Baby with 40 degree temp but no obvious infection?

[skrullandcrossbones]

DD (11 months) has had a very high temperature since Tues - up to 40 degrees at times, including right now.

We went to doc yesterday - he couldn't find any obvious source of infection (ears, chest, throat etc.) but gave us antibiotics anyway. Temperature gone up again today, despite antibiotics. Am taking her back to surgery (to see nurse-practitioner) in an hour.

Just wondering if anyone has any helpful experience?
DD is very listless and tired (though not sleeping well), off her food (still taking plenty of BM), and clingy. She's also snoring a lot when she drops off. It's the temperature that really worries me. Despite Calpol and Neurofen (alternating the two) it only goes down to about 38.5 and creeps back up to nearly 40 as the meds wear off. Any ideas?

She needs a thorough check again as a high temperature can cause febrile convulsions.

Flu? Not really a season for it, but still possible. DD had 41 degrees fever, not coming down much with Calpol and ibuprofen and no other symptoms.

AFAIK high fever for few days is not anything to worry about, unless accompanied by any worrying symptoms. My DC's paed always says not to worry unless fever lasts longer than 5 days and/or signs of serious infections are present.

What about UTI? Have they tested her urine?

JustFab- febrile convulsions are caused by the temp raising fast not by high temp itself.

NICE guide

I found it very helpful. Scroll to bottom for the chart-it rates symptoms according to their potential seriousness.

UTI a good call. Her older brother had one recently (not that that really has anything to do with it, but perhaps I should have thought of it).

How do you get a urine sample from a baby in nappies?

In the bath sat on a potty rinsed with boiling water (or a bowl) and turn taps on to a trickle!

Round here all the kids at nursery and apparently school are picking up a non-specific virus which causes v high temps and later a cough. Nothing antibiotics will help unfortunately. Lasts 4 days apparently. DD1 came home at lunchtime from nursery yesterday and has had a 39deg temp since. Goes back up as calpol wears off. Poor things in this weather!

Yes, winnybella. In my head that it what I meant.

When DS had this at 4 months it was a UTI.

Keep an eye on her general 'look': if she goes from listless to floppy and pale, I would take her to GP again or even hospital.

Just got back from GP. Doc says it is probably a virus (so don't know why we're taking antibiotics, but I suppose once you've started you've got to finish the course).

DD is taking amoxycillin which apparently should kill most UTIs but have also got a bag to attach to her to try and catch a sample too...

Yes, weather doesn't help. On the plus side, the DSs are loving runnign around in the garden, so at least not having to entertain them as well as look after DD.

I am a bit of a worrywart about temperatures, there is probably one of those notes on my DCs medical records.

My daughter spiked these sort of temperatures for 6 day in Jan before they finally found an infection in her urine after testing it twice and loosing the first sample. This was all via the hospital.

I may be wrong but....the NICE guidelines indicate that a child should be seen in a hospital if there is no known cause to their high fever. I would not accept the GP saying it's just a virrus and I would not accept them treating with amoxycillian on the basis that it might kill the bug. It might not. If she still has her fever today I strongly suggest you seek hospital assessment for her where they can accurately assess her and if needed test her urine and then determine exactly which type of antibiotics she needs (if it is a UTI).