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 ??

@betty ok interesting to know, thanks. Sorry your little one has been so poorly

He was diagnosed with chest infection and given antibiotics

Thanks Nood - it’ll be a slow road to recovery and the treatments might lead to long term problems but we’re going day by day and every day is better than the one before.
Our hospital (Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital) is utterly wonderful and we are extremely grateful for all of the expert care my DD receives.

Op glad you have got somewhere. Fingers cross the antibiotics do the trick.

He should be on the mend soon

Hi, glad you took him to A&E :)

My DD was very ill when she was 2 and it started off as a virus, it turned into Encephalitis. We did take her to our GP because she was wobbly and kept falling over and crashing into things, but then sometimes she'd walk straight (she walked straight for the GP :D). The GP at first said it was a virus, but she deteriorated within an hour, she couldn't walk straight at all and fell as soon as she stood and her face had dropped (she looked like she'd had a stroke) we took her back to the GP who admitted her straight to children's ward. I know that its different to how your DS was, but the point is.. it started off as a virus, DS had the same virus and he was fine.

I think a lot of time it comes down to gut instinct.
Dr says all is well, but your parental instinct says it isn't so you push for a solution. For some that solution has been found in A&E for others a second or third GP. For a friend of mine the solution, sad as it was, came from a dentist who said the dreaded words "that is not dental"

Sometimes it is a virus.
Sometimes that virus can turn nasty, but at the point where the GP first saw the virus there isn't always the signs that the virus will turn nasty. That is why they say come back if you need to, well ours does anyway.

Keep pushing if you are worried, but do accept sometimes it is just a horrid bug.

Thanks for the update. See, your instants were right.

Instincts fgs

Glad he is okay! Chest infections left in children can be dangerous. So your instincts were right.

I've been told that a parents instinct is a very good reason to get medical advice. My son was born prem and was in the neonatal unit and I was told that mothers generally know before they do that their child has taken a turn for the worse due to them usually being with the child more than anyone else. It's the little things we notice, long before any obvious symptoms strike.

Glad he is ok OP

When my DD was I'll she saw the GP 2 days running who said it was a virus. When she failed to rally from the vomiting in the expected 36 hours or so I took her to A and E. The doctor in specialist children's A and E listened to my description of a child vomiting everything undigested (she was sucking icepops, not eating) and not really straining to vomit, just opening her mouth and out it all came. Her intermittent severe belly pain. How she was not pooping or breaking wind. She said "she's not obstructed". I didn't even know that was a possibility ; I know now I gave a perfect description of a child with an obstruction. She was admitted for not keeping teaspoons of liquid down. Her vomit changed to brown; I know now this is feacal vomiting. She saw 2 registrars who set up a drip and said it was a nasty gastritis. She saw a paediatrician who said it was a nasty virus. He ordered an x Ray to see if she was constipated. By then I was watching my daughter fade away in front of my eyes and I eventually insisted on seeing the sugical consultant doing rounds. He took one look at her swollen belly and ordered a scan. She had intussusception which had been left so long she had to have 25 cm of intestines removed. It was missed by 6 doctors, 4 of whom were in a specialist children's A and E. I think if I hadn't insisted it wasn't "a virus" her bowel would have burst and she would have had peritonitis and possibly died.

So I am sceptical when people say if a doctor has said it's nothing, then it's nothing.

Incidentally the A and E doctor who said DD was not obstructed wanted to send DD home. I over heard the (middle aged, female) nurse telling the v young doctor that this was my 4th child and when a mum is this concerned about their 4th child doctors should listen.

I would love to tell that nurse how grateful I am one day.

How horrific oldbirdy. Thank goodness you insisted on seeing the consultant.

Oh and good for that nurse too (cross-posted).

Am so sorry to hear all these stories . Am an expat here so am not used to nhs type health care although i am very gratefull for it .
If i was back home i would have taken him to ped right away although i would have obviously paid for the privilege!

Your instincts were right. Your son has a chest infection which wouldnt have just gone away on its own, like all tjose doctora told you, itbwouls have got worse and worse until he was very poorly. Well done you! He should improve really quickly now with the antibiotics. If he doesnt strat to improve soon take him back - another thing that often happens on the NHS is that they give you the cheaper antubiotics that dont usually work or that every one is alreadybimmune to ao you have to go badk and get different ones. You'd have hoped they wouldn't do this with a one year old though

I hope your son is on the mend and is back to his normal self soon, Anxious

@Flowerfae

She didn't take him to A&E?

oldbirdy same thing happened to my DD but in my case it was my pfb. Got fobbed off by the 111 gp - she was projectile vomiting across the room and just not herself at all. I took her to the nearest hospital who suggested another one that was more geared to children - DD was 6 months - and they had no clue until one dr asked to check her nappy and saw the tell tale red jelly and knew it was an intussusception. She then got blue lighted to another hospital 40 minutes away and a surgeon had to be paged in as an emergency. It was very touch and go as so much time had passed but I just knew she wasn't right despite only having 6 mths experience.

Always trust your instincts. Drs don't mind if there turns out to be nothing wrong as the alternative is unthinkable.

So glad you got seen anxious and hope the anti Bs kick in soon

To the poster asking about how the children were in themselves before being taken to hospital. My daughter was playing and responsive.

I have two children and my older child will expect make a drama out of a paper cut. My younger will keep on going no matter how I'll. She has been admitted to hospital twice for different reasons, both times playing up to and including during her stay.

This is why it is so important to respect the parents view. They actually know the child and their MO.

I don't like general medical advice such as a very unwell child will be like a wet lettuce etc. The people involved are individuals.

When I was in labour I called the ward and the midwife told me that since I could talk on the phone I was in very early labour. Again I ignored her and went it, she was dismissive until I was examined and was at 9cm with a back to back labour.

Again, nothing but respect for medical staff but do not override your own knowledge and instincts.

Anne
It's horrendous, isn't it. It was missed for so long in DD as she was 6 at the time - rare in that age group, much more common in babies. Glad both our dds are well now.

My first baby was born with a heart condition which was missed by several doctors, health visitors and NHS 24.

I knew - even as a brand new mother, all was not well - and I just rocked up to A and E where she was given oxygen as we had been fobbed off for days.

I NEVER laugh at mothers, even new mothers, for getting a second opinion. I was actually told I was becoming mentally ill by my Health Visitor such was my insistence all wasn’t right. I still hate her for what she put me through