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Children's health

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Original poster

Urgent paediatric referral - any words of wisdom?

62 replies

Jo2508 · 25/02/2014 20:08

My dd (9) has just been referred by GP to paediatrician for further investigation/blood tests. She has been unwell for over 3 weeks now with fatigue, fever, aching joints and weight loss (3 kgs in 3 weeks). I am trying not to panic but feeling very worried and just wanted to know if anyone had any similar experiences or words of wisdom. Thanks very much

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Sneezecakesmum · 25/02/2014 21:21

Fever might mean some kind of infection. Infections usually get better. They are usually curable. Sorry can't offer anything more comforting but I can imagine how terrifying it is and hope it is just something minor.

Ghostsdonttalk · 25/02/2014 21:29

Write a list of what you want to say so you remember it when you get there.

They use a spray to numb the arm for blood tests so she shouldn't feel it.

Hope it goes well.

Twighlightsparkle · 25/02/2014 21:39

Not a huge amount of advice, has your GP doe preliminary blood tests?

I hope it is something easily sorted x

Original poster

Jo2508 · 25/02/2014 21:49

Thank you for your replies. No blood tests done by GP, she said the paediatrician will do these. Of course have made my worrying worse by googling her symptoms and what urgent child referrals are looking to diagnose/rule out. GP said referral will take about a week, don't know how I'm going to keep calm that long.

OP posts:

FoodieToo · 25/02/2014 22:13

We are in Ireland so maybe different there but over here you could just turn up at A and E and they would do the bloods.

If I were you I would do that to save waiting around worrying for a week.

My son had a temp for 3 weeks. It was pneumonia. Hope all is ok with you.

BellaVida · 25/02/2014 22:18

Please try not to worry. My DD had some quite alarming blood results and similar symptoms and it turned out she had glandular fever. It wiped her out for weeks.

Original poster

Jo2508 · 26/02/2014 08:12

Thanks again-I hadn't thought of the possibility of glandular fever. What I don't understand is how much quicker it would have been to take blood at the GP instead of waiting for the referral.

OP posts:

TabithaMcKitten · 26/02/2014 09:47

Hi, please try not to worry (a pointless comment from me I know!)

If you present at A&E with those symptoms they will do the bloods there and then. The fact that she 'only' has an urgent referral and was not sent straight to hospital may reassure you a little, as that is what they often do. She will be much better having her bloods done by paeds as they are very used to little people and their veins and IME GP surgeries panic about taking blood from children.

Original poster

Jo2508 · 26/02/2014 17:28

Thank you. She's ill again today and I am getting more and more worried but will try not to think of worst case scenarios.

OP posts:

wonderingwoman64 · 26/02/2014 17:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Millie2013 · 26/02/2014 18:04

Another one with the same presentation (aged 6) and I was also diagnosed with glandular fever

I hope she's ok

candycoatedwaterdrops · 26/02/2014 18:34

I know you must be worried but unless she gets rapidly worse, please don't take her to A&E just for a blood test. Do speak to your GP and see if you can convince them to do one.

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 26/02/2014 20:13

I must say I wouldn't be happy to wait a week for an 'urgent' referral? Surely she should have been sent straight away to be assessed? And if the dr suspected glandular fever so something else not so urgent, HE should be doing blood tests. I would be inclined to get on to the surgery and ask why a child is waiting around like this if there is any possibility of serious illness! When my son had an urgent referral my GP hand wrote a note and sent me straight to the children's ward of the nearest hospital.

Original poster

Jo2508 · 26/02/2014 20:42

I have been wondering why the GP couldn't do blood test yesterday and send it to the paediatrician instead of waiting until the appointment (which we now have for 5th March). Have decided to call surgery tomorrow morning and ask. I'm hoping the reason they didn't send us straight to hospital is that it's not that 'urgent' but she's been like this for over 3 weeks now so in my mind it is urgent.

OP posts:

Theonlyoneiknow · 26/02/2014 22:58

Urgent to me means within days, week at the most. Three weeks is awfully long time to be waiting and worrying. So, by this I hope they didn't mean urgent in its true meaning.

When my GP was very concerned about my DD he wrote a letter there and then and told me to take her to hospital where they took blood tests right away.

I would call tomorrow. They should see your DD that day and explain what's going on x

Original poster

Jo2508 · 27/02/2014 10:04

Called the doctor this morning as dd still unwell, they have given me blood test referral form to take to the hospital today. Don't know why they couldn't have done that on Tuesday but at least I feel something is getting done now.

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InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 27/02/2014 11:12

Good, well done

TabithaMcKitten · 27/02/2014 12:20

I hope everything goes well Jo2508

FoodieToo · 27/02/2014 13:12

Thinkng of you also. I was in this position last year. Turned out to be a very nasty,but treatable,pneumonia.

I hope everything is ok x.

Original poster

Jo2508 · 27/02/2014 13:58

Thank you all. She's already had pneumonia so not sure if it's that again. There's been no breathlessness this time, although I guess that doesn't rule it out.

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FoodieToo · 27/02/2014 16:59

My ds had no real,pneumonia symptoms. They called it silent pneumonia.
He had a little cough,nothing bad.
But high temp,aches and pains,extreme lethargy,weight loss,no appetite,stomach pain and also he was leaning to one side.
Which was actually the lung that was infected.

Am thinking of you and hope all is well. Horrible going to hospital but hopefully they will put your mind at rest.

Original poster

Jo2508 · 27/02/2014 19:13

Thank you FoodieToo, must have been a scary time for you with your ds. I'm assuming he made a full recovery? I just wish I knew what this was, I feel so helpless knowing we have to wait almost another week to see the paediatrician. We have had the blood tests done today though so at least the results should be back by then.

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Floralnomad · 27/02/2014 19:20

Blood results should be back with your GP tomorrow ( gps always say ring in a few days ) particularly if there is anything of importance in the blood results . Did they actually test for glandular fever ,or just routine bloods ?

FoodieToo · 27/02/2014 20:47

Yes Jo,full recovery thankfully. Two weeks in hospital,a chest drain fitted for 11 days,over a month of antibiotics .
It took six months for his lung to return to normal.

Don't worry too much if the bloods show nothing. I think the test for glandular fever is quite specific and may take a while to come back.

Best of luck. Hope your daughter is feeling a little better this evening. It's horrible seeing them unwell.

TabithaMcKitten · 27/02/2014 21:27

Hi Jo

If it helps at all, when my son had a blood test in hospital that showed he had leukaemia I had a phonecall at home within 90 minutes to tell me. If something serious shows up they are onto you PDQ!

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