For Children
Dehydration
Dehydration in children is harder to establish than in adults. By asking a few different questions, you can determine if there is any evidence of dehydration.
- Fewer wet nappies - e.g. producing less urine
- Drinking less than 50% of their normal amount
A barking cough
Often it is described that children will have a barking cough, often like a seal. If the caller/parent is unfamiliar with this, they can be directed to look up a video online of an example.
Coughing like this is often caused by a specific virus, which can cause croup in children. Children with croup should be seen by a medical professional, as we may need to give medications to shorten the illness.
Croup often affects children under the age of 1.
For all ages
The rash glass test
This is often used to determine if there is any evidence of meningitis or septicaemia (sepsis). A rash that does NOT fade under pressure (e.g. when the glass is pressed down onto the skin) can be suggestive of these conditions. Meningitis or sepsis can be life-threatening conditions, therefore immediate medical care and assessment is required. We cannot see patients immediately in our GP surgeries, hence we ask the patients to go to A&E departments.
Breathlessness
Describing the feeling of breathlessness if complex. Often a patient will say they are gasping for air, or feeling short of breath.
If a patient is extremely breathless, they will be breathing so heavily that they cannot speak normally. Either they speak a few words or syllables at a time, or they are so breathless that they cannot speak full sentences. This is a medical emergency, and any patient who is experiencing this should go straight to an A&E via 999 ambulance service.
Long-haul travel
Patient who have been on long-haul travel in the last 2-3 days are at higher risk of developing blood clots in their legs. This can be via plane travel or even immobility in a car for >4 hours at a time. These blood clots can travel into someone’s lungs - and cause a blood clot in the lungs, called a pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients with this condition may experience breathlessness and/or chest pain. These patients should be seen promptly via A&E where further tests and assessment can occur.
Asthma attacks
Those with asthma can experience asthma attacks. This can come on very suddenly, and patients are often experiencing breathlessness and/or wheeze coming from their chest. Both children and adults can have asthma attacks, and time is often critical for these patients. We therefore ask that anyone with a history of asthma who is feeling more wheezy or short of breath, be seen promptly within our surgeries. If we cannot accommodate seeing these patients within 3 hours, then they should be directed to an urgent care or A&E facility.