Quick help! Please!

[WDWsBFF]

My husband is stubborn and wouldn't go to the ER or urgent care yesterday. might have broken his ankle. We are at our home airport now.

We are only going to be at Disneyland.

Where should we go for treatment? Urgent care? Or ER?

Also, where could we rent an ECV from that is cheaper but reliable?


Thanks for any and all help! I am grateful to you all.

 

[SMD]

They should be able to treat a broken ankle at urgent care. You should call your insurance for a referral. The place the send you may end up being between the airport and DLR, in which case you can stop on the way. Also, when are you flying home? If he does end up in a cast, it needs to be at least 48 hours before he flys with it. If it's a short trip, make sure you tell them that before accepting a plaster cast.

 

[VandVsmama]

Deckerts medical supply has reliable ECV's. They deliver to your hotel for $40/day rental. 714-542-5607. They're located in Santa Ana.

Start at urgent care, since urgent care fees are usually cheaper than the ER.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I can second Deckerts, used them a few times now no issues.

 

[WDWsBFF]

Thank you all for your help! I am calling Deckerts now.

Hubbs is still being stubborn about being seen. Smh. Sigh.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

So he refused to get an x-ray and maybe a cast on his foot, but he 'is' willing to ride around in an ECV??? I'm a guy who likes to pretend that he's tough, and even I'm calling shenanigans on that behavior...

 

[StormyCA]

Let your stubborn hubby know that an untreated broken ankle can result in life-long problems, up to and including amputation.

I do know that when I broke my ankle the pain of it was so horrible (and I have a very high pain tolerance) that there was no question of not seeking treatment. I was on vacation, too, and ended up having surgery to repair it. Hopefully if he's not in enough pain to want to get treatment that means it's not broken. Fingers crossed!

SMD, I'm surprised to know that an Urgent Care is willing to set a broken bone. Our son got an Xray at the UC, but was referred to the local ER for setting.

Yikes!

 

[GoBears 1980]

I doubt any Urgent Care has an X-ray machine, which is the only way to confirm a broken bone (short of it sticking through the skin). With the University of California Medical Center just a few miles away, it is where I would be going.

 

[Malcon10t]

If you suspect a broken bone, go to ER. UC Irvine Medical is only a couple miles away. Urgent cares don't generally have the set up to handle broken bones (they usually don't set bones.) If your husband has a broken bone, walking on it can make it so much worse. Deckert's is a great place to rent an ECV, but a true break or even a ligament tear needs to be treated properly. Not treating will cause the healing process to extend significantly. Yes, we have extensive experience with this...

And here is a description of when to use an emergency room or Urgent care.

What’s a True Emergency?

Although this is not a complete list, here are some examples of true emergency situations:

• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing
• Sudden, severe pain, such as a headache or stomachache
• Head or back injuries
• Bleeding or vomiting that won’t stop
• Loss of consciousness
• Poisoning
• Broken bones and major sprains and strains
• Major burns and cuts
• Choking

What’s an Urgent Care Need?

An urgent care center is the right place to go for medical problems that need immediate—but not emergency—attention. Some examples of these types of medical situations include:

• Minor sprains
• Superficial burns
• Small cuts
• Sore throats
• Fevers
• Ear infections

An urgent care center can be a good option at night and on weekends when your child’s doctor may not be in the office, but it’s not necessarily a medical emergency.

 

[DharmaLou]

I doubt any Urgent Care has an X-ray machine, which is the only way to confirm a broken bone (short of it sticking through the skin). With the University of California Medical Center just a few miles away, it is where I would be going.

I've had Xrays more than once at my local urgent care. Much less expensive than an ER. The last time I had them was in April.

 

[SMD]

OP could always call her insurance and see which they recommend for an ankle injury. My local urgent care does treat fractures, though I don't know if ankles are more complicated than what they can handle. If the ankle isn't obviously deformed and he's walking on it, odds are this is something that an urgent care that treats fractures can handle.

I second the suggestion not to let it go untreated. Missing a few hours at Disneyland now is much better than years of future complications.

 

[Malcon10t]

I've had Xrays more than once at my local urgent care. Much less expensive than an ER. The last time I had them was in April.

For me, it isn't so much having had xrays, for me it has been reading them. I had one tell us "Nothing broke, just stay off it til the swelling goes down", which when there was still too much pain, I took my daughter to our podiatrist, and she actually had a spiral fracture in the foot. Last year.... Xrays done "Right leg is broken, don't see anything in the left... See your ortho" Go to ortho the next morning with the xrays, doc reads them and said left leg needs new xrays as the angle was wrong. And the right leg break? Old calcium build up, torn ligaments and soft tissue damage, no break, but needs casting. New xrays? Left "ankle" is broken, tibia is in 2 pieces, fibula is in 4, surgery performed, 2 plates, 13 pins.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

+1 for UC Irvine.