To take him to a&e

[anxiousmotherof1]

My 1 year old is having fever for the last 10 days ! I have taken him to the gp 2 times and they insist is viral and it will go away on its own . I cant help but be concerned . I have always known that if a fever lasts longer than 5 days it ahould be investigated .
I am thinking of taking him to a&e to be seem by a pedestrian ! Am i overacting ??

A&E is an absolute pain. And you really have picked the worst time of the worst night. That said, if nothing is improving, you need to have him seen. Do you think he'll last until the morning? Pack lots of drinks, snacks, ipad etc. I'm just afraid that it's going to be the morning before you're seen anyway. That said, he'd be seeing a paediatrician, rather than a general medical doctor, so I'm sure babies aren't as unruly on a Saturday night lol

**garethsouthgatesmrs

Given the number of trained medical professionals who have come on here to say a&e I am appalled that 111 didnt send you there.**

Well it would depend on the assessment that 111 did! I would assume that none of the questions answered by the op triggered an a&e response. Also if a gp called her back, then the case would’ve got reffered to the out of hours doctors anyway which is separate to 111. 111 just sends referrals to them. If the gp (who is a trained medical professional!), has not said that she should go to a&e then that’s their advice....... of course they can get it wrong. If the op is really worried she should definitely take the child to a&e. It’s very hard to assess someone over the phone. And I would imagine that the gp that op spoke to would have more information about the child’s symptoms from the assessment than what the other doctors on here are saying.

My cousin was also repeatedly fobbed off by GPs. Her 1yo DD had 'gastroenteritis' for weeks and weeks. Turned out it was a fucking brain tumour ☹️ it's like they only look at the symptoms for that one day, and not consider how unusual it is to be ill for so long, particularly as children tend to bounce back quite quickly.

My heart sank when you said 111 were going to get a GP to call you after the number of times you've already seen a GP. I would definitely be wanting to see someone at the hospital now.

Please take him Don't listen to your DH. My DH is a great dad but he doesn't have an instinct for when DS is really ill.

DS had very high temps for a couple of days when he was 10 years old. ( though those weren't t really responding to medication) . I was considering a& e (despite having already tried 111 and DH saying it wasn't necessary l) when he had a seizure. He was admitted and turned out to have viral meningitis. Any high temperature that does not respond to medication or that does respomd but goes on for several days/a week maximim should be checked out.

Nurse and mum. Hospital and get him checked out

Op I'm another to say go to A&E.

My attitude to when to go to A&E has changed in the last 8 weeks. The chances are given the time its been going on LO needs the hospital, bloods, urine tests not just a GP and a prescription pad. (Don't mean to offend GP's).

Used to like the 'it's a virus you'll be fine theory'. Its only came close to killing me twice. But attitude shift came 8 weeks ago with LO ended up in hospital with a virus.

There is always a consultant on a night for children if there is a children’s ward and a&e they don’t have specialists at night for instance a gastro team they have unsocial on call doctors on at home
But there is always a general children’s consultant and then registrars and then SHO doctors as a team.

Also just to add as my daughter has had septecemia 8 times 4 times resulting in sepsis - Calpol bought her temp down every time !

I'm at work in a and e tonight. If you came here you'd be looking at a 6 hours plus wait, in the waiting room for this (join the other dozen parents and their little ones with same symptoms) lots of viruses out there, trust your GPS, especially if you've seen him twice already.

I’m guessing @Dontaskmeihaventaclue is a receptionist

No decent medically trained doctor or nurse would try and dissuade a worried parent of a child with those symptoms from going to hospital- wait notwithstanding- even just so you were being monitored, and with help if you suddenly need it.

Hi all so we had a weird night . His temp went very low to 34 ! He was not waking up easily and could not keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds ! Parametics came and suddently he was all up and playing they took his observations and everything was high nut they agreed that high temperature for this long needs to be investigated so we are going to the gp this morning !

*everything was fine

Dontaskmeihaventaclue
Have you not read the multiple PP where GPs have kept fobbing people off with viruses and it turned out to be something far more serious? And the PP who are doctors and nurses who said to go to a&e? Your 'advice' is dangerous.

I am a paediatric nurse and the advice given here is DANGEROUS. A temperature for ten days is not normal! And you are not wasting nhs time or money by visiting accident and emergency with a sick child. For any future posters looking for advice please take the advice of the doctor who said to go to hospital. 111 is NOT immediately answered by qualified nurses or doctors, they are health advisors following an algorithm of symptoms and treatments and are not a substitute for knowing your own body/your own child. It is impossible for anyone including a doctor to diagnose someone over the phone! If you feel your child isn’t right you have a responsibility to take action. For what it’s worth a fever followed by a sudden drop in temperature to 34 CAN be a sign of something seriously wrong.

Dontaskmeihaventaclue
What do you do in A and E???

@Dontaskmeihaventaclue your user name is very fitting

I agree with donaskme the wait at our A&E would have been in the region of 6 hours as well. He is not getting worse, he has had the same symptoms for ten days, I think that can wait until morning even if the op goes to A&E in the morning. This shows a need for general paediatricians in the community though or some kind of rapid access bloods/ investigations. At the end of the day, only the op knows how ill he is. If he is getting temperatures and playing normally, eating and drinking etc I wouldn’t go to A&E on a Friday night

So in your experience you feel that a temperature for ten days followed by a sudden drop in temperature is not an emergency?? Do you know the signs of sepsis? Are you aware how poorly a child can become in a matter of hours?
Speaking from personal experience I waited in accident and emergency after my son had a temperature for 9 days. Calpol got the temp down and several doctors including GPS and Paed registrars told me it was viral. Lucky for me I was in hospital when he turned BLUE and mottled and had to be given intramuscular antibiotics because he was so shut down they couldn’t find a vein. He had pneumonia. So think twice before posting on here, especially when you’re giving out dangerous advice!!

Was he not taken to hospital?

I thought if you call an ambulance for an under 2 it's a mandatory a&e trip? Unless it's changed in the past few years? (or varies from trust to trust?)

I agree with jellycat (also a nurse). A temperature that drops like that is seriously concerning. I would be going straight to A&E. Don't worry about wasting resources. Your child is sick and you need to find out what is wrong. I really hope he is OK.

I can't give any advice regarding your son but I would say ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS.
Ignore your husband, your mother and get a second opinions doctor fobs you off.

My daughter used to get a low temperature with pneumonia. She would be sweating and freezing. a few doctors listened to her chest and missed it.
Anyway you knowthere is something wrong, hopefully you will get sorted today. Good luck x

I was referring to the conversation that took place before the op’s update. Yes a sudden temperature drop should be checked and it was, if he had signs of sepsis the paramedics would have taken him to hospital. I am not saying that he doesn’t need to be seen/ investigated further just that she same symptoms for ten days doesn’t need rushing to A&E there and then

I'm really surprised the paramedics agreed it needed further investigation but then didn't take him in. I would still be tempted to take him to a&e if the temp is still high and the OOH GP fobs you off with a virus again.

NHS advice says to go to the doctor if a fever lasts over 5 days. NHS guidelines

Why are people saying this advice is incorrect? Yes, it could just be a lingering virus but it could also be an underlying infection that needs treatment. The best person to advise her is a doctor. Why on earth would anyone try to discourage her from taking a child to one?

I was referring to the conversation that took place before the op’s update. Yes a sudden temperature drop should be checked and it was, if he had signs of sepsis the paramedics would have taken him to hospital. I am not saying that he doesn’t need to be seen/ investigated further just that she same symptoms for ten days doesn’t need rushing to A&E there and then

If I hadn’t rushed my son to hospital with a temp he’d had for 9 days his pneumonia wouldn’t have been diagnosed. What planet are you on?!