2 year old, very hot complaining of sore left foot. Should I worry overly?

[twinklingfairy]

He is only 2 and shouts out in pain about his leg, turns out it is his foot, so I took off his woolly sock to give it a rub. He asked that I 'clean' it, an odd request?
His feet a really cold!
It is more that it seems odd for a left foot to hurt so when he is flopped on the couch under a blanket with his dressing gown on etc.
Have given him some calpol and tried to offer his favourite brekkie of porridge with peanut butter but he says he doesn't want to eat it now.

Sure it is just normal cold type symptoms but, you know, you worry...........

[Cheeseandbiscuits]

Does he have a temp? Is he limping?

[winnybella]

Hmm. How high was his temp? It's hard to say, really, if it's anything serious, but I think there's something called septic arthitis, which needs to be looked at right away (joint pain being one of the symptoms).

I would call a doctor just in case.

[ragged]

DD had something like that, we got antibiotics for it in the end (she refused to walk on it). She didn't have a fever, either, but it did look sore, and some kind of hidden infection was the only explanation.

[Cheeseandbiscuits]

If he is limping and has a high temp then yes he needs to see a Dr today. I'd see him immediately with those symptoms. Please bear in mind Septic arthritis is quite rare but is one of the things that needs to be ruled out if child is hot and limping.

Howver, if he isnt limping, has a normal twmperature and joint isnt warm to touch id see how we goes over next few hours. Tricky over the Internet, but if you are worried see your GP.

[larrygrylls]

"Research has found that key early warning signs of meningitis and septicaemia in children under 17 years old often include cold hands and feet, abnormal skin colour (pale, bluish or mottled), and leg pains. These symptoms often occur hours before other classic symptoms, such as a rash and dislike of bright light."

High temp plus cold extremities should be taken seriously. I would take him into A&E if I were you.

[twinklingfairy]

Just got him to walk a few feet across the room and he wasn't limping. Not happy about it but not limping. But I think it was the walking in general he didn't like.
He does have a temp somewhere in the 39.5 range (my thermometer is not great)

[winnybella]

It's a high temp, which in itself is not necessarily dangerous, but I would be a bit concerned if he was very much out of sorts after Calpol. I found that the only time DD was really exhausted and didn't want to play was when she had a proper flu (as opposed to cold) with temp over 40 degrees, but even then an hour after paracetamol she would walk around and play.

I would call a doctor.

[winnybella]

'But I think it was the walking in general he didn't like.' Do you think that's because it's painful for him, or just because of toddler's stuborness?

[larrygrylls]

If his extremities are really cold, I would go the A&E route. I went to a GP's talk on children's health and the lady giving it said a high temp, leg pains plus cold extremities was a situation to see a doc immediately and, if no immediate appointment available, go to A&E.

There is little downside, aside from a boring trip and a long wait (and most padiatric A&E units have a relatively fast triage system now).

[twinklingfairy]

winny- You know when you have a cold and you skin feels all icky and tingly? That is what it seems to me that he has.
But when he suddenly shouted out in pain, that was worrying (that was before the walking attempt, just when he was lying on the couch)

larry - I called my local doctors. The receptionist asked could I take him in. I said I really didn't want to move him. She was fairly unmoved by this, so I asked when he might be able to be seen and how long he might have to wait in a doctors surgery and when I might get a home visit.
She said he wouldn't be able to get an appointment intil this afternoon but that a home visit would be around lunchtime.
uh, no brainer there I told her.
Can I have a home visit. please?
She said she would 'put in a request' and asked for his symptoms again.
She still seemed fairly unmoved by it all.
Not sure what I am now waiting for. Confirmation that a doctor will come round or just a doctor to turn up at some point around lunchtime?
I get what you are saying re A&E but it is a 30 mile round trip to sit in a room to have his temp taken. Surely better to get the doc in first?

[twinklingfairy]

Calpol didn't seem to make one iota of difference. Might just as well have given him a spoonful of honey.
Gave him that around 9.30.
He is asleep now.

(Thank goodness. He has a love of music and, in particular, one CD. On that he has 2 favourites. I think I have heard them each at least 7-8 times already now. I am now in blissful, if fretful, silence)

[twinklingfairy]

Cold cloth on head and a hot water bottle under his feet.
You watch, by the time the doc comes, all will appear well.

[inia]

Better safe than sorry; as mum to a meningitis survivor, if my kids had all these symptoms I'd be insisting on being seen asap (I'd probably be banging on doors!).

Chances are he'll be fine, but unfortunately meningitis/septicimea does happen - if you are not sure whether a doctor will come by or if you have an appointment, then please phone again. Tell the receptionist you are worried about meningitis - high fever, cold extremities, sore legs is ticking several boxes on the warning signs

[winnybella]

So his fever didn't come down at all hour and a half after Calpol?

Don't put the hot water bottle under his feet- you want the doctor to be able to see all the symptoms.

It's hard to know what to do, eh? Could be run of the mill virus, could be something more serious.

Tbh the fact the fever didn't come down even a bit after calpol is a bit concerning. Can you call GP's surgery back and see if and when the doctor will come?

What is his breathing rate? Can you check that?

[winnybella]

or respiratory rate, rather i.e. breaths per minute

[twinklingfairy]

40 breaths in a minute.
tbh I only checked his temp an hour after calpol cos I couldn't find the thermometer.
But you know when you know yourself that he is boiling. Kissing him and going blimey you're hot. I have never known a child so hot.

[larrygrylls]

Twinkling,

Did you get to see a doc?

[inia]

Hope all's OK - if you have a minute let us know (am definitely worrying on your behalf)

[beautifulgirls]

I hope the doc saw him. Larrygrylss is right, cold hands/feet with a high temp is medical emergency.

[lisad123]

Any news?

[Lunabelly]

I hope everything is ok, OP.

[Lunabelly]

Hope I am not reading anything into this, but I post this also as a mother of a meningitis survivor and of a 2yr old DS.

I see that you have not been on MN since you posted here. If the reason is what I dread/suspect, I am thinking of yourself and your little man, and hope that everything is ok. With very best wishes.

If anyone else wishes to know about 'red-flag' symptoms... They are here

[twinklingfairy]

Sorry guys. I did not have a minute to get anywhere near a computer from 4.50pm on Thursday when it all went a bit wrong.

The doc came to see me about 1230 and proceeded to, albeit gently, give me a row.
I had him in his jammies, a dressing gown, sock, and a blanket. this was All Wrong. oops. I had no idea, I thought you were meant to keep the chill out.
So he gave me my row adding that it was silly of me not to take him to the surgery, the fresh air would have done him the world of good, and if I had gone to the surgery, I would have seen him 2 hours ago.
I had to stop him there and say that he was most definitely wrong. The reason I had had a home visit at all was because the receptionist would not let me see him any earlier than 3pm. The home visit was sooner, so I asked for that.
His response was, hmm you should have asked to speak to a Doctor.
Oh FGS!
As far as he was concerned I could do no right for doing it all wrong and I was just an over reacting mother anyway.

He said to take him in at 4pm, with a pee sample, to make sure he was better.
DS did seem to improve once he was cooled down, so I was hopeful that it was all fine.
But by the time I got DD from school, got her home and changed (my lord, my DD is a ditherer!) I had forgotten to give DS another shot of calpol.
He did fine, initially but, whilst we were with the doc he went downhill. Temp up and became lethargic.
The doc, different one this time, checked his wee and it had traces of blood, protein and sugar in it.
Next thing I know she is saying he ought to go to the hospital
The hospital, the one that has paediatric care, is 100+ miles away!

But she was concerned because of the urine sample and how lethargic he became when his temp went up.

So, I had to get us gathered as soon as DH got home, which was at exactly the same time as we got back from the docs, luckily. And off we went.

Bloomin nightmare. We got there at 8 or 9, somewhere in there and we saw a Nurse, a Student Doc, the nurse again and finally another Doc. The last visit was at 11pm! finally bedded the poor love, and I, down at midnight!

There followed 2.5 days where they were unable to find a cause and DS went from being fine (medicated) to flopped on my chest when his temp hit into the late 39s sometimes over into the 40s.

They still kept saying it could just be viral, which only made me feel full of guilt that I was over reacting and wasting their time (Gee thanks the first doc, for planting that seed of doubt ) until the Sat night when the poor love was not shivering but juddering with his fever at 4 o'clock in the morn and I really started to get frightened. Especially when the nurse and I saw a rash on his jawline (it turned out to be raised so ok, but still bloody scary!)

Finally, on Sunday mid morning we saw the doc that they had said I would see on the Saturday but never did (oh and that reminds me. On the Friday they took blood. Told me the results would be back by about 2.30 and assured me that would make things clearer. I didn't see anyone until 9pm at night by which time I had to wake DS so that they could have another round of poking and prodding him Only for it to provide Nothing of any use!)

So Sunday, and this doc comes in. Does the tap tappy thing on his back (which countless others had also done) and whadya know but one side resonates, the other does not.
So along we go for a chest x-ray to confirm an infection in his lung, one segment of his lung, and he is diagnosed with segmental pneumonia.
So antibiotics are given but, by this point they want them given intravenously.
As soon as they do that they also realise that he has eaten so little over teh last few days that he now needs fluids, and he is hooked up for 12hrs.

At the end of the day, and I am sorry for the novel, the drugs seem to be working and they let us out on Tuesday morning.

DS is doing well, if a little tired at times, but every day that is less and he is his old self most of the time. A cheeky monkey who wooed all the nurses with is good manners and compliant nature.

So, although it has been harrowing, I am going to take from it, pride, in my little boy and how well he handled it all through all the poking and prodding, leg manipulation, blood taking etc etc

Thanks for asking guys. I just came on thinking I prob ought to post an update, it is the first I had thought on it.
It was nice to see that people had been thinking about us.
Mostly I didn't tell people. Took me until Sunday of Monday to tell my closest friends. My brothers were not told for a day or so, just until we knew what we were telling. DH even didn't tell my parents until the following day and only because my dad popped out to see DS only to find him 100 miles away in hospital.
I think it was a case of the more people we tell, the more worry that everyone will endure and when we didn't even know if it was worth worrying about (viral, could pass, kept being said) it didn't seem worth it.
Bloomin first doc.

[dribbleface]

Been lurking on this thread. Your poor DS and you. I had similar happen when DS was 5 mths old, not as serious as yours in the end but was back and forth to hospital for a week (over Xmas). We changed surgeries shortly after and it was the BEST thing i have ever done, new GP is great. Might be worth asking around for recommendations.

If you can gain anything from this i would say never doubt your instinct again, i did the first time and wish i hadn't.

[lisad123]

poor you and him :( such a pain to go though. DD2 had pnemonia at 1 year and it took 3 visits to hospital before they dx'ed it, kept telling me it was a virus too
glad his on the mend