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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To take DD back to a&e

107 replies

Advice54321 · 04/04/2021 04:33

A couple of days ago my 9 month old seemed a little off and spiked a temperature of 39.2, calpol was only keeping it around the 39 mark. Called 111 who said to take her to a&e. Got there and it had risen to 40.1.

They checked her over, everything was fine although her throat was a little red but nothing that should make it spike like that. Took a blood sample and gave her iv antibiotics whilst we awaited the results. Her temp dropped and she perked up almost immediately.

Bloods came back and the docs words were “there is nothing there concerning, we think she has tonsillitis. We are going to send you home with antibiotics but if her temperature isn’t under control after two days, come back.”

Her temperature is now under control, probably too low if anything at 35, so I can’t give anymore calpol or ibuprofen.

But she still just isn’t right. She won’t play, she just sits there having a cuddle and randomly she cries out. She throws herself around and might settle in an awkward position for a bit before crying again. I probably managed to get her on the floor playing 3 times in the whole day for about a minute each time before the crying started again.

I wasn’t sure if she was just over tired last night so thought I’ll put her to bed and see in the morning. She just woke up for a feed and it’s taken me an hour to get her back to sleep as she was just crying and throwing herself around like she doesn’t know what she wants.

She’s had 3 full days of antibiotics (as apparently the iv antibiotics count as a full day) and am wondering what to do if she is the same in the morning. I don’t know if I’m over reacting and need to give the antibiotics longer to work, or if I’m under reacting and should be taking her back.

OP posts:

Christmasfairy2020 · 04/04/2021 09:44

Tbh shes had all bloods done and they was ok. Shes on abx. When I have tonsillitis I wanna be in bed. Ice lollies and fluid and give her a few days.

HighlandCowbag · 04/04/2021 09:47

Hope she is OK op. So scary when little ones are ill, I was a regular with dd at A and E as she used to spike 40+ regularly and also had a febrile seizure.

shenanigans5 · 04/04/2021 09:53

A doctor in the paed ward said to me, on a number of occasions, ‘we treat the child not the numbers, the numbers are just a guide’.

This was in response to me wondering why the 40 plus temps kept recurring once the antipyretics had worn off.

Obviously that’s in the context of a hospital setting where regular monitoring was already happening so if things changed they could be quickly addressed.

But it’s just common sense I guess. A temp below 36 in isolation by itself wouldn’t give rise to panic about sepsis. But the other accompanying signs such as child seeming in pain or lacking interest in normal activities is probably enough to warrant another look- particularly in the context of previously being treated for infection.

It’s a tricky one. I’d not panic at a low temp on its own and I certainly wouldn’t think it indicates sepsis is likely, but along with the other symptoms I’d get it checked out (as op has done).

SeenYourArse · 04/04/2021 09:53

What is her normal temperature for her? All this talk of 35c being super low and almost hypothermic is all well and good but my eldest sons natural temperature is around 35.5c! If he gets up to 36. something that’s a low grade fever for him!

Letsrunabath · 04/04/2021 09:54

Glad you are at a&e

aretherereally4Hs · 04/04/2021 09:55

@blackcat86 I agree about the calpol. I was told paracetamol is a pain killer so if a child had a headache then you would give it too them. They wouldn't have a temperature. Same when a child goes to a&e with a broken bone they are offered it as a pain killer. I'd be very worried about a dr who told you that @Advice54321

wkshsiayuu · 04/04/2021 09:58

Hope she's ok OP. Just to reassure you my daughter always gets a low temperature (35C) for a while after she has had a high one. It used to freak me out but now I know it's just how her body responds.

Yaya26 · 04/04/2021 10:05

Typical they perk up as soon as you bring them to doctors. I’d still get her checked out. My daughter had low temps and doc said it was as concerning as high temps - that her body was struggling to fight something. I hope your LO is right as rain soon. Xx

Original poster

Advice54321 · 04/04/2021 10:06

Thanks again for the concern. DD is fine and we are home, they checked her over and just said to keep up with the antibiotics.

With regard to the doc who said about calpol lowering the temp too much. I can assure you it is true. My niece had been poorly for about a week and my sister had just been giving her calpol until she eventually took her urgent care and that was what she was told. I can’t remember what it was she was ill with now, but it wasn’t anything serious.

I did say to my sister at the time surely that’s not right as you take calpol as a pain reliever. But it obviously stayed in the back of my mind somewhere, which makes it all the more worrying that an actual doctor said that because what if I had of believed it, not got advice here and there was something more sinister going on.

OP posts:

jessstan2 · 04/04/2021 10:26

Yes, Calpol lowers the temperature. It is paracetamol after all. It's excellent for a fever, just not to be used too much or for a prolonged period. Mine never tolerated it, immediately brought it up!

I'm glad your daughter is on the mend.

All good wishes to you and family.

Secretroses · 04/04/2021 10:31

Glad your little one is okay OP.

With regards to the Calpol, using Calpol for longer than a few hours to lower temperature in babies is a bad idea as it masks the underlying issues. So by continuing to use it, it would be dangerous as the root of the problem wouldn't be being treated. But yeah, sounds very odd the doctor said it was dangerous because the temperature was being brought down too low by continuing to use it...

Hope your daughter continues to make a good recovery x

MothExterminator · 04/04/2021 10:36

So happy that she is ok OP. Just a random thought, did you try to take your own temperature with the thermometer? We had a malfunctioning thermometer which showed 35.5 as the normal temperature, which was a pain as it underestimated an actual fever. It is in the back of the cupboard only to be used if our proper thermometer breaks or randomly goes missing.

MakeMineALarge1 · 04/04/2021 10:50

Glad to hear she is ok

With regards to the comment from the Dr about slowly killing a child with calpol - you weren't there - you don't know what was said- you are repeating it.

Bert2e · 04/04/2021 10:51

@blackcat86

P.s. that doctor sounds like a twat. Whenever I've taken my DC to A&E they couldn't administer calpol quick enough. You should also have been advised not to use anything ibuprofen based due to concerns about its effects with covid.

This has been shown to be untrue. From the NHS web site: "The Commission on Human Medicines has now confirmed there is no clear evidence that using ibuprofen to treat symptoms such as a high temperature makes coronavirus worse."

badlydrawnbear · 04/04/2021 11:04

[quote Advice54321]@blackcat86 can I ask how you know that? Just my understanding was from when a doctor told my sister she was slowly killing my niece one dose of calpol at a time, by lowering her body temperature too much.[/quote]
That is absolutely not true. I know this as a paediatric nurse who administers paracetamol to children every working day.

I hope your DC is ok now and you don't have to wait too long to be seen.

NelleBee · 04/04/2021 11:12

With regard to the doc who said about calpol lowering the temp too much. I can assure you it is true.

Sorry, but I think you are mistaken. As someone who works in a pharmacy related role I can tell you this is not true. Calpol will not continue to lower one’s temperature below normal.

HaveringWavering · 04/04/2021 11:15

threelittlebears87 · 04/04/2021 11:49

good to hear she is better!!! But perhaps with such a little one - you could use a different thermometer. the ear ones are actually really difficult to administer correctly especially on a little kid - i.e. to get an accurate reading. same with the silly ones that measure temp on your forehead. there are other more accurate/efficient methods of measuring a temp. not saying that it was wrong this time, but it's not uncommon to get wildly different (often lower) readings from the ear methods because it is not inserted correctly etc.

BigFatLiar · 04/04/2021 11:50

If you're worried always best to ask a professional. As with any drug there is always the risk, however small, of a reaction. Think of all the panic over the AZ vaccine yet we happily take medicines which also have risks, even if very low.

Bluetrews25 · 04/04/2021 11:52

More likely your sister misunderstood.
People do that quite a lot.

JustSleepAlready · 04/04/2021 11:52

Take her back. She’s fractious, not resting, crying out. Just ‘not right’ is enough for you to take her back.

Lassolarry1980 · 04/04/2021 11:53

@HaveringWavering

To be fair Calpol is on sale but give an overdose and could kill

Zancah · 04/04/2021 11:58

My kids have always had a standard body temp of around 36. It's their normal.
My husbands is always in the 35s when I've been taking his temp for covid checking.

I think we're just a cold blooded family!

jessstan2 · 04/04/2021 12:04

HaveringWavering

Your sister must have misunderstood. It is simply not possible that a doctor would have said that giving Calpol could lower a child’s temperature dangerously low. It would not be on sale if that were possible.
......
Exactly. Of course it should not be given too often in large quantities, that would be dangerous and it say so in the instructions, same with most other over the counter medicines.

The whole point of Calpol (paracetamol), is to relieve pain and lower temperature from high to normal.

Darkstar4855 · 04/04/2021 12:06

@JustSleepAlready OP has taken the child back.

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