Broken leg/Ambulance

Specialties School

Updated:   Published

A kid may have possibly broken his leg at school yesterday. I called the parents immediately to tell them my concerns and he needs to be taken to the ER for further evaluation.

The grandma came to get him as she was closer and parents was going to meet her at the ER.

This never happened to me before..of course it was during the absolute worse time of day...recess and my office is absolutely chaotic during that time, and plus dealing with all the sick kiddos right now...

I questioned myself and wondered if I should have had an ambulance come and transport him instead???

Do you call an ambulance for possible broken legs??

I would have definitely called if any of those was the case.

I second guess myself too much for no reason other than nerves I suppose when I end up experiencing something for the first time.

1 Votes
Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

How'd it turn out? Broken?

Our decade old "standing orders" that were written with a local doctor that acts as our corporation physician (basically) say to call 911 for anything below the waist. Now femur, or open fx, maybe knee...sure, I'd call. But ankle or foot...if I can stabilize it & we can get the kid to a wheelchair I don't think it's really necessary. But since it's in our archaic orders, god forbid someone decides to sue me, I'd better have done it by the book.

1 Votes
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

I bet you documented the pants off of "parent declined ambulance transportation" though. Was the kid able to get in a car from a wheel chair? I guess that's the kicker for me.

1 Votes

Possible fracture (closed) with normal NV status of lower leg/ ankle. Urgent but not emergent. I would not have called 911 either.

1 Votes
Specializes in School nursing.
SchoolNurseTXstyle said:
Possible fracture (closed) with normal NV status of lower leg/ ankle. Urgent but not emergent. I would not have called 911 either.

Same.

I've called 911 more times in this school year than I have in the entire 5 years I've worked for my school. 3 times were for Epi-pen use (undiagnosed allergy) and 2 for asthma (1 with syncope episode). I didn't doubt myself calling for those even though it felt like a LOT of calls.

I also had a kid fracture her ankle that was confirmed on x-ray later that day - presented with swelling, tenderness, and student was unable to bear weight on foot, but otherwise stable and level of discomfort was manageable in the office. Dad was a doctor and we both agreed she was fine for mom to pick up and take to ED.

Now suspected leg fracture of femur, for example, I might call for as transporting that child might be difficult in a car.

1 Votes

Update: It was just an ankle sprain apparently.

+ Add a Comment