No joy with NHS Direct so can you help me please?

[phipps]

Ds is 5 and was complaining of feeling cold and tired at school. Actually felt very hot and then started shaking. I brought him home, temp was 37.2 so gave him so calpol and put him to bed in vest and pants. He has come down and is sat on the chair with a blanket on. Shivering is what is worrying me.

It does sound like he had a temperature, possibly the thermometer under read the temperature - this happens a lot.

And that's why I never take my children's temperature, I just feel their forehead and back of their necks, and look at their overall condition.

You are right to keep him home.

Thank belgo. We use an ear thermometer and I do wonder about it as I can take his temp twice in a very short time and get a different reading. He definitely felt a lot hotter than the thermometer said and when he was felt at school they said he was very hot.

I work on the basis that 36.6 is normal for him so if it goes above 37 with other symptoms then I will give him calpol as I have seen febrile convulsions and don't want him to have one. I can count on one hand the amount of time my children have calpol in a year so am not going to worry if they have it when it transpires later they weren't very poorly.

If he felt hot and was unwell then the op was right to treat as she did. I don't have a thermometer in the house - just go on how they look/feel. You can tell the difference between normal, mild fever and go to doctors now fever like that

OP I've had the thing where they feel hot but when their temp is taken (at OOH docs) it's below normal - v weird!

NorthernLurker - it is weird isn't it? One of my children had a very low temp once, about 34 and when I rang NHS Direct to ask for advice she said it wasn't possible to be that low. DS was really young and I was so worried as I am not medically trained and she made me feel stupid.

I've seen those ear thermometers giving exceptionally low readings such as 34 deg and that is a problem with the thermometer - sometimes it just doesn't take the reading at exactly the right angle in the ear so does not get the core temperature.

My ear thermometer is reading 'lo' for everyone who uses it, I assume it's broken but there is no other sign that it's broken.

Sorry Phipps, I didn't mean to sound like that! I usually work on how they are acting rather than the thermometer. You(and everyone else!) just seemed concerned that his temp was 37.2 when that is considered normal. If you think he needed calpol because he was uncomfortable then that's fair enough. Maybe get a new thermometer to reassure yourself :)
Re febrile convulsions, it is the speed that the temperature rises that causes the convulsion, not the temperature. Paracetemol has been shown to be ineffective at preventing them. Thankfully, although they look scary, the convulsions are harmless and don't cause any long term damage. Hope he feels better today.

Thanks bubbleymummy. I know 37.2 isn't a fever but it is high for ds and I work on the basis that I want to stop the temp going up and up when there are other signs ds wasn't well.

I would be interested in recommendations for a new thermometer for when this one gives up.

DS is now in bed with his teddy and was very surprised to see that teddy was still asleep when I took ds up to bed .

Ear thermometers do seem to vary as to how accurate they are - my old one used to read about 36 degrees for everyone even when they were obviously burning up!

My new one is much better - I use this one, it's very good and we have them at work as well. You could try changing the battery in yours, that may help.

Having said all that I do tend to go on how a child presents rather than what the thermometer says, so if my girls are flushed, feel hot to touch ans are obviously not themselves I would treat them accordingly regardless of what a thermometer says.

Glad he's a bit better today phipps

Sidge - that is the one I already have.

Ah OK maybe try a new battery, that could help.

bubbleymummy - paracetomol and ibuprofen in combination along with stripping off and sitting in a cool place are the only things which can possibly prevent ferile convulsions.

I would guess it's better to take these precautions than just allow the temperature to keep climbimg isn't it? That's certainly what I was advised by the doctors, nurses and ambulance crew when DD2 had them.
I will stick with this advice, because it's een given by medical professionals.

They were the scariest thing I've ever seen (other than the night terrors which she's now started having!) and I'll try very hard to prevent her having more. They might not be harmful in the long term but they are pretty unpleasant to witness, particularly for my DSS's who were very upset.

DS is asleep.

It sounds like you have done exactly the right thing as your ds is better this morning.

I agree with you about Febrile Convulsions. Back in my former life as nurse/ambulance technician I had to go to so many little babies who were too hot. It is a very scary thing to witness.

I would also change the battery on your thermometer. I dont think they last very long. I seem to have to change mine all the time.

He is still asleep now. Poor little thing.

Right it is getting on for 4 hours that he has been asleep now and I am getting a bit unsure if I am doing the right thing letting him sleep. He does rouse when I go in to check on him, and will have to get up for the school run, but am a bit worried there is something more serious wrong.

A bit difficult, I guess, because he will seem disoriented etc when woken up so it's hard to tell what's normal and what isn't.

Normally sleep is great when you're ill as it allowes the body to focus solely on fighting the infection.

I think I would try to wake him up for good and observe him for an hour or so.

And if he hasslept through the night and if he doesn't have a fever at the mo but is so sleepy...a bit strange. Maybe call a doctor for advice? Or can you get an emerency appointment?

Would it be silly to ring NHS direct? GP surgery is shut now.

No, of course it wouldn't be silly. I'm guessing you're worrying about meningitis, of which one of the symptoms is unusual sleepiness, lethargy etc. Obv, very unlikely that your ds got it, but it's something they should take seriously. In any case, you haven't got anything to lose.

Did you try waking him up properly?

I am not massively worried about meningitis as he has no rash and could move. I am going to make up a drink and snack for him soon and then start making some noise.

I didn't wake him fully but he did move and open his eyes when I went in to check on him.

Instinct tells me sleep is what he needs but there is a tiny bit of me scared worried. DS isn't ill very often so this is a big deal for me him.

Rash is a sign of septicaemia-that's the complication/later stage of meningitis.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you paranoid- it's just that I'm fine with very hig fevers that respond to meds and if the child behaves more or less as usual, but am less comfortable with them being lethargic/not themselves.

I would call NHS direct and ask them if there's something you should watch out for. They may tell you to wake him up and check how responsive he is etc etc.

ballstoit, read the NICE guidelines Antipyretics (fever reducing medicine) do not reduce the risk of febrile convulsions and should not be used solely for that purpose.

They also state that paracetemol and ibuprofen should not be administered together to control a fever, rather that the other should be tried if the first is not working. Furthermore, they advise against the use of antipyretics solely for reducing fever in the absence of any other symptoms or signs of discomfort.

Your doctors should be following these guidelines.

On phone now

Ok, let us know, please.