High temperatures for over a week

[ShowOfHands]

4yo DD had a day off school a week ago on Thursday because of a temp and complaining of feeling cold and having ear pain. She seemed to get better and went back in on the Friday. She was ok over last weekend, bit quiet but otherwise fine.

We went away on holiday on Monday and by the evening she was complaining of feeling cold again, said her head ached and her eyes were sore and spiked a temp of 39. I've been giving her anti-pyretics when in discomfort and her temp lowers and she seems much happier though not really eating and still complaining of aches and pains and feeling shivery when the temp comes back.

We saw a nurse on Thursday while on holiday as I was concerned that it had been 3 days of consistent 39+ temps. She checked her ears, chest, throat etc and said 'just a virus' though she had a slightly swollen tonsil and slightly inflamed ear, all consistent with the mild cold symptoms she's had. No infection present.

She does have a cold but not bad. She has a cough but not bad. It's just this bloody temperature. I've just taken it and it's 39.5. She's slept 14hrs straight and is just a bit withdrawn and unhappy. Nowhere hurts she says but she just wants to sit and be read to or watch a dvd. No interest in anything, certainly no appetite still.

Could this be just a virus or should I be getting a second opinion?

I should add as pertinent info maybe that my brother has viral meningitis atm. Nurse said it definitely wasn't this though I don't know how she knew this (dh took her in while I looked after the baby).

The out of hours options here are a 40 mile drive to a walk in centre or nothing. NHS Direct is only taking extremely urgent cases atm and I don't really know what to do.

I've never known a temp last this long. It's usually two days max.

i'd get her checked out by a doctor now - when DD has had prolonged temperatures its turned out to be either an ear infection or a water infection - both of which needed antibiotics.When we called NHS direct and they were busy with a high temperature they called us back within 30 mins.

That's a very high temperature to have for 3 plus days.
I would wait until dc has woken up, see if she is any better, cool bath fresh clothes and see if she eats.

If she is no better at all and still has a fever then I would go to the doctor.
That's just what I would do, but I'm not a doctor or a nurse or an expert!
And if you plan to go to the doctor maybe don't give her calpol so they actually see how high her temperature is?

oops just re-read that she is awake and not interested in anything. Definitely I'd take her to the doctor (pita to drive there I know)

We're going to take her. The thing is, I'm fairly certain it's not her ears or throat or chest or anything like that. She has mild cold like symptoms. She has had ear infections in the past and has had accompanying pain and symptoms. She has absolutely nothing she can point to as bothering her.

I'm wondering if it could be a UTI. In which case they'd need a sample. I have no suitable receptacle. I am not clutching a jug of wee for 40 miles in the car.

I'm feeling really anxious about it. She's just fallen asleep again.

The nurse she saw on Thursday said leave her and see somebody if she's still ill in a week. That's not right is it?

no doesn't sound right to me. My dd had high fever for 2 days, I called nhs direct, they said wait another two days (it was the weekend), took her to gp on the 4th day who said I'd done well to bring her in after high fever for days (39.5), she had a chest infection and needed antibiotics.

DD was also sleeping all the time.

DH is just sorting out the baby and we're off. She completely pale, fast asleep again, lips are cracked and sore. She looks bloody awful. I just hope they find out what's causing it.

Hope all is ok with her - if it is a UTI it needs to be in a sterile container anyway so no point taking a jug of it anyway!

She has flu. And in the time it's taken to get her checked, 6mo ds has got v hot and cranky so looks like he's going the same way. Nurse was v thorough, said her throat is 'typically virusy', whatever that means. Urine clear but suggested she needs more sugar/salt. She recommended full fat, flat coke, nurofen and sleep. Both dc barely been awake all day. My head is pounding.

To have a high temp for over a week sounds like a secondary infection. A high temp for up to four/five days could be viral but any longer suggests an infection (ears/urinary/chest etc). I would be wanting them all checked and checked again every day that the temp continues. Have had this time and time again with DS.

Also if everything (ears/urine/chest etc) clear after a week with still high temp of 39 then they should be doing blood tests for bacterial infection.

They said in the walk in centre that if she's still ill on Tues (so 1 week of consistent high temps) they'll do blood tests.

Brilliant, sounds like they're doing the right thing. Hope DD is better very soon, they are such a worry arent they.

I don't want to worry you but after 20 days of fever, visits to four different GPs who dismissed her symptoms as flu/a virus and one trip to A&E who told us of for bringing her in and discharged her, DD was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease at the end of last week.

I mention this because fevers lasting for more than 5 days and dry cracked lips are amongst the symptoms.

Please google it and see if any of the other symptoms fit. There is no diagnostic test as such but blood tests will give an indication and can exclude other possible sources of infection. If your DD has persistent fevers for 5+ days plus 4 of the other symptoms listed then Kawasaki should be considered as a possible diagnosis.

If you suspect it might be Kawasaki Disease it is important to act quickly as treatment needs to be given within the first 10 days for it to be effective.

Also, like your DD, mine was ill for a few days and seemed to be getting better before her fevers returned and have since been persistent.

One theory is that it is an autoimmune reaction to a virus.

I'm not saying it is likely to be this and I hope I'm not alarming you, I just wanted you to be alerted to the condition so you can hopefully discount it in your DD's case.

You haven't worried me, is always good to at least mention other possibilities. DD has NONE of the other symptoms and a couple of other indications which effectively rule it out (good response to anti pyretics, no pain at all) and the sore lips were put down to dehydration and sure enough lots of fluids and lollies and the soreness has almost gone. How is your dd now?

It's seems to be running it's course, thanks, though she was diagnosed too late for treatment. Heart scan all clear though so that's a relief.

Hope your DCs get better soon. It is so scary, isn't it, when they're ill, particularly with fevers; I find I worry no end! I hope they pick up soon and you manage to get some rest too.

Brill news about the heart scan. I sort of vaguely knew about KD but it's surprised me how serious it is. I'm really glad you mentioned it and hope it's merely a distant memory soon.

Illness in the dc is the worst bit of parenting. Makes me v anxious. And the anxiety makes the exhaustion so much worse. DD is actually improving I think. The baby, v hot and feeding constantly . Plus, DH is coughing and shivering now. Flu seems about right tbh.

ShowofHands - Glad to hear she is better - sorry you went on a wild goose chase on my account! I do tend to err a bit on the side of panic when I see little children be so poorly. Especially as it seemed quite a f ew days of high fever.

The thing is, they look so poorly ad floppy, then I find as soon as I start to really panic and call nhs direct or go to the doctor they suddenly start perking up (apart from last time when she had the chest infection).

But children are more resilient than we think!
Hope the little one bounces back soon, and try not to catch it yourself!
(Typical that DH should catch it too...! That's always the last straw for me!!!)

Oh I'd have gone anyway . Generally, if I'm concerned enough to start a thread then I'm going to seek medical advice, the dithering somehow helps. DD has slept for 20 of the last 24hrs. Last nurofen was 10pm and she feels normal to the touch (still asleep). DS is very unsettled and dh is moaning and groaning. Supposed to be doing the Sport Relief mile in 3hrs.

oh dear sorry to hear that its flu but at least she sounds like she's getting better - about time for you all to catch it now then

If she still has high fever (especially if it does not go away with a combination of maximum doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen) I would insist on a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia (listening to the chest is quite hit and miss, e.g. not reliable).

Hi Showofhands (and mammal),

Did you know that to have Kawasakis Disease she does not have to have ALL of the 5 symptoms. How old is she?

My DS was diagnosed with KD almost two weeks ago. He did not have all the symptoms. Sore eyes, cracked lips are symptoms. My sons cracked lips were put down to dehydration at first and his sore red eyes down to conjuntivitis, but I KNEW it was KD and after a few hours of monitoring they agreed. It seems like you feel like she is getting better, but if you have ANY doubts, take her to A&E. Doctors are notoriously bad at diagnosing KD. You need to ask to see a Peadiatric Cardiologist. The Pead at our hospital said any temp over 5 days is abnormal in kids and needs investigating. Sorry to worry you if everything OK.

Mammal - PM me if you want to talk about the KD. My learning about it all is just beginning. What hospital were you in? I have found a good forum (I think its US) - kdforum.org/index.php?sid=b1c5903eb8e8321d819691826f9abfa0

Good Luck x

Hi OP. My DD (3yr old) has exactly the same Flu like symptoms. We saw the OOHGP at the weekend. She has been ill since Saturday. We are off to see the doc again today.

I don't want to worry myself too much but am going to google KD. She has stickyness around the eyes so I wondered if she has conjunctivitis aswell.

Hi Catsleep

Normally the red eyes in KD does not have the conjunctivitis gunk. Just the redness. Get her checked anyway xxx

DD is starting to get better now. The doctor seems to think it was a cold/flu virus so she will just get better with time.