DS had a temp of 41.2 again :( Advice needed.

[alibobins]

Two weeks ago we spent 2 nights on a children's ward with the same turned out to be tonsillitis, the same happened last month again tonsillitis
Ds woke with a temp of 42 which responded to stripping off calpol and nurofen it only went down to 39
Spoke to nhs direct this morning and she suggested with his past history that we just hang on at home and ring back this afternoon. Well this afternoon they said the same even though whilst I was on the phone she asked me to do his temp and it was 40.5.
Really unsure what to do he is asleep now and when last chcked his temp was 39.9 and he isn't due any meds till 3 in the morning.
Don't want to waste A&E's time
Sorry for the long message.

You are not wasting anyone's time - do what you think you should do, they won't mind that's what they are there for.

I really think when he is running a consistent temperature like that despite meds you need to get him looked at. You are certainly not wasting anyone's time!

I think if you can't bring the temp down then you should go to a&e.

why can't he have any meds till 3am though? you can give calpol and nurofen alternately at 2 hr intervals

That's a high temp, take him anyway so he can get checked out. It's not wasting A&E's time, especially if it's not coming down with ibuprofen. I worked in a childrens emergency department, they won't mind.

Maybe he needs a longer course of antibiotics this time to make sure it's gone.

Have you done cool flannels on neck/torso or cool bath?

If it isn't coming down though I would get him checked out, esp if cooling with flannels/tepid bath does not work.

Don't do cool bath! It sends them into shock. PLEASE DON'T!!!

Sorry Ewe.

Not cold, but lukewarm. It's what my paediatrician suggested to me yesterday!

Tepid bath or shower should help bring it down too, but this is a nasty infection and sounds like it should be looked at. If you let the temperature rise and rise there is a risk of febrile convulsions, and you don't want to be dealing with that.

I also think that in a way it is good if these episodes are recorded as being bad enough to need hospital treatment.
it's possible your DS will need to have his tonsils out at some point if he is getting this so frequently, so don't be put off going

well, my DS had a temp of only 39 on Thursday (unusual for him and we had been on a plane for 21 hours 3 days previously) - after getting the answerphone at the HV, no GP available at the surgery, local NHS Walk-in centre not treating anyone under 2 - I decided to take him to Paed A&E. Neurotic? Possibly - but they couldn't have been nicer about it and said I had done the right thing. And gave him antibiotics in case he picked up anything vicious on the plane, even though we all thought it was likely to be viral (I have something too).

So I would say take him - it is better ALWAYS to be safe than sorry later.

We going thro same.
Ds had a couple of febrile fits yest-we hadnt realised he had a temp until then. ook about an hour and a half to get his temp down. Keep the room temp cool and lots of steam keeps it better for them too. We have an old steam sterilizer and just keep topping it up with the lid off. Hes bad again just now but while we thought it was tonsilitis i think he`s got croup.
Hope yours is feeling better.

thisisyesturday...

you cant give pareacetamol and nurofen at 2 hour intervals per se...

OP posted at just after 9pm... therefor no more paracetamol until 3am EARLIEST

they are allowed 4 doses of paracetamol per 24 hours, as well as 3 doses of ibuprofen, so 7 doses of medicine in a 24 hour period, which is NOT the same as every 2 hours, which would equate to 12 doses in 24 hours....

(you can of course give ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time as well if it suits you better)

alibobbins hope your child feels better soon and if in doubt go the hospital... those temps seem VERY high

ok, just repeating what we were told in a&e with ds1 when he was very poorly.

and we don't know how many doses of what medicines he has been given during the day either.
which is why I asked.

true.... but given that he has extream temperatures all day and been on the phone to NHS i think its fair to assume he has been having calpol!

I was told off VERY sternly by a couple of Drs and my boss (a GP) for taking paracetamol 4 hourly (throughout the 24 hours so 6 doses a day) for just 3 days (I was in loads of pain following a car crash, as i was overdosing myself, and no more paracetamol fpor me at all for a while
(My GP boss is so laid back about medicines i really didnt think it could be a problem!)

(My own theory was as im bigger than a small 12 year old (who the dose is also aimed at)a bit more wouldnt hurt but with paracetamol you DO have to be careful)

I was told by a paed to give calpol and neurofen alternately at 3 hourly intervals. You give the full dose of Calpol (for age/weight) each time, but divide the maximum daily neurofen dose by 4 (so 15mls / 4 = about 3.7mls for a little one) and give that each time.

That way they never have more than 3 hours between meds which helps stop the temp spiking but also keeps them within the max daily dose for each med.

Thanks all for responding.
We ended up going to A&E just after I posted as Ds projectile vomited everywhere
Got home about 4 this morning (yawn) pead said its tonsillitis again and gave him a 10 day course of penicillin this time and told me to bring his appointment forward with consultant.

Just to clarify with meds NHS Direct said calpol every 4 hours so he'd had it at 8, 12, 4 and 8 and nurofen every 6 hours which he'd had at 9.15 3.15 9 15 then was due again some at 3 in the morning.

A&E said I did the right thing as a constant high temperature needs treating.

Glad you have had him seen and got some treatment for him My niece and nephew both suffered from constant attacks of tonsillitis when they were little and both ended up having their tonsils out. It really makes them very poorly when they suffer with it so frequently.
Hope you get your appointment with the consultant soon.

Glad to hear everything is ok