Go to er/fastrack?

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Okay, first, mea culpa for this, but I'm feeling wretched.

I've got a sore, very swollen throat, pain 6/10 no meds, 4/10 with Vicodin. My glands are visible through the skin of my neck. No fever, no white patches. I'm spitting out my saliva because it hurts too much to swallow it, and I'm having a touch of difficulty breathing. Headache and lightheaded. My dr won't see me till tomorrow. Two home health books are telling me to go to the ER, but seeing as I can sit here and write this, that seems excessive. There is a fastrack at my local ER though. Thoughts?

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I see that you're "almost out of mom's garage," elizabells, but still--if you were my daughter, I'd have to insist that you went to the ER. My main concern is your breathing.

[ERNurse752, RN]

Probably wouldn't hurt to go ahead and get checked out now in fast track with the SOB and difficulty with swallowing. They probably won't give anything stronger than Vicodin, if they're anything like my ER anyway... But they can do a rapid strep test and prescribe abx if needed, or do an xray of the soft tissues of the neck and/or chest xray if deemed appropriate based on your exam.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

I see that you're "almost out of mom's garage," elizabells, but still--if you were my daughter, I'd have to insist that you went to the ER. My main concern is your breathing.

Thanks for the fast reply, Angie. What I'm worried about is that if I'm working hard to breathe because of my throat it'll trigger my athsma. Could that happen? Sorry for being so question-y, I don't start nursing school for another 3 weeks!

[ERNurse752, RN]

Thanks for the fast reply, Angie. What I'm worried about is that if I'm working hard to breathe because of my throat it'll trigger my athsma. Could that happen? Sorry for being so question-y, I don't start nursing school for another 3 weeks!

Sounds like it already might be triggered anyway, since you said you had slight SOB. Better go get checked out!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Sounds like it already might be triggered anyway, since you said you had slight SOB. Better go get checked out!

Thanks, guys - I don't really want them to give me drugs anyway; I've got plenty of Vicodin for my back, I just want to stop drooling already! Now onto getting my boss to let me leave . . .

update Thanks for all the advice! I took another Vicodin and used my inhaler, and now I can breathe again, so I'm going to try to hold off until tomorrow. It's just odd because I don't feel "sick" per se, just my throat is all swollen. I'll let y'all know what it turns out to be!

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

If you cant hold off id recommend going to a walk in clinic or urgent care. ER tends to be busy and you might end up waiting half the night just to get seen.

Rj:rolleyes:

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

(mono?)

Let us know what happens! Feel better soon :).

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

(mono?)

Let us know what happens! Feel better soon :).

urg. I shoulda gone to fastrack last night - I was up all night throwing up bile and mucus. mmmm, yummy. just sucking on ice chips now and waiting for 3:45 so I can go to the dr. is there any way this could be connected to the PPD/tb test I had last week? Or just a sucky coincidence?

edited to add:

Aaaaaaand survey says? STREP. blech.

Thanks for all the advice and good wishes, guys. I'm going back to bed now.

[ERNurse752, RN]

Hope you start feeling better soon!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Hope you start feeling better soon!

Sooo, haha, funny story, I had an allergic reaction to the penicillin last night and got to go to the ER anyway! Wheee! Benadryl and a breathing treatment and erythromycin and I'm feeling much better. Thanks for the good thoughts, everyone!

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

So glad you're feeling better, elizabells! And I'm glad you got to the ER.

You have no idea how nervous I get when an asthmatic says she's having trouble breathing. :uhoh21: