diagnosis is not a good idea.

Thanks all. I will get badgering then

Quick update: he went to A&E this morning. Apparently he has a contusion (basically bruising and swelling), he has been given some painkillers but should be fine.

They didn't x-ray him, apparently there was a guy there in severe agony with proper broken ribs and he wasn't given an x-ray either!