Threads asking for emergency medical advice

[PurpleDaisies]

In light of a recent thread, this type of post should be deleted because they prevent posters from seeking advice from actual medically trained health professionals.

Often the advice from well meaning posters is either unhelpful, wrong or downright dangerous.

I know there is a disclaimer that nobody’s medical qualifications an be guaranteed, but in the specific case of a “live emergency”, wouldn’t it make sense to have a policy of deleting them in the same way as live suicide threads are deleted to encourage posters to seek help from appropriate sources?

It looks like the thread in question has gone as I posted this.

The thread was asthma related and the child 6.
Some of the bizarre advice was completely dangerous, I agree it shouldn't be given any veneer of legit advice it should be deleted and told to seek genuine medical advice.

How could a moderator judge if a situation is a medical emergency or not?

I wouldn't worry too much - I think these sorts of topics are as prone to trolling as any other. Some people just get off on the attention. I doubt anyone has come to serious harm due to posting on Mumsnet.

HQ don't appear to moderate the suicide threads according to their stated policy anyway so a new "rule" isn't likely to be all that effective.

I didn’t see the thread in question but I do agree, I often see shocking/wrong/dangerous medical advice given with utmost confidence on here. I know there is a disclaimer but in the heat of an emergency I think people panic and are much more likely to take poor medical advice than on a thread about a less serious or more long-term issue. Mumsnet is clearly not the place they should be turning to in an emergency and that should be made clear.

But wasn't the sheer preponderance on the thread saying get-the-fuck-off-Mumsnet-and-phone-999? (though I do recall one particularly inane poster saying to male anhot drink)

The majority of posts were phone 999, appropriate advice I feel.

I definitely think there should be more policing of medical advice threads if possible. The advice is sometimes downright dangerous. Burns advice in particular is terrifying.

Well, if someone is posting on Mumsnet while heir child has an asthma attack I would say that after the emergency services have attended the OP probably should get a visit from social services.

The op didn’t phone for medical advice because they were getting information from the thread. If this sort of thread were deleted, they wouldn’t have had that option.

They were asking posters with absolutely no medical qualifications how many puffs to give. Posters told her it wasn’t an asthma attack because the child hadn’t collapsed. Somebody suggested treating it with a hot drink.

We shouldn’t have to rely on luck that correct advice is given and listened to in these very serious situations.

But even with the most on top of it mods, it would still take time to get the thread down, at which point the OP may have had responses.

But even with the most on top of it mods, it would still take time to get the thread down, at which point the OP may have had responses.

Yes, but I don’t think that’s a good reason for letting that sort of thread stand.

I don't see asking on here is any worse than asking anywhere else. There will always be people who are unsure what to do and will ask advice before getting medical help.

Instead of asking two or three people (mum, sister, neighbour) they ask several hundred in the same length of time. They get a pretty resounding 'stop faffing about on here and get to hospital/GP/walk in centre'.

But the thread has been deleted...?

It was deleted as I posted this thread. I didn’t know that was about to happen.

I think the wider issue of medical advice is worthy of discussion.

How could it be policed though?

Your emergency is another's "wait and see"

You'd have to have mods constantly checking all posts and deleting them 'in the fly'

It just isn't practicable Inna site this large with the minimal amount of mods MN has

I think it’s often pretty clear cut what’s an emergency and what isn’t. Trouble breathing, chest pain, severe infection, severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, loss of consciousness/head injury, acute confusion, severe allergic reaction, severe burns or burns to a large area = get medical help ASAP, don’t fanny about on mumsnet until the critical mass of people telling you to call 999 has been achieved.