To be upset at A&E fobbing off my toddler?

[IWineAndDontDine]

I hate to be that person. I acknowledge they are overstretched and understaffed but I'm concerned about my daughter. Shes had diarrhoea for 3-4 weeks since covid. Lost her appetite around then, its got to the point she is probably eating 150 calories a day if that. Just a couple of mouthfuls of food. She's not herself, she looks gaunt, her eyes look sunken, she's gagging constantly as if she's going to throw up and occasionally does throw up. She's been warm for over a week. We haven't tested her temp with an actual thermometer but she's been clearly warm to touch and sweating. Just gradually getting worse since covid.

We have been told by everyone covid symptoms drag and drag so we kept thinking she would improve, but I just looked at her this morning and thought, this has gone on too long, you look super poorly and malnourished, so I called gp (my husband gets a private gp line through work). He said he wouldn't wait and get her seen before the day is up.

We took her to a&e as per drs orders and they checked her temp which was, 39.6. Checked to see if her tummy was tender, checked her lungs with stethoscope, and that was it. Said they weren't worried so long as she was drinking. Said the temp was worrying but only if it goes on for 5 days and as we havent tested properly they werent going to count it, despite it being over a week since we could feel she was clearly warm. No tests, no bloods, no advice. Am I being a paranoid mother? Have we been fobbed off or is this all I should expect from an a&e visit?

If you give her Calpol and her temp doesn’t change than it’s likely she has an infection and I would be pressing for more medical assistance.

A GP (in so many words) told me once for most things you need to be seen 3 times before they sit up and notice.

I think the takeaway from this is to spend £30 or so for a digital ear thermometer. It’s helped me accurately monitor my toddler through his various bugs and illnesses he picked up from nursery. It’s hard to tell from just touching them (unless they are really burning up) and for me, I am more relaxed about illnesses if I can see he’s a bit snotty, off his food and mildly feverish with a temp of 38 or so. I get a lot more worried if he’s burning up at over 40, can’t keep much down and has a terrible hacking cough. For me the thermometer is a vital bit of kit and if you’ve been telling the doctors that she’s just felt a bit warm on and off for the last few weeks they are going to assume you haven’t been particularly concerned about her temperature.

If she’s struggling to keep milk down and her temperature keeps spiking after the calpol wears off I’d be inclined to go back to a&e. My DS was similar and it was eventually discovered that he had pneumonia after doing an x-ray and he was really poorly for a week in hospital.

Don't know why you're getting such a hard time op! You sound like you've used common sense!
Is she drinking juice with sugar? Not eating for a few days is oknas they said, but its important to make sure she's drinking juice with sugar in, like apple juice, Diluting juice that's not sugar free, flat coke etc. Thinks like calypo ice lollies are good as well because they're full or sugar. Would she eat something like pomme bears? They're quite good for getting some salt into them and normally a hit with toddlers!
Hopefully she'll be on the mend soon, but if you're worried absolutely take her back to a and e or the gp. It would definitely be worth getting a urine sample to the gp for them to check as that can cause temperatures and nausea.

take her back. be THAT mama. ..you know your child.never settle. if yall been ill-i get that the dragged out symptoms mighta not been as concerning, did you call gp back?can you?

She sounds pretty poorly doesn't she bless her? I'd definitely keep a record of temperature, food/water intake etc and call gp on Monday if she is no better or back to a and e if anything changes. Sometimes things do take a while to settle down but you must be very worried.

Is she drinking cows milk?

Sometimes bugs can give them temporary lactose intolerance presents as diarrhea

Well you’re not busy making sure your DDS ok, that’s for sure!

You're busy putting down strangers online having a hard time. Sad

Very interesting I didn't know that.... yes she is having a bit

When you say annoyingly she's not keeping much down, do you mean she's vomiting a lot?

If she eats any more than a mouthful or two she will vomit

Can you get Dioarlyte or similar into her?

See your Gp next week. Get her urine tested to rule out diabetes. Unless hospital checked it? Or a uti. Usually A&E would rule out those things. You can't assume it's just Covid after affects, age could have picked up an additional illness.

I think you are getting a hard time...if my DC was vomiting daily for 4 weeks I'd be getting them seen too, and I'm a staff nurse in acute care. She's been seen tonight and outside the temp has no immediately concerning obs, and hopefully that temp has come down with paracetamol. Avoid ibuprofen if she's not eating. I'd avoid the dairy for a couple days and see if that helps, I always give mine pancakes/toast with jam after a sickness bug to give them a wee energy boost. I think it's not really a thing now but I start with fluids then once tolerated move to a BRAT diet then step it up as tolerated. You can give dioralyte too. If anything changes overnight/tomorrow and you are worried you can re-present or try going through 111. If no deterioration or improvment then back to GP Monday morning to get to the bottom of it all.

Can you use your private health cover to get a private paediatrician appointment? That way all tests can be run and any treatments, including admission if needed? Hope she recovers asap.

How is her urine output?

No urine test in a&e so I wouldn't mind getting that checked

Good question. I'm not sure how it works as this is first time using. It's police mutual health care so not the best but I'd like to utilise it if possible

Fine, seems to be drinking plenty. Urine is a bit more yellow than normal

Why would the staff at A&E be any more concerned about this than you have been for the past month? It does sound like you've been pretty relaxed about this if you do think she's very unwell - not bothering with taking the temperature, seeing a doctor only once in all this time, not keeping a good record of input and output.

Make this the week that you step up your regimen of care and start making demands. See the GP, take facts and figures with you.

I can understand why a&e were a bit off - it is not up to A&E to be a "bit off" - what an extraordinary idea!

They are professionals who are there to assess patients, treat where needed, and provide objective reassurance.

"A bit off" indeed - whatever happened to professionalism and humanity?

@IWineAndDontDine When I worked in A&E we always did urine tests on little ones along with a full set of observations. Not blood tests as standard as they are so upsetting, but if other things were off then yes. Definitely GP next week and don't get fobbed off.

If she does drink can you try buying and giving her formula? I know it sounds daft but it has all these added vitamins in. You can buy formula without cows milk if you think she could be reacting to that.

And apple juice. I have diabetes and when I feel really sick but need to keep something down, sipping apple juice mostly works. No idea why but it's very sweet and has lots of calories.

No advice further, only don't keep waiting weeks anymore, go to the GP and keep going if she doesn't get better.

Your poor daughter.

Calpol helps in the moment, it isn't a long term treatment plan. You need to take her back to A&E and demand blood tests.

You also need to put in a complain to your GP surgery, they should absolutely have told you what to do if the situation doesn't improve over a few days.

YABU for not taking her to A&E before she's gaunt. You've been watching her vomiting regularly, hardly eating, hot and not herself. In that time, you didn't take her temperature, you didn't seek further support and you didn't insist on treatment for her. Stop being so passive and get the poor girl some help. Not tomorrow, now.