Advice needed - 16m old DD, 4 day temp

[HaveYouSeenMySerotonin]

Hi there,
Posting for advice as I'm a bit unsure about what to do and I'm getting increasingly worried (though have a tendency to be a worrier so this could also be titled "talk me down").

Got a call on Thursday afternoon from DD's nursery to say she was running a temp of 38.8 and to come and get her. Got her home and she was utterly miserable - rapid breathing, a bit listless, crying a lot. Phoned the Gp for advice after giving nurofen and they asked us to come in. Temp at the Gp was still 38 (this was around 45m later) and pulse was over 200 so they sent us to paediatric A and E at the hospital half an hour away.

By the time we got to A and E she had perked up (of course). They checked her over thoroughly, said its possibly viral tonsilitis and to alternate calpol and ibuprofen. We've been doing this ever since and as soon as we were home temp was back to 40.3.

Initially she had a runny nose (and had had a cold since Monday) but that's gone now. No cough. Covid test negative.

I'm concerned that her temp is still in the high 38s/39s unmedicated. She is okayish when the neurofen or calpol takes effect but I'm starting to worry. Should I take her back? She's no longer spiking into the 40s but it's still a bit upsetting to see her miserable.

Only other symptom is that she's been v gassy, and her nappies are looser than usual though nowhere near diarrhoea.

Would be really grateful for any advice. I know it's probably a virus but it's worrying me that she still has the temp without the runny nose and I keep thinking of all those horror stories about hospitals missing severe infections.

Thank you.

You have to do what you think best but it sounds like a classic virus working its way through to me. If she is drinking and keeps improving I'd give it a few more days.

Thank you - that does sound reassuring. She is drinking and eating (honestly nothing has ever stopped that girl from eating)

She will be gassy with the paracetamol and nurofen and I would be surprised if she didn’t get a bit of diarrhoea. Have you checked her back of throat to see if there are any white spots on tonsils, as this could mean tonsillitis which would need antibiotics. It’s when they don’t eat or drink that I worry. I would suggest if she’s no better by tomorrow, ring the GP again.

Thank you @mindymomo - the hospital and the GP checked her tonsils on Thurs and said they looked swollen but no white spots or pus so no antibiotics. I'm wondering whether it might have developed since (is that a thing?!) particularly as her cold symptoms seem to have gone.

Interesting re the meds and the tummy - that's good to know!

Also - is it bad to keep up a 4h dosing cycle of nurofen and calpol for this long? The calpol doesn't seem to do much for the fever whereas nurofen is better but still takes over an hour to kick in.