A friend with limping daughter just appeared at my door with the age-old question: “Do we need an X-ray?” She’d twisted her ankle.
If all happy and no red, it’s often OK to watch and wait 24-72 hours despite a limp.
Regarding X-rays, consider these questions:
- If something is broken will management be different? (cast, surgery, release from sports, etc.)
- Is it worth the radiation, time and expense?
In many ERs, despite “Ottawa ankle rules“, very often injury = X-ray. If after a few days watching and waiting you’d like to chase an X-ray, I’m happy to sign the Selma Carlson X-ray request. They’re great folks with quite reasonable self-pay prices.
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