To make my children go to school with temperatures over 39

[Allfednonedead]

DS(6) and DTs(4). Two of them have temps over 39 but cheerful. The other no fever but complaining of not feeling well.
I've been up every night with them for five nights. The DTs don't go to nursery Mon-Tues, so it's been 24/7 since last Friday.
Given that they are all now clamouring for cake, WIBU to send them all to school?

I have my doubts about the thermometer - it's a Braun infra-red thingy

OP one a bit like this
I have one of these but an older model. I have it about 4.5 years and I'm starting to have my doubts about it's accuracy too as I've been getting some funny readings....more on the low end than the high though.

Feeling better now, having taken the decision to keep them home. They've all perked up immensely, so will take them to the park to tire them out, then maybe I can snooze on the sofa later while they chill.
Thanks all for the reality check and the support.

There's a balance and kids who are very coughing and unwell shouldn't be spreading it around, but equally I think it's unreasonable to keep well kids at home.

Of course. But in my experience and I'm sure if you asked medics on here. A temp of 39 that won't come down usually indicates infection.

Mine would just be sent home immediately by the school anyway. So, annoying as it is if they seem fine, I wouldn't bother sending them as I'd just have to pick them up again.

I have my doubts about the thermometer - it's a Braun infra-red thingy

Do check your thermometers regularly. Our practice nurse tells a really scary story about a patient who came in sweating from head to toe. They were obviously very poorly to the trained eye but the trainee nurse that first saw him used the thermometer and it read their temp was low. She sent the patient on his way with 'just a virus - fluids and rest' advice. The practice nurse was walking in as patient was stumbling out. Ambulance promptly called for patient who actually had sepsis, and broken thermometer suitably dumped in the bin.

I would have sent the cheerful children in because I don't take their temperature.

NeedsAsockamnesty

Firstly for possible Kawasaki, it's a miserable disease, hopefully will get treated soon. Kawasaki is the most likely to get that high but even then I have still never seen a kid with KD recorded at 41.6. Are they using armpit thermometers? They are considered the standard. Even in hospital I've seen different thermometers give different readings. Still as mentioned the number doesn't matter*, it's the trend, underlying cause and symptoms.

*except in genuine heat stroke which is not what we're talking about.

You send them with a temperature of 39/41 degrees....and their demeanour is ok...but then, what if it get's worse? Have you never asked yourself that question? That should be enough to suggest the answer is you keep them home.

Do I sympathise? Hell yeah, as I new dad I fully appreciate the hard work and tiredness you're going through - except it's even worse for you with your twins. So I really do sympathise.

AwaywiththePixies27

Well yes, a temperature of 39 means an inflammmatory response or infection, but my point is happy, well, bouncing around children in the context of a home thermometer that could well be a degree or two out means it is highly likely their temperature isn't 39 degrees and any point made thereafter about what to do with a kid whose temperature is 39 is rendered moot.

I don't keep a thermometer at home for this reason. Waste of money.

imot yes thanks as a district nursing sister I am aware of that but find it's best to simply warn patients of the dangers of convulsions with a high temp. The semantics are not really important. Not for this thread anyway.

Op I think your thermometer is faulty.

I don't own a thermometer. If my children were otherwise fine but had a temp, they'd be going to school.

My son has been recorded during several hospital admissions with a temp of 41.6. It can happen. In itself it's worrying because of the risk of convulsions (had these) but not too bad if it comes down with paracetamol. As far as I'm aware it become a bigger issue if there are other symptoms - vomiting, headache, confusion - as it could indicate a serious infection.

Rugbyplayersarehot

Well no, the semantics are important. Only 3% of children have febrile convulsions, usually in the early stage of the illness, with a rapid rise of temp, not the actual number, as pp have said. Just generally advising people that they need to watch out for convulsions with high temperatures is poor advice that will likely cause undue worry.

Away
When I was a student nurse I was told that a low temp (as in lower than normal) can actually be a sign of sepsis. I had to wake a sleeping patient as their temp measured as 35 which I thought was fine but when my mentor saw it she sent me straight back in! So the thermometer might not have been broken in that case, just that the trainee nurse didn't know what the low temp indicated

That is so sad, both for the lack of care you have for your own kids, and your desire to infect the rest of their class with a 39 degree temperature.

"...so I'm condemned to another miserable day of cheerfully demanding children and exhaustion.
Sympathy, please?"

Why, because your experience is so vastly different from any other parents'?

My DD gets persistent fevers of up to 40 that have trouble budging with paracetamol/ibuprofen. A couple of times it's been infection requiring antibiotics (ear, tonsils) and a couple of times it's gone on its own.

She's never had convulsions.

Sorry YABU. I send mine in to 'try' if no temperature and feeling under the weather. The minute a temperature of more than 38.5 is involved, regardless of how he is in himself, he does NOT go in. Temperatures usually = vomiting for DS.

My children can have temperature of 39-40 and don't have convulsions so yes the semantics of it are important as it's not the temperature being high that causes it. And I'm a paeds nurse.

Please don't. My ds's school has a strict attendance policy and I see so many children at school who shouldn't be, and of course everyone re catches everything so it can be counterproductive

and your desire to infect the rest of their class with a 39 degree temperature

Erm, you know you can't 'catch' a temperature?!

I don't know anyone IRL who would keep their children off school if they were physically fine but felt a bit hot. I don't know anyone who routinely takes their child's temperature either.

lndnmummy Your Son sounds awesome! That really made me laugh! Bless him! X

notBad I have to disagree.

Making general advice to patients very specific causes more stress and confusion.

Much easier to warn that high temps or early signs of s temp rising can cause a febrile convulsion. 3 of my 4 kids had them and we always had a fair few into casualty.

In my professional opinion advice should be simple.

In my professional opinion advice should be simple.

Even if it's wrong?

I totally get what Rugbyplayers is saying. Warn parents that high temps CAN result in Convulsions. Easy to remember and it's true. The fact that it's only a matter of how quickly the temp increases is neither here nor there.

Just be aware of the dangers of a high temperature