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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Aliasgrace1 · 09/01/2018 21:11

Trust your gut, if you think he's gotten worse after starting antibiotics then he needs to be seen.

Honestly the staff in a&e will be happy that he is okay, he's only a baby!

Take him - also a twin mum and I'm about to qualify as a nurse. You don't need to have all the symptoms of sepsis to actually have it.

minisoksmakehardwork · 09/01/2018 21:12

@IAmADancer, I know how you feel. I had a baby (7 weeks at the time) with viral meningitis. Every illness the children got after that, for a long time I was ultra paranoid. Twins with the pox (plus one older child) put me in a flat spin. I had 6mo old twins and one definitely got it worse than the other.

We must have been seen at a&e 3 times with Dd2 (referred by gp) plus 2 house visits as we just couldn't get her temperature down and she was so, so grumpy and not herself. I think around the 2 week Mark she finally started to improve.

Because you say your lo is now starting to eat a little and the temperature is coming down, Ie and improvement, i wouldn't do more than seek advice from either gp or ring 111. Especially given they've got another 2 infections on top. The sleeping could be sinister, if they're hard to rouse. But sleep is essential for a good recovery also.

Sepsis is one of the things there is a really drive to raise awareness of at the moment, so medics are more likely to send you in if there is even a whiff of suspicion of sepsis.

AnathemaPulsifer · 09/01/2018 21:12

Phone 111 and tell them you’re concerned as he has some signs of sepsis. They can make appointments at out of hours and may be able to get you seen faster at A&E (I heard).

Original poster
IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:14

**Callmeadoctor

I am so so sorry to hear this happened to you. Flowers

OP posts:
MistyMinge · 09/01/2018 21:15

I totally understand why you feel like you do. It's very hard to watch a little one seem so poorly and feel fairly helpless. My youngest DC had numerous infections last winter, one after the other, it was miserable for him, and I began to fear something was really wrong.

I think I would doctors first thing in the morning and get an appointment tomorrow. If any sign of deterioration then head to a&e.

Have you tried lollies or ice cream to try and get fluids in him?

I hope he soon bounces back x

feetonthetable · 09/01/2018 21:16

Trust your gut, which reading your post you think, your child is not right and needs to be seen. So go with that!

There are complications that can arise from
CP and I do (not saying this is in your child's case) but a case on here a few years ago of a child who suffered major complications from CP and increasing sleeping was a main symptom before going to hospital,

111 or A&E if you feel your child needs to be seen.

Tistheseason17 · 09/01/2018 21:17

A forum is not the place for questions on a potentially life threatening ailment.
Call 111 or 999 dependent on symptoms.

When my DD was admitted I did not go to MN to check medical advice.

Hope your little one gets well soon.

Tomselleckhaskindeyes · 09/01/2018 21:17

I think that is a reasonable time to sleep if you are recovering. 6 hours block I would be worrying about fluids as he needs regular drinks in the day. If he started his antibiotics on Sunday I think some improvement should have happened by now. Sleeping intself is not a bad thing as it helps. If they are easy to rouse then it’s normal. I think there is no harm speaking to someone for advice. They may take the view that you can wait until morning.

123bananas · 09/01/2018 21:18

I think you should get him seen physically by a doctor, if he is more lethargic/sleeping more he could need stronger antibiotics/different for the infection, be dehydrated, have low blood sugar or like you say sepsis or encephalitis.

Someone over the phone or internet cannot possibly diagnose him. Trust your instincts, you know him best.

grannytomine · 09/01/2018 21:19

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 I think they were being unfair, symptoms can change in hours never mind days.

Palace2 · 09/01/2018 21:23

At work last week parents brought their child in with chickenpox. No way did we book the child in. A and E is for accidents and emergencies not anything and everything. Nurse did give parents advice ie regular calpol and don't give ibuprofen etc. We don't want anything like that in a busy department with vulnerable patients. (And yes at this time of night you'd be looking at massive long waits - quite possibly 10 hours )

allglitteredout · 09/01/2018 21:24

Go with your instincts if you feel that this is urgent then take him a&e. Hope he is better soon xx

minmooch · 09/01/2018 21:24

Please trust your gut instinct. Get him seen. He's only two and you are his advocate. Hope he's on the mend soon.

lougle · 09/01/2018 21:25

I'm amazed anyone has been able to advise the OP how sensible it is to stay at home with her DS, because they haven't asked her even one relevant question!

Such as: is her DS alert when he is awake, or drowsy?
Is he drinking well, even if he's not eating?
Is he having wet nappies, or going for wees, if toilet trained? Is his wee clear, or dark, or foul smelling?
Is his skin nice and plump, or is he a bit wrinkly and dehydrated? Are his lips dry?

Overall, even if sepsis isn't the main worry, after 48 hours on antibiotics, he should be feeling better, and children do bounce back quickly, so I would think it's not unreasonable to have him rechecked in case he has either a further infection, or the original infection is not responding to the antibiotics and it needs to change. I don't think A&E is necessarily the best place for that, unless you have concerns about his immediate safety, but if you phone 111, they will do a screening with you anyway, which should pick up if there are further concerns. I hope he recovers soon.

EverythingIsAwwwwsome · 09/01/2018 21:28

I would absolutely want to get my child checked if he was still so poorly and sleeping for so long during the day. Go with your instinct.

Original poster
IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:28

Palace2

He isn’t still contagious and i wouldn’t have taken him to a&e for chickenpox. But he has over the course for the last 10 days had the following symptoms which weren’t abating and should have done after 4 days.
Temperature for 6 days of over 39
Sleeping constantly
Not eating
Not drinking
Listless
Crying out in pain (probs due to the ear infection)
Breathing changes on Saturday (why I called 111)
Nosebleeds
Runs

He has been kept away from people whilst contagious.

OP posts:
RatRolyPoly · 09/01/2018 21:29

Palace do you work in A&E in a medical capacity? Your tone would suggest not.

OP, you go if you feel you should. I've paid a fuck ton of tax, so have you no doubt, and I paid for an A&E that can look at a sick 2 year old and a legitimately worried parent. If you feel you should go don't you feel bad about it for a second, not on anyone's account.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 09/01/2018 21:29

I agree with those saying trust your gut. You are his mother and know what is normal for him and what is not. Call 111 again and register your concern. At the very least it goes on his file and they can see that you are still concerned if you need to get another appointment.

wineoclock1 · 09/01/2018 21:30

If you think it is something more serious, you should take him ti A&E, don't take any risk with the health of your 2 year old. Sepsis is so serious.

I hope he will be okay x

MiniCooperLover · 09/01/2018 21:31

My concern would be sepsis. My niece had it a couple of years ago. She’d basically slept through (bar waking up to vomit and trying to drink some milk) for about 3 days after GP said virus, she then developed a water infection and then sepsis. SIL took her to A&E on the third day and it had become sepsis. I’m sorry for telling you this, I don’t want to scare you, but it can develop from infections and he does sound quite poorly.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 09/01/2018 21:31

Does your local A& E have a pediatric department?

Original poster
IAmADancer · 09/01/2018 21:33

DuckBilledSplatterPuff

Yes they do and they are very good. He got taken in before as he has a lot of allergies and they were fantastic.

OP posts:
Unnoticed · 09/01/2018 21:36

In what way do you feel fobbed off? You were seen and given treatment. I would go for an out of hours appointment - if they are concerned they will refer you to where you need to be and that won’t be A&E.

Allfednonedead · 09/01/2018 21:36

I did a paediatric first aid course when DS was tiny, run by a GP and a paediatric A&E dr. They were mostly aiming to get A&E visits down, but they emphasised that if a mother has that feeling that something is badly wrong, they should absolutely listen to it.
I think the 111 call sounds sensible, but definitely make it clear that you think it could be sepsis.
Good luck from another twin mother.

yorkshireyummymummy · 09/01/2018 21:39

Totally agree with what callmeadoctor says. Go with your gut instinct.

I got fobbed off by Locum GP at our doctors surgery.
My daughter was 2, had a cold, chicken pox and the runs. She also had an ear infection but I didn’t know at the time.
I phoned the doctors for an emergency appt and was told by the receptionist that DD had seen a doctor the day before and therefore DD didn’t need an appt. I put the phone down, marched to the surgery with DD in my arms and told receptionist that I would ask every person who came in the door if they would be willing to give up their appiontment for my sick DD since the receptionist had diagnosed her over the phone and decided not to give an emergency appt to DD.
I was seen in 20 mins.
The GP took one look at DD and asked if I was in my car or did I need her to phone an ambulance.
DD was admitted for three nightS as she was severely dehydrated and quite poorly.
Trust your gut. A mother’s instinct should never ever be ignored.