Lump: Size of a Golf Ball!

[Tony*T3]

If you go to A&E all that will happen is you'll spend 6 hours sitting waiting your turn, to be told to go see a doctor on Monday. Unless you are in imidiate threat of dying I cant see the point. You've not had an accident, and your not gasping for breath, therefore its not an emergency.


If it get really really big post a picture.


Suggest you stick to soup for the rest of the weekend though. The chewing action makes the glands produce saliva. So dont chew.

[turbobloke]

knk said:

A&E is staffed by the most junior and inexperienced doctors.
Kam

Really? Well well well (or not, knowing that!).

[knk]

Of course, in addition to juniors there are A&E Consultants who are very well trained in Accidents and Emergencies.

Again, they are not specialists in General Practice.

As for Nurses in Walk in Centres...
Nurses are not trained as diagnosticians. They have neither the experience nor depth of training to see unselected patients. Many are excellent at Nursing, some work well in protocol led services but none are diagnosticians.

[Munter]

Maxf said:

Do you have an NHS drop in service you could go to?

ETA I see you are in London - there is one in Soho. Staffed by nurses but they are pretty good and sorted me right out when I suddenly went deaf in one ear.

Address:
1 Frith Street,
London,
W1D 3HZ
Telephone:
020 7534 6500

[/footnote]

Edited by Maxf on Saturday 21st June 10:54

That would be my port of call and unless they rush you to A&E, go to the Dr on Monday if it's still concerning you.

[s,one]

I,ve had this problem for a few of years comes and goes ,sometimes the swelling can stay for a week or two.I had it checked out and as mentioned turns out to be a syliva gland blockage.Come to think of it I haven't had the problem for a while now but it did affect me for the last 5 or 6 years.
Plumber I knew had the same problem eventualy he did have a minor op to sort.

[ALawson]

Ex GF had this, she actually had a stone in the duct (similar to a gaul stone) in the end they had to opearate because she couldn't eat or drink.

[fb2]

Acute swellings in the mouth are a good reason to attend A&E; you won't wait any longer than is necessary given your specific problem and the work load of the department. As knk added in his second post, A&Es are not just staffed by the most junior and inexperienced doctors and are the best places for emergencies.

[piquet]

i have to agree it sounds like a blocked salivary duct, i'd get it seen as you need to see the ENT boys, it's a "very simple problem" so i'm sure the "most junior and inexperienced docs" in a&e should be able to figure it out and best not disturb the expert GPs who only like seeing thing during office hours, in three weeks time, who will then send you up to the hospital.

[turbobloke]

piquet said:

i have to agree it sounds like a blocked salivary duct, i'd get it seen as you need to see the ENT boys, it's a "very simple problem" so i'm sure the "most junior and inexperienced docs" in a&e should be able to figure it out and best not disturb the expert GPs who only like seeing thing during office hours, in three weeks time, who will then send you up to the hospital.

miaow

[drfrank]

LOL,

KNK you have tickled me....

What with all the experience GPs have.....don't make me laugh, the saying

'Jack of all trades, master of none' springs to mind.

Whilst I am sure the op has a possible blocked submandibular gland (duct) I think an AE specialist reg would be able to spot it. Remember a lot of the new GPs can qualify after just 4 years post medical school, for a specialist trainee (including A&E) it typically takes longer than 10yrs.

I'm sure you would know that the submandibular gland is the commonest gland for salivary stone to form, what given the consistency of the saliva it produces compared to the parotid and given its rather tortuous duct, especially given that you are an experience GP.

Please stepdown off your high horse !

[knk]

I am sure an A&E junior could come up with a diagnosis. It is however, an inappropriate case to attend A&E. Far more appropriate to see a GP and if not in normal hours then ringing the OOH service would be better.

A&E attendances are very expensive, appropriate or not, so inappropriate attendancs should be directed elsewhere.

Kam

[drfrank]

Fair enough,

though if he has infection there he will want to be seen much quicker than Thursday of the following week for a GP appt.

[maddog993]

knk said:

See a doctor perhaps, I would not complain if similar turned up in my OOH clinic.

But not A&E.
A&E is staffed by the most junior and inexperienced doctors. They deal well with accidents and emergencies, which are, in the majority, very simple to deal with, but not so well with things which need a GP's training and experience.

Best wishes,

Kam

I'll remember the 'GP's training and experience' the next time we pick up a STEMI that's been left to sit in the Practice waiting room with no O2, no analgesia, no ecg and not even any baseline obs recorded.
There are some brilliant GPs out there but all to often some just don't appear to have a clue when it comes to even basic ABCs

[knk]

I wouldn't need to send a patient presenting as above to ENT either, although our A&E colleagues may well do so.

I am proudly a "Jack of all trades and Master of none". Most things need a damn good "Jack", and one who knows when to call the approprate "Master".

Best wishes,

Kam

[knk]

MIs much better dealt with in A&E and it is very poor that the Practice did not do the Pre-hospital care well, or at all.

Did you give them any feedback?

[drfrank]

out of interest, did you spend anytime in A&E during your training ?

How long out of med school were you prior to getting into GP land.

After all you do not necessarily need any postgrad qualifications to become a GP !

[knk]

1996 grad. Did not finish my GP training until 2003.
Lots of time in A&E both in UK and abroad including the Pelomoni Trauma Centre in SA and deployed primary care units in active war.
Some experence in trauma, remote and wilderness Medicine, Sports & Training injuries.
British Army Doctor.

Kam

[knk]

Oh, and I did not bother with MRCGP.

[drfrank]

I've heard being a forces' doc can be highly rewarding !

The mess is apparently superb and you are treated exceptionally well, fair play for the forces thing though !.

I have to ask though....
With no postgrad exams completed what on earth were you doing for the 7 years after your house year ??? no MRCS/MRCP/MRCGP ??

[Baldinho]

Are you sure you didn't accidentally swallow a golf ball?