How many days with consistent high fever before GP prescribes antibiotics?

[My2012baby]

Hi everyone I wanted to get your opinion/experience. My 1yo has now been having on off diahrrea for 9 days and a consisten high fever (goes up every day to 40-40.5) for the past 3 and half days. We try to keep it down with the usual calpol/nurofen and stripping clothes off, wet towel etc. but when it peaks into the 40s it's horrible and overall LO is upset. He normally eats like a trouper but not this last few days, he lost already a pound or so. We have been GP already twice and also A&e when his temp was really high and not coming down and basically have been treated like the crazy parents and told its viral just wait it out and don't worry about the temperature until it goes to 42-43. Also told that that won't happen cause his body will shut down the fever before it runs that high. This morning after 3 days of high fever when went back to GP I was told keep waiting and that they wouldn't do antibiotics or investigations before 3 full weeks of this. Now this seems very odd to me. Isn't persistent high fever in the 40s for more than 3 days and diahrrea enough for it to be something that needs antibiotics? I'm not keen on using them at all but surely my LO's body is not managing to fight this off? Am I wrong? TIA

If it is a virus then antibitoics will do nothing whether it is day 1 or day 100 its horrible but thats just how it is. If he is showing no signs of infection they won't give antibiotics.

Just keep pushing the fluids and hopfully he will perk up soon. Advice is against things like wet towels as that simply cools the skin which then makes the body think it is cold and so raises core temperature further.

Hope he feels better soon

Thanks Sirzy. My worry is that he does have an infection , just because they haven't seen it it doesn't reassure me. They haven't done any testing on his poo or blood so they are just guessing its not an infection and it is viral

Both viruses and bacteria are 'infections'. The vast majority of causes of diarrhoea are viral hence not wanting to give antibiotics. They would only use antibiotics if a stool sample has shown a bacterial infection.
Using antibiotics inappropriate for diarrhoea is a very effective way to breed resistance hence their reluctance.
As a general rule of thumb viral infections generate higher temperatures than bacterial infections.

Also, as antibiotics can often lead to an upset tummy it's not really going to be used unless they really feel it is needed!

Thank you both, I see what you are saying. I'll wait and see hopefully it gets better fast!

If he gets a fever of 42 to 43 he'll be dead. So that was silly advice. If he keeps having fever above 40 degrees take him back to GP/OOH/a&e.

It is very well possible to have a bacterial infection causing diarrhoea, eg e-coli. Especially if the fever doesn't come down significantly in response to ibuprofen and paracetamol and if fever remains pretty constant over the full 24 hours, then they may be warning signs.

Make sure he doen't get dehydrated, eg little sips of water often, with dioralyte if concerned about dehydration.

Hopefully he is over the worst by now.