Does my child really need to go to out of hours?

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Posting here for traffic. DD came out of school and the teacher said she seemed tired all day. Brought her home and she’s boiling hot despite saying she feels cold. Checked her temp which was very high at 39.5. Immediately gave her calpol and it started decreasing pretty soon. By 5pm it was 38, still high but down. Keeping an eye on her, plenty of fluids etc watching films. Neither children want to eat tonight but thankfully drinking.

I must add DS has had a fever and a sickness bug at the weekend so the likelihood is that she’s brewing that.

OH is at work and he must have texted his mum to say we are poorly. She’s rang me up in a panic saying I should get DD to out of hours. Seems a b it ott. Yes she has a fever but she knows DS was also poorly so like caught that and her fever is coming down and she’s drinking so thought out of hours wasn’t needed.

Now mil has got me in a panic. Neither of mine really get poorly that often but have obviously had temperatures etc and I’ve always managed it at home with calpol etc etc.

Aibu that she doesn’t need to go??! She’s clearly caught what Ds had. I’m not 100 percent.

My
Mums the same. Every sniffle she would rush them off to the doctors.

Is it an older generation thing? When I was kid my
Mum took Me to the doctors for absolutely everything. Even things she could have treated at home.

Yes. Thats a really high temp.

You know your children best. If you think you can manage it at home I wouldn't let anyone else make you second guess yourself. If it helps I wouldn't take mine to out of hours if they had what you described unless the temperature went above 40 and I couldnt get it under control. There are loads of bugs going around at the moment. Hugs xx

Thank you. I would certainly take her if I felt like she needed to be seen but if I call out of hours they probably wouldn’t see her if the temp wasn’t coming down. It’s 38 now..

My mum is the same, any time one of the children is under the weather (even just a cold) she asks me when they are going to the doctors! It annoys me as she makes out I am lazy/being silly not to rush them to the doctors at the first sign of illness.

My DS was very ill over christmas and new year. High temps so calpol/nurofen alternated every 2 hours. It went up to 40.7 one day. I did take him to the doctors just in case but it was just the flu like the rest of us had and had to ride it out.
Hope your DD feels better soon.

No, I wouldn’t. When DS is unwell his temp is always around 40. I only take him to the GP if I suspect tonsillitis (he’s prone and always needs antibiotics), his breathing is worrying me (asthmatic) or his temp isn’t coming down with antipyretics/ is over 40/ accompanied by rigors (which happened sadly often when he was smaller).

If it’s just a temp, Personally I’d wait it out until morning and then decide- but you’re there with your DD, go with your gut.

I would say trust your instincts. My daughter gets fevers of 41.5. I remember everyone flapping to call her an ambulance. She saw a specialist fever dr. Who said we all rush nowadays to give medicine as soon as a temp spikes. But the body is doing exactly what it’s meant too. He told me to not go in until it got to 42. However my gp disagrees with him immensely. My daughter is only sick for maybe 24 hrs. Her body fights the bugs so well. Producing such a high temp means she’s never really sick. We’ve been in hospitals before and the staff flap a bit. The drs don’t however. They aren’t too concerned.

However. Trust your instinct. I am a great great believer in mummy’s gut. Listen to it. If you feel she needs a dr straight away. Then do so and fight for it

If it was my child. Whilst that is higher than most. I wouldn’t be taking her IF IT WAS JUST A TEMP. but that’s because I KNOW my own daughter. I know she spikes high fevers.

I'd just be keeping a close eye on her if it were my dd. 111 is a call away if she takes a turn for the worse later.

I take ds to the gp for everything but he has very different medical needs and a low threshold for being seen and refured onto the hospital.

I wouldn’t sorry
Calpol
And
Fluids

How old is she?

I wouldn’t take her to the doctor but I’d be keeping a close eye in case she deteriorated. Alternative ibuprofen and paracetamol and plenty of fluids.

I wouldn't be rushing to out of hours with that temp unless there were other symptoms worrying you.
My little boy had a temp bouncing around from 38-39.2 just after xmas for a few days. No other symptoms apart from he was a bit stroppy when the calpol wore off. It disappeared as quickly as it started and I have no idea what it was.
If he had stopped drinking, had a rash, stopped peeing etc then I'd be calling someone.

I wouldn’t if it’s going down

www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/

I wouldn’t personally. My dd is also prone to the higher end of high temperatures IYKWIM when poorly but I guess it does come down to knowing your child and trusting your gut.

I think it is a bit of a generational thing. My DM is always telling me and DH to go docs, take kids and to “lay it on thick” because they won’t take me seriously if not. MIL lives in the doctors even though there is bugger all wrong with her and my darling aunt books a precautionary GP appt for every month, just in case. All in their late fifties/early sixties.

Yes, that's a really high temperature . Hope she's ok.

I wouldn’t unless temp went 40 or above. Sounds like you’re being vigilant anyway, so just keep doing so.

I wouldn’t if it’s a temperature thats responding to calpol and she’s managing to drink. Like you said, probably a bug starting. Hope she’s better soon

I wouldn't personally. My 2 and a half year old only gets poorly looking and lethargic at 41/ 41.5 and it has spiked at 42. I did take him to A&E on the advice of 111 when it was 42 and not budging. They kept him in the A&E department until they got it to around 38. Was advised he must be able to run a high temp, they were surprised he wasnt having convulsions at that temp.

I only take him to the drs now if it's around 39 or above and I suspect tonsillitis as hes had that twice and was quite poorly with it.

You know her best, I'd keep an eye on. I have also found ibuprofen better for my sons temp.

I wouldn't as long as she's drinking, peeing and isn't showing any worrying symptoms. (Sensitivity to light, cold hands and feet, rash, very lethargic and sleepy).
Fever under around 41 isn't in itself dangerous.

Should be ok as her temp os down and i assume that was pretty quick after the calpol-as long as shes drinking and alert id say just keep an eye out

I wouldn’t take her, especially as you have a cause in mind. Only as others say if she’s not drinking , peeing , is unresponsive, has a worrying rash etc.

Alll you’ll do if you go is pass it on to others and stop dd getting the rest she needs in bed.

Obviously keep an eye on her though!

In our parenta generation there wasnt as much pressure on GPs, there wasnt google, there wasn't 111 so I guess they erred on the side of caution.

The NHS advice now though is not to take your child to the doctor for a fever unless it doesnt come down with paracetamol or lasts over 5 days or is combined with certain other symptoms.

So in your situation I wouldnt take her, there is nothing they can do other than say it's a virus take calpol, and you will just be wasting their time, your time, making your daughter feel worse, and spreading the virus

I think you're right. If it hadn't come down at all and she wasn't drinking or weeing then I'd be concerned. They say now that a temp isn't something to be scared of, unless it is dangerously high or doesnt come down

No, not for a school aged child especially since the fever is being managed with paracetamol.

I wouldn't take her either. If you know you can manage it at home then no need to take her. Obviously if you're worried or she deteriorates than reassess.
Slight derail so apologies but I'm somewhat concerned about these people going to the GP for anything/precautionary appointments. Are these the same people that blame immigrants/addicts for the pressure the NHS is under?