to be thinking of taking dd to A&E for the second time today?

[OneStroke]

My 4 yr old DD has had a high temperature and been in tears saying the back of her head hurts. I took her to A&E earlier today because of these worrying symptoms. She was checked by a doctor who said give her some Calpol.

However she is still lethargic, complaining about her head hurting, off her food and has a temperature.
I am worried and can't get through to the out of hours doctor or NHS Direct because of the Swine flu pandemic.
I guess I am looking for a second or third opinion. What would you do? Am I over reacting?

yanbu, A&E workers are only human and humans get things wrong. Trust your instincts if you are worried. I've both worked there and been an insistent parent.

If NHS Direct says to call an ambulance for those symptoms then you do it.

Friends of ours called NHS Direct because their eight-month old was a little sleepy and not responding much to his mum when he woke in the morning. It's a good job they did because he had meningitis and was extremely poorly in hospital for a few weeks. He had no rash.

Follow your instints - dial 999 or get in the car now and go to A&E.

Not unreasonable - now or at 5am if things are bad or if GP surgery are disappointing in their responses on Monday morning. You are worried about your precious child. Doctors that deal with children - GP/A+E/paeds in my experience would rather deal with children that come in a bit worrying but turn out all right 10 times before breakfast than miss a severely sick child.

Uninterrputed sleep in adults medicated with no more than OTC meds is a reassuring sign, the goal posts move with children.

just wanted to say trust your own instincts on this - if you feel she is ok then monitor the temp etc, but if you are at all worried then go back.
my son had meningitis at 3,(he is now 17 but it took 2 years to recover) he ended up in a very bad way and was in hospital for over 6 weeks.
dont leave it if your at all worried. keep checking her, and google the symptoms of meningitis. (my son had all the classic symptoms except for the rash! he had no rash! but he had the stiff neck, cat cry, very high temp, arched back, stiffness etc. and i felt it was more than flu etc from the beginning but my doctor came out 4 times before he rang 999 when he realised it was serious - they kept telling me it was flu!)
good luck. hope she is ok. x

Thanks again for the replies. It's nice to know I am not being too neurotic!

DD is sleeping still. I am checking her temperature and breathing and will continue to do so throughout the night.

If I think she is getting worse I will take her straight to hospital. Hopefully she'll be feeling better in the morning.

pickivic - I was worried about meningitis because of her headache. The doctor at A&E checked dd's neck for stiffness and she said it was fine.
However I will definitely take her back if i think she needs to be seen. I am not willing to take an risks with her health.

Yes I'd take her sod what they say at a and e. Recently took both my dds within ten days of each other. dd2 (10 mo) allergic reaction swollen eye(shut) swollen lips and face took ages to drink milk. Dd1 (22 mo) temp over 40 not eating or drinking. I was worried re menninigitis. Both times less than satisfactory attitude from doctors who make you feel like a time waster. My backbone seems to disintegrate upon arrival at a and e!
E mailed to complain and got an apology from head of emergency medecine at the hosp. Fairly sure dd1 had the dreaded swine flu. Hope your dd is ok. Having kids is such a worry! Have grown all my wrinkles in past year.
By the way best contact I managed to get was to phone gp and describe symptoms and a gp phoned back and made an apt for us. Couldn't get through to NHS direct of OOH GP.

Message withdrawn

Hope your LO is ok and thinking of you

Wake her up-switch the light on ask her to sit up and see how she reacts. You'll know if she can't do these things.
Swine Flu has severe headache
As does meningitus, just because we have a pandemic it does not mean people don't get ill with other things.

I took ds1 when he was about a year old to a big london teaching hospital a&e because I was worried about him - temperature, not himself, nasty rash that didn't disappear like they say you get with meningitis. They looked at him, said it wasn't and sent him home - in the end he was ok but I don't think I slept just being so worried about him and wondering how he was doing.

The next week I read in the local paper how the same department had send home a toddler in similar circumstances - but he had had meningitis and died before he could be taken back.

I spent a long time thinking OH my god that could have been us. I also felt incredibly guilty because even though I had been very worried about ds1 I had taken what the doc had said and not fought them to get them to even observe him for a few hours and hadn't taken him back. Now I think I would do if I was in the same situation. I would also be much more explicit with the doctors and ask them at what point I should worry, and point out that I know that you don't always get all symptoms (or that by the time you do it can be too late and need very heavy duty treatment), making sure that I write everything down that they say as a record.

good luck, hope your dd is feeling better very soon!

Hi Riven, dd is a bit better this morning. She is still complaining that her neck and head hurt so I am taking her to the doctors this morning. Her temperature has come right down though so I am less worried.

Thanks so much for your concern.

I'm glad that she's a bit brighter this morning. I hope the doctor is better than A&E were.

I hope she is better but if you are not happy take her back to the GP or A&E.

Hi OneStroke, Just checking in to see how your DD is. Sounds like she is on the mend.