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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU - 2 year old I’ll for over a week. A&E?

154 replies

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 20:39

I have two year old twins who came down with chickenpox on NYE. 1 twin had a few spots and hardly any symptoms and is now fine whereas twins 2 has been ill for nearly 10 days.

He had a temp of over 39 for 5 days and I took him to the gp on Friday who said it was chickenpox and not too worry. By Saturday night I was getting concerned as he wasn’t eating, barely drinking, high temp and sleeping constantly. Rang 111 and they decided to send ambulance. Paramedics checked him out and said it’s just chickenpox but I could be referred for out of hours doctor at hospital which I agreed too. Took him to out of hours on the Sunday at 12pm as this was earliest appointment I could get. GP saw him and straight away said he has an infection on top of the chickenpox and also an ear infection and put him on antibiotics. His temperature has now come down and he is starting to eat a little bit more but he is still sleeping quite a bit, 6 hours today, not eating very much and just generally not himself. I still feel concerned but don’t know what to do. He has also had diahrrea and has had some nose bleeds. I did tell the doctor all of this.

So I suppose I’m asking if I it would be unreasonable to take him to a&e and get him checked or is he just recovering from a nasty infection? Advice please.

OP posts:

Royalcoronation · 09/01/2018 20:59

don’t remember suggesting at any point that A and E was a magical token. I think it’s just I feel I’m at that final port of call.

But A&E isn't supposed to be a final port of call. That's not what it is for. You gave the impression that you think A&E can offer something fuprther for your DC. That's not how it works. But please do call 111 and see what they say.

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 20:59

Quartz228

My friend has probably scared me a bit as her niece had no sepsis symptoms apart from having a nasty cold, temperature, sleeping a lot and not wanting to eat. My DS has chickenpox, a viral infection and an ear infection, is sleeping a lot, doesn’t want food and looks awful. Really pale skin, sunken eyes. But as people have said it may just be him getting over three virus’s at once.

OP posts:

Ameliablue · 09/01/2018 21:00

Infections take time to run their course. You say his temperature has come down and he is starting to eat a bit, so sound like he is over the worse. Has he any symptons of sepsis or has any symptom worsened since you last saw a doctor?

callmeadoctor · 09/01/2018 21:00

Iliketeabagging, Im sure that most of the time what you are saying is right, however the sAD thing is that it is not entirely true that GPs are expert in children health, a parent should ALWAYS rely on their instinct and I have no doubt that the OP would pay for their child to be seen.

Callamia · 09/01/2018 21:01

I absolutely understand why you’re asking. You’re also tired, worried and want to make sure your child is ok. I tend to catastrophise about illnesses when my children are sick and I’m so tired. I’m not saying this is what you’re doing, because I have no idea what your child looks like right now - I’m just trying to empathise a bit.

It sounds like the antibiotics need to work a little bit more, but great news that he has eaten something. I think it’s fine to request out of hours appointment, and explain your worries - if they are worried they can send you to A&E directly. Here, an out of hours appointment would probably be scheduled before we’d be seen properly in A&E (I mean after triage, and if nothing was an absolute emergency).

I’m sure you are keeping on top of hydration. Don’t worry about weight loss - that will be easily recovered when he’s feeling better. Toddlers can seemingly last ages without food, but I remember being completely anxious about it at the time.

BarbarianMum · 09/01/2018 21:01

Loosing weight is normal when they are as poorly as this (ds1 looked like a little skeleton after a bout of norovirus at that age) and is not dangerous. The main thing is that they don't get badly dehydrated, so offer lots of drinks and ice lollies and keep an eye on his nappies to see he's still weeing. If he won't drink much, it's worth getting a doctor to look at his throat - ds1 had tonsilitus with his norovirus and it took us a couple of days to realise.

Royalcoronation · 09/01/2018 21:01

These are the symptoms with which you would need to get to A&E

AIBU - 2 year old I’ll for over a week. A&E?

callmeadoctor · 09/01/2018 21:02

(Speaking as a parent whose child died after GP reassured us that it was a virus) Go with your instinct every time OP.

TheBakeryQueen · 09/01/2018 21:02

I totally disagree with almost all the responses you've had on this thread.

Trust your gut, if you think something isn't right then go to a&e. It's worth it for peace of mind. He is 2, they really would rather see him and it be nothing serious than you not take him for fear of wasting their time.

callmeadoctor · 09/01/2018 21:03

Totally agree The Bakery Queen.

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:04

111 we’re brilliant when I spoke to them on saturday night. When I went through all the symptoms he was experiencing they decided to call an ambulance and said he needed to be seen immediately. When the paramedics arrived they said he had one amber warning for sepsis and they could take him to a&e if I felt he needed to go. I felt put in a position where I couldn’t say yes. I then got him to the out of hours gp on Sunday who took one look at him and said he definitely had other infections as well as the chickenpox and that they should have been picked up by the GP on the Friday or the paramedics on the Saturday. So you can probably understand why I feel a bit worried.

OP posts:

Tomselleckhaskindeyes · 09/01/2018 21:06

The six hours sleep was it in one block? Or did he wake up in between?

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:06

I know people keep posting the symptoms of sepsis but if you read my earlier posts you can see that those symptoms don’t always appear.

OP posts:

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:06

I know people keep posting the symptoms of sepsis but if you read my earlier posts you can see that those symptoms don’t always appear.

OP posts:

BarbarianMum · 09/01/2018 21:07

Ear infections can spring up very quickly. There might really have been nothing for the GP to see Friday.

IMightMentionGriddlebone · 09/01/2018 21:07

I have had chicken pox twice (off the damn kids!) and an agonising ear infection.

He looks rotten and is sleeping a lot because he feels rotten, because he's had chicken pox and an ear infection at the same time. Poor, poor thing! I think the last thing he needs is to spend hours in A&E, though.

He's also infectious, so best not to take him out and about.

Quartz2208 · 09/01/2018 21:08

Iamadancer it sounds like she did have them though just not read properly

dS had it and when he got an ambulance through 111 a s3cond time he had 3 warnings signs but it was just a bad infection (that needed 2 sets of antibiotics)

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:08

tomsellickhaskindeyes

It was four hours, then awake for an hour and fell back to sleep again.

Sorry I can’t bold your name my phone is refusing too!

OP posts:

RB68 · 09/01/2018 21:08

I would get another out of hrs appt - they will still see you today

IMightMentionGriddlebone · 09/01/2018 21:09

Honestly, the best thing to do would be to call 111 and get an OOH appointment.

Partyfops · 09/01/2018 21:10

Just go. Don't let a load of strangers on a forum all with differing views help you decide what is best for your child.

Your child is sick.

Use your instinct.

As a taxpayer I would rather contribute towards you getting this sorted more so than many A&E admissions.

Good luck

Original poster

IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:10

I will call 111 again and get an OOH. Thanks everyone. You have put my mind at rest a bit.

OP posts:

SoupyNorman · 09/01/2018 21:11

I would trust your instinct OP. At the v least call 111, they will help you.

befbiund · 09/01/2018 21:11

I'm going to go completely against the grain here. Your child your gut feeling. If you are worried go to hospital.

TheBakeryQueen · 09/01/2018 21:11

Callmeadoctor I am so so sorry.

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