Febrile convulsions

[erja]

DS had - what turned out to be - a febrile convulsion yesterday lunchtime with a temp of 40.1 and was brought by ambulance to A&E for a check.
They ruled it as a viral throat infection and told us to give regular medication to keep his temp down.

Is it normal for a febrile convulsion to happen again?
I called the ward this morning and told them that he was being stubborn with taking the Nurofen/Calpol (he's almost 2), and was told to keep trying but if he seems fine then don't panic.
I managed to get a dose in this morning. I just gave him a Calpol dose now (50 minutes after he was due for another one because he was being difficult) and he had another minor convulsion 5 minutes after taking it, and he's now asleep on my chest. Do I panic? Is it normal to have a second one? Should I be allowing him to sleep?

@Jackshouse I rang them again and they've said they're really not worried and to go and buy a thermometer to keep an eye on his temp? They've said there's no way it's anything like sepsis if he's getting better sometimes and being his usual self and super hyper (like he was in hospital).

He's fell back asleep on my chest now, he's struggling to stay awake.

Read the nhs link below

www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/

And is his temperature lower after medication?

@PoppySeedBun18 I don't have a thermometer here as ours broke a few days ago and haven't been able to replace it as can't bring DS out! But he's boiling still.

@PoppySeedBun18 it hasn't lowered much and it's been 45 minutes since Calpol. Yesterday, he was improving loads after his medicine doses.

@PoppySeedBun18 they've told me to top up his ibuprofen but they told me every 8 hours and I gave him just after 10am!

The cold hands and feet are very worrying.
I’d be ringing for an ambulance or driving him to A&E personally

@MyBreadIsEggy I thought it was worrying but they've said it's completely normal with a fever, especially as he's got nothing on.

If he struggles with calpol in a syringe then I would try paracetamol suppositories for infants. Life saver. My Dd2 also had febrile convulsions. It was a life saver. Alternate calpol etc
I would call 111

You're only going to get more and more worried and it's alright them saying he'll be fine but they can't see him. Go to hospital. Have them actually set eyes on him and assess him. Don't worry about looking stupid or getting there and him being back to normal - better that than sitting at home worrying for hours on end.

Hopefully it's nothing but go to hospital and have them tell you that

It’s your call and you know your kid - I’m just wary off 111 when it comes to children because their condition can change so quickly. I don’t trust someone to make an accurate diagnosis without actually seeing the child.

@MyBreadIsEggy it wasn't 111, its our open access number for the doctors dealing with him yesterday.

erja by still, they’ve given advice without having seen the child today.

sepsistrust.org/about/about-sepsis/

This is what NHS online says

every 8 hours? Usually it’s every 4 hours up to 4 doses per 24 hours. Is it an over the counter ibuprofen?

If he isn’t better after meds that is worrying but as you can’t check his temperature at home you can’t see if it is working at all. Is he really lethargic? Can you still wake him easily?

Tbh op you sound very concerned so perhaps a&e is a good idea. Def get a thermometer too.

I questioned about Sepsis and everything yesterday and they said it was 100% not. I insisted on blood tests and they said pointless and it's definitely not any sort of blood infection and very clearly a viral infection.

Do you have a friend or family memeber who can rush you a thermometer. You really need some data. You can alternate calpol and ibuprofen (off set by an hour or so), but you cant go over the total dosing for either in 24 hours. Maybe call back the open access number and ask them for the max dosage for each medicine and how far apart to give each dose and write it down as they are telling you (you will forget as you are stressed). Is he drinking? If you are dosing alot with medicine, dc need to drink so their kidneys can process the drug effectively. They will want to know his weight for accurate dosing
Hope he feels better soon

Yes but that was YESTERDAY. Today is a new day. You are clearly worried. If you don't want to go to hospital phone your GP and tell them the symptoms, ask if they will see him today.

Get him seen.

Struggling to stay awake is yet another symptom. I also don’t see how they can say it’s definitely not sepsis today - it might not have been yesterday but they can’t say that it isn’t today, it can come on so rapidly. I don’t fully understand what you want from this thread. If I were in your shoes, I would have the child back at A&E. Nobody can provide legitimate reassurance to you on here. You are listing potentially very serious symptoms in a one year old, and seemingly getting worse rather than better. What else can we say but go to the doctor?

I really hope it’s nothing and it may well be, but we can’t tell you that.

Something is stopping you from going to a and e or ringing 999- what is it?

Is it fear of wasting someone’s time? If it you are worried about that then don’t be your priority is your child and with those symptoms no one in a and e would say anything other than get it checked.

Oh I was just about to post on your other thread saying thank goodness he is better!

I’d ignore the doctors in this instance, they cannot diagnose over the phone, and phone 999, paramedics can decide whether or not to take him back in as they’re trained medical professionals

Struggling to stay awake combined with everything else you've said is worrying. I'd have taken him to A&E by now. Phone a taxi if you don't want an ambulance but honestly, I think you need to get him seen asap. If it turns out to be nothing then great, but you can't be too sure with small children.

Sepsis can develop at any point, they really shouldn't be saying "it's not sepsis" based on yesterday's info.

Can family/a friend bring a thermometer to you?

You can alternate ibuprofen and paracetamol. Ibuprofen is no more than 3 doses in 24 hours, so give every 6-8 hours. Paracetamol is 4 doses in 24 hours, so every 4-6 hours. Both are anti-pyretics and will bring his temperature down.
Give ibuprofen, wait 2-3 hours, then give paracetamol, wait 3-5 hours then give ibuprofen again (as long as it's been at least 6 hours since first dose of ibuprofen). They can be given at the same time.

If the temp still doesn't come down or he has another convulsion definitely take him back.
You seem very worried, and that's enough reason to go to A&E now.

Hope all is well soon

Please just take him to a&e. They would rather you take him there and it be nothing, than for you to second guess yourself and it may be serious. I've taken DS to a&e more than 10 times and I have never been told I did the wrong thing, even when it wasn't as serious as I expected. You can't be too safe with a young child.