@Cocolatte24 a bacterial infection may need antibiotics (though otherwise healthy people can and do recover from mild bacterial infections without them). And yes a high temp is one way the body fights the bacterial infection too.
It’s not the case that without antibiotics every bacterial infection is a killer!
but calpol / paracetamol/ inbuprofen isn’t antibiotics and is instead managing symptoms not ‘treating’ the infection.
one of the reasons I give it sparingly that I want to know about other symptoms.
A child dosed with calpol is much less likely to be in pain because paracetamol (the active ingredient) is a very effective painkiller.
ibuprofen is dangerous to give with some illnesses (eg chicken pox) so I want a good idea of what’s wrong BEFORE giving them something.
i don’t think anyone here is saying don’t seek medical care if your child’s symptoms fit the risk pattern for something more serious.
I’m certainly not and have nursed my kids through some scary illnesses like bronchiolitis and measles (only diagnosed once DC was better - DC was just too young to have been vaccinated yet) with the support and guidance of my GP.
it’s standard colds and temps I don’t rush for the calpol bottle. I sleep next to them (don’t sleep much) and watch over them and see how things develop, call our GP or 111 if very concerned.
during the bronchiololitis then 2 year old DCs temp hit 41 three nights in a row. And at that point they had one dose of paracetamol. But otherwise none, rather the fever rise and fell as it needed during the day / night until they made a full recovery.