to be thinking of taking dd to A&E for the second time today?

[OneStroke]

My 4 yr old DD has had a high temperature and been in tears saying the back of her head hurts. I took her to A&E earlier today because of these worrying symptoms. She was checked by a doctor who said give her some Calpol.

However she is still lethargic, complaining about her head hurting, off her food and has a temperature.
I am worried and can't get through to the out of hours doctor or NHS Direct because of the Swine flu pandemic.
I guess I am looking for a second or third opinion. What would you do? Am I over reacting?

[runawayquickly]

I think you know the answer already - trust your instincts, I guess.
You know best when your child is not right, esepcially after wondercure Calpol, so it wouldn't hurt to go back. The worst that can happen is that you feel like you are wasting their time, and once they have checked her they'll surely be able to tell you that quickly and explain why?
Good luck x

[LackaDAISYcal]

If calpol isn't helping, I'd be inclined to try and get some further advice.

Can you call A&E and talk to them about your earlier visit and see what they suggest?

I hope she feels better soon.

[pscc]

If she still has a temperature- I would take her again! Who cares what they think- better safe then sorry in my opinion, especially with swine flu about.
Good luck whatever you do, hope all is ok.
Xx

[karala]

if calpol has had no effect on the symptoms and you can't get through to OOH Doc then I'd go back to A&E. I worry about heads and temps.

[OneStroke]

Thanks for the replies. She is asleep now so I will see how she is in the morning and if she still has a headache I'll ring my doctor.

[MadameCastafiore]

If she is comfortable enough to sleep IMO you are overreacting and stopping the doctors looking after people who genuinely need them.

If her head hurt that much she would not be asleep!

[OneStroke]

MadameCastafiore, you are probably right but it is hard not to overreact when you're worried about your child.

The NHS website states that if a child has a headache combined with a fever you should call 999!!

Also most doctors advise to err on the side of caution. Having said that, I am not taking her again tonight.

[ZippysMum]

Hello,

Are there any other symptoms - is she floppy / has she got a rash / feeling sick?

Don't want to be alarmist but I am a teacher - 4 years ago a child at my school went home with a bad headache at lunchtime and went to bed. She couldn't be woken a few hours later on and was taken straight to hospital and never came out of the coma, which had been caused by meningitis. Very sadly she did not recover.

I would certainly err on the side of extreme caution. At the very least google meningitis and check your dd for all the symptoms.

[JackBauer]

That's a bit harsh Madame, the OP was nearly an hour ago so she may have fallen asleep since then.
Since she has fallen asleep now you (MadameC) may be right, but if she is still bad tomorrow I would take her to docs at least and tell them calpol isn't working.

[JackBauer]

Yes, at the least I woudl check on her every hour or so to make sure she is rousable (sp?)

[pscc]

I'm with riven, I would also be worried if any of my children had a headach and/or temperature and then fell asleep- as an exhausted child will sleep no matter what. I would keep an eye on her while she sleeps, check her temperature and maybe even wake her up around midnight to give more calpol- but that's me and what I would do. Hope she feels better.

[pscc]

I did'nt want to mention meningitis- as dont want to unneccesarily alarm, but yes I was thinking along the same lines as zippysmum.

[JodieO]

I would also make sure you can wake her up at regular intervals. I would probably have taken her back to be seen earlier considering her age and symptoms. I wouldn't think it a waste of resources as you are genuinely worried about her, trust your instincts. I would rather be wrong than the alternative. I'm sure most doctors would rather see a sick child to be sure, my gp always says that.

[OneStroke]

ZippysMum - what a sad story. I have checked her symptoms which is why I took her to hospital to start with. She is the same now as she was then.

Riven and JackBauer I will be keeping a very close eye on her through the night.

[ZippysMum]

Yes, sorry and I don't want to cause a panic OneStroke. I also thought twice before posting, but in this case thought the experience was worth mentioning - bettersafe than sorry and all that.

Hope your dd is better tomorrow.

[Sassyfrassy]

Just because she can sleep doesnt mean she's fine. My dd was ill not long ago and we were told by the gp it was probably just an infection, she slept lots and was just not herself. Turned out she had pneumonia and one lung had shut down. Trust your instincts and either call for advice or take her in.

[Grendle]

I would trust your instincts, so Y may very well NBU. If she's that poorly, I'd check on her really regularly and consider waking her. I'd probably also be alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen to keep her temp down. I too would be concerned about meningitis. Sleepiness does not necessarily indicate everything's fine. Watch out for other worrying signs, such as floppiness or aversion to light. Hope she's all better in the morning.

[lisad123]

easy to sleep though pain when exshuted and ill! I always say trust yourself, you know best.

as others say check regular and keep us upodated

[nickytwotimes]

I'd second all those who say that the ability to sleep is not necessarily an indicator of wellness. It is nothing of the sort.
A severe headache, temperature and lethargy need checking. I would be at A&E too. Yanbu.

[sayithowitis]

Just take her to A&E. The worst they can say is that you are wasting their time. But who cares about that if it means they confirm she is not seriously unwell? I had to make a nuisance of myself when my DS2 had a head injury and they said it was 'just a bump'. Turned out to be a fractured skull. Potentially very serious indeed. Thankfully he got the right treatment and 17 years on, is none the worse for his experience. But it could have been so different! Take her again and let them check her again.

[belgo]

OneStroke - trust your instincts - if you think your dd needs to be seen again by a doctor and the only way you can find a doctor is by going to hospital, then do that. Do not worry about overreacting or stopping the doctors seeing other people - that's what doctors are there for. You cannot take risks with the health of your child.

I strongly disagree that sleeping is a sign that a child is fine.

Hope she is ok, you sound like a normal caring mother

[lisad123]

I took DD2 to A&E 3 times before they listened to me, she had pnemonia and spent a week in childrens ward on O2 with a number of worrying nights. trust yourself.

[stoppinattwo]

Always trust your own instincts,

If all is well then the worst is that you feel like an overprotective mother...and that is nothing to feel bad about

I hope she is feeling better soon