Would a temp of 40.4 freak you out for toddler ?

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Some people would go to hospital for this kind of temperature.

My boy is 18 months and has had a temperature all day ( no other obvious symptoms).

Temperature was around 38-38.5 all day. I've been giving him paracetamol and ibuprofen. He's been lethargic when his fever was high but when the medicine kicked in, he'd be pretty happy.

Since this evening it's risen quite dramatically to 40.4 just now ( he did sleep on me so it made him hotter ).

He was wrenching a bit earlier, but no vomiting.

I have him medicine an hour ago, but temp has just risen ( but was also sleeping on me ). Anyway it went up to 40.4. I've now taken off his very thin top. His temperature is now 40.

Is a high temperature like this a reason to take them to a and e?

I think if it responds to medication it's probably ok.

Or am I being too relaxed about it ?

Based on my experience with my children they start talking blood tests and lumper punctures when they can’t find an obvious cause. Happened when one of ours was 6 weeks old. They didn’t think a lumper puncture was necessary but they hadn’t found a cause so they’d do one if I didn’t want to take the risk that comes with not doing one 😱.

I would take him back to out of hours / A & E if it's been 24 - 48 hours since starting ABs and no improvement. He might need different ones. Also suggest checking the dosing instructions. I once took ABs for tonsillitis incorrectly for a few days and only realised as I wasn't getting better. Turns out I wasn't taking enough as hadn't read the dosing instructions properly.

I'd be taking him to A&E

Really ? You'd take him back again ? It was just so disheartening last time to be told ' yeah he has tonsillitis, of course he's poorly '...

I've dosed him up on ibuprofen now and he's happy playing. But was very unwell before it kicked in.

Could you call 111 again for advice?

Yeah I think I might do that. Just to understand if we need to change antibiotic. I thought he'd turned a corner yesterday. He's probably marginally better over all but still seems to have quite a few periods of time where he just wants to lie there with his eyes closed on me.

I would if no real improvement after 24 - 48 hours of starting ABs. I would try to get to out of hours (via 111) rather than A&E though.

Have the Dr's swabbed him to test for any infection. There was a lot of Strep A I think around this time last year.

They didn't, but they're treating it as such anyway.

They said it's bacterial tonsillitis and his antibiotic covers strep A

A temperature that high would freak me out in anyone, regardless of age! It's good you're getting him medical attention!

Just to say you sound like a great Mum. Hope the little one feels better soon. How are you feeling yourself?

Oh sorry to hear your poor little lad is still unwell. I'd definitely be calling 111 again. Hope he feels better soon!

Totally agree with @HungryandIknowit . ABs should have had an effect in the first 48 h. I would push for further tests at this stage.

Yes. Similar age DC1 had that temp, took him to GP who diagnosed chest infection around 6pm and antibiotics and said if temp was still that high at midnight to bring him to A&E.

It was interesting because the day before yesterday we saw a GP who actually personally called me back out of nowhere to ask how he was.

When we saw her she said that she thinks he seems viral and his vital signs are ok but if he keeps spiking such a high temperature, just to take him back to a and e. She said she really didn't like how he was in himself and not to hesitate.

I was surprised to get a call from her again to ask how he was and I told her that we did end up going back to a and e but the result was ultimately the same.

No, some kids do NOT run hotter.

The body temperature that we all function under is for everyone.

High temperatures can be a miriad of causes but it is because the body is fighting. A temp of 40degrees means your LO is fighting hard.

111 or A & E if anything over 38 degrees.

Children deteriorate rapidly.

Thanks you're so kind.

I'm ok. I have an older child as well so I am a little bit used to this kind of thing by now and I don't get alarmed too quickly anymore. But this illness is definitely worrying me. I just feel so helpless to be told the same thing over and over. You just feel so silly.

6 hours in a and e and the same response as the first 6 hours spent in a and e. I wish they did some tests but they said they just don't need to as the source of infection is obvious. I asked about strep a and the doctor also said, that's only an issue if we hadn't already put him on AB. But that was the first thing we did, so he should just get better once it kicks in.

He's been sneezing a few times today. In my opinion he has bacterial tonsillitis and probably also a virus and that's why it's knocked him out and why it's taking longer to recover perhaps.

I would go back to A&E querying sepsis and meningitis.

Dd has horrific bacterial tonsillitis recently that had to have 3 days of IV antibiotics. She was in hospital for 4 days.

Have they checked his blood sugars? Have they swabbed his throat? How’s his urine output? Weeing and drinking normally?

They did nothing. Just looked in his throat and ear / lungs and took his vital signs.

He's up and about now playing as usual as his ibuprofen has kicked in

How worrying op. He should be feeling a bit better now after the AB? I would just go back.

I would be worried OP, if he does downhill again when this lot of ibuprofen wears off I'd go back to A&E and start asking questions about meningitis and sepsis. That's a long time to have a high fever. Mine had always bounced right back after 24-48 hours of antibiotics, and he's very prone to high temps and tonsillitis.

Thanks. I've managed to get him an out of hours appointment in an hour and a half. I don't know how he's going to be by then. He's himself right now. That also happened yesterday afternoon and then he went downhill again for ages. It's like the double dose of ibuprofen is the only thing helping. But it's a good sign it's helping.

You want to give it a good 2-3 days of antibiotics to see an improvement, so 6 doses. I’m not sure how many he’s had but if he’s had 6 and you’re still not seeing an improvement then I would ring 111.

Speaking as a paediatric nurse with over 10 years experience of working with children with meningitis and sepsis it’s very unlikely it’s this as children with those conditions get very sick, very quickly, and need a lot of intense medical intervention within 24 hours of first showing signs of such illnesses.

They are usually near unresponsive because they are so sleepy and unwell, or alternatively they can be very irritable and upset and incoherent. If they are very sleepy and disengaged they can be very difficult to rouse and get a response from. They typically show very little interest anything (including food, drink, distractions, people) and they generally stop passing urine too. Children with sepsis and meningitis certainly don’t just perk up and start playing with toys after a dose of ibuprofen.

As we say to any parent though, you know your child best and if you genuinely feel this is something more serious than bacterial tonsillitis and a virus and you don’t feel you are seeing any improvement at all then definitely phone 111.

I’m not being dismissive of the situation at all because I know childhood illness can be serious, but I just don’t want you to panic and think the worse just because he’s still having fevers.