What to do about this

[Ryoko]

21 month old son had a temperature of 38.9 earlier, he's in his cot now and is 38.1. he's had Calpol. He's clearly not happy, he's been drinking loads of summer fruits high juice (he will not drink milk) he's had a bag of pom bears today but refused a pot of Ambrosia, (he had a pot yesterday) along with pom bears and the day before that it was fish fingers and pom bears.

My idea is to leave it until his father comes home and see if he thinks he should go to the hospital. he's been drinking loads and not eating much since about Thursday but this is the first time he's had a temperature.

I on the other hand have been ill since Tuesday, I was fucking freezing on Tuesday, my head feels like shit and since then all I've eaten is a pot of ice cream, half a can of soup and a yum yum, I spent most of yesterday puking up and am drinking like a fish, I've gotten thru half a bottle of Ribena in one day.

It doesn't sound like he needs to go to hospital yet. He's drinking well and a few days being off food won't do him any harm.

Keep him dosed up with calpol and nurofen. If you are worried then pop to Out of hours Gp but it all sounds very viral. Poor you and poor him, hope he gets better soon.

Try Baby Nurofen and some water or very diluted juice. You can give the medicine in between calpol and I find it works faster and longer than Calpol.

If he is drinking fine I would just keep up calpol/brufen and if your still worried on Monday go to gp. Certainly doesn't sound like he needs seeing at the hopsital.

Hospital is easier tho, it's only about 10 mins up the road where as the GP is 40 mins and you get seen quicker, GP all ways sees you half an hour+ after your appointment time and it's such a pain trying to get an appointment in the first place.

You don't go to hopsital because it's easy, you go because there is a medical need to be at hospital not home/gp

Sounds like a virus, why do you want to take him to the hospital?

38.9 is not very high, it came down with Calpol...if it persists for longer than 5 days/he has worrying symptoms, then go see a doctor.

It sounds likemaybe you both have caught the same bug.

Certainly not a case for A&E.

I looked it up on the net some sites said that temp 38.9 is fine others said take them to hospital.

Don't see what difference it makes, if he needed hospital the GP would just tell me to take him there anyway.

should get rid of GPs and just have massive walk in centres instead (and an additional taxi bus service, NHS seems convinced we all have cars).

Anything up to 40 is fine for an almost two year old, as long as there are no other alarming symptoms. Little kids often run high fevers. DD had 41 last year with flu. Fever itself will not do any damage, unless it's very high for a long time.

He now has what is considered a low grade fever-38 degrees. You will be considered a neurotic parent if you choose to go to the A&E with a kid with what seems to be a minor infection. Accident and Emergency-this is neither.

But from what you have said he may need gp he certainly doesn't need a and e.

And lol at the idea the nhs should fund transport for "normal" illnesses.

Why not? be better then people calling ambulances all the time, been cases before of woman giving birth on buses.

If you want advice or an emergency appt arranging rind NHS direct, don't go to A&E, you wont be seen any quicker

He's obviously got what you have. Drinking lots is good. Don't worry about the eating.

Mine have all had much higher temps at one point or another - dd had spectacular flu for a week when she was 4 that involved temps up to 40.5 for several days, obviously controllable through use of calpol/ibuprofen and climate control/clothing changes. I rang NHS direct that time and followed their advice/

Other times,when has been weekend or evening I have rung GP line and then followed instructions for emdoc/out of hours access. Mostly ear infections though recently ds1 had laboured creating and in that case went to emdoc only to be swept straight through into A&E and then paediatric ward for the night.

Don't just turn up at A&E when in most cases there are alternatives - like emdoc or out of hours GP services. It isn't about ease of access, it's about clinical need and not clogging up A&E which is for, well, Accidents and Emergencies.

Carry on with the fluids, plenty to drink (doesn't matter if is squash or water or ice lollies). Regular doses of paracetamol/ibuprofen (use the ibuprofen if the calpol isn't keep temperature steady or if towards the end of a dose, the temperature is creeping up too much). Perhaps take off a layer of clothes, make sure room not overheated.

laboured breathing, not creating.

This is a joke - has to be. Ridiculous idea taking him to A&E.

This is why A&E is always overrun. He sounds very viral. If you are worried call NhS direct or OOH GP. What you are describing is neither an accident or an emergency.

Cripes, no wonder waiting times at A&E are so long.

He sounds like he has a virus. Treating it with Calpol, Nurofen and fluids is the right thing to do, not taking him to A&E!