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Children's health

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Original poster

Bronchiolitis - how bad before going to hospital?

68 replies

dairymoo · 13/11/2008 13:16

My 14mo DD has Bronchiolitis (diagnosed by the DP yesterday evening). He said that as yesterday was really Day 1 of an illness that can last as long as two weeks, he was sure I'd probably be back to have her looked at again at some point.

So she slept reasonably well last night (bar a few moments of weak crying in the night) but today she's still really lethargic, quite floppy, and doesn't seem to be comfortable even being held by me or DH. Her breathing is quite rapid and she's refusing almost all of her food and drink (well, she did have a quick BF first thing this morning and has had a handful of blueberries and a couple of gulps of smoothie, but she's normally a BIG eater).

I just don't really know what to look for in terms of bringing her back to the GP, or going to hospital....I know there's no medicine that she can be given but I just can't stand to see her breathing so hard and so obviously feeling rotten.

To make matters worse she's got molars coming through as well.....

OP posts:

3littlefrogs · 13/11/2008 13:23

I would take her back to gp. Ds2 was hospitalised with bronchiolitis - you can't be too careful. Rapid breathing is exhausting and dehydrating and if she is not drinking she will get too dry.

If you can't see gp sharpish, I would go to A&E or walk in.

kiddiz · 13/11/2008 13:27

My ds was admitted to hospital with this at 11 weeks. We struggled with him at home for about 4 days but his breathing was really getting quite laboured. His chest was kind of "sucking in" as he tried to breathe and he was particularly bad a night. On the night he was admitted the lovely gp we had back then had been calling in everytime he was nearby while on call and in the end he decided he would feel happier if he was in hospital. That said they didn't actually do that much in hospital that I hadn't been doing at home but it was reassurig having medical staff on hand as he was so young.
There was a baby in the next room with the same thing who had to go in an oxygen tent though.
Ds was discharged after a couple of days

kiddiz · 13/11/2008 13:29

Sorry I forgot to add...hope your dd is better soon

CharleeInChains · 13/11/2008 13:31

The thing you need to look for is blueness round the lips and the 'sucking in of the chest' like Kiddiz said about as that means they are relaly struggling to breath and may need some oxygen.

Penthesileia · 13/11/2008 13:31

Take her now. My dd is just getting over this (she's 23 wks), and when we took her to the GP last Wednesday she instantly referred us to hospital. And my dd was no-where near as ill as you lo sounds, poor love. She was eating, sleeping, had good colour, wasn't limp, was basically the same in herself, except for wheezing, very chesty cough, blocked nose, etc. The paediatrician who saw her called her a 'happy wheezer'. But she told us to return asap if she started to display any of the symptoms you describe.

So go to the GP, and if s/he can't see you, go to A & E. They can put her on a nebuliser to ease her breathing.

Good luck. Really hope she feels better soon.

Penthesileia · 13/11/2008 13:33

And yes: given that dd started to come down with this 2 Fridays ago, it lasts 2 weeks.

Original poster

dairymoo · 13/11/2008 13:38

Thanks for all your quick responses. She's sleeping now (much needed after an early start this morning) and so I think I'll see how she is when she wakes and try and get some liquid into her as she'll hopefully be feeling more rested. I'll look out for blue lips and sucking in of chest too, she hasn't got that at the moment.

She's got a twin sister who, at the moment, is the only person who can make her smile. Very sweet.

OP posts:

Fiveplusbump · 13/11/2008 13:38

I thin you need to take her to A&E I am not trying to scare you and will not go into details but I had a very bad experience of this illness .

It is always better to be safe and sorry and you wil probbaly feel better yourself if you see someone .

Hope she feels better soon.

Madsometimes · 13/11/2008 13:55

dd2 had this at 4 months. I took her to the doctor when she had been sick for two days, and it was not diagnosed (I think it starts out like a cold, so is not easy to diagnose). After 4 more days, she was still not better, and when I took her to the GP she was admitted immediately. She needed oxygen and a nasal feeding tube, but she did do very well and made a good recovery.

I would also take her to A&E. They can test her oxygen saturation with the little probe they put on her finger or toe. Given that your dd is over a year old, it is probable that she will get over this on her own, but it would be better to hear this from a doctor rather than someone on Mumsnet

MinkyBorage · 13/11/2008 13:56

if her chest is recessing, this is VERY IMPORTANT!! I take mine in as soon as I can see any recessing

RubySlippers · 13/11/2008 13:56

take her to A & E

My DS had 2 bouts of this

wake her and take her now

wishing her better

MinkyBorage · 13/11/2008 13:57

by recessing, I mean 'sucking in of chest' as described by ops. If you can see any it is an A & E job imo

ChippyMinton · 13/11/2008 14:01

Please take her to A&E now.

rempy · 13/11/2008 14:01

DH is a paediatrician. His basic rule of thumb is happy wheezer, i.e. playing, generally content, just a bit whingey, leave at home. Do not worry at all about not eating, it will come back. She does need to drink, small amounts often. If not able to drink, hospital.

So in your case, if lethargic and not happy being held, go in to A&E.

rempy · 13/11/2008 14:03

This is the season, the staff will be seeing lots and lots of kids with this, they will not think you are fussing, if you get sent home they will make it clear that you can return again, and again if worried.

poppysocks · 13/11/2008 14:07

We were in hospital with DD2 last week with this (she's 13 weeks now). Our GP said that the big test is whether you can see signs of physical stress in their breathing - the chest as others have mentioned, the skin at the bottom of the throat (adam's apple sort of area) and/or if her head is bobbing from the strain of breathing (not sure if this last one as relevant though with your DD being older). Sadly, all were true of our DD, but after a night on oxygen we were home and a week on she's absolutely fine. Only really about a week of illness for us. Good luck.

Original poster

dairymoo · 13/11/2008 14:15

Ok, thanks for all your posts, will take her in now.

OP posts:

ChippyMinton · 13/11/2008 14:21

Wishing your DD a speedy recovery

shootfromthehip · 13/11/2008 14:25

Yip- get yourself to hospital. We had a scary experience with this when DS was 8wks. Even if they send you home it's not worth the risk as they can go down hill REALLY fast. Good luck and tummy raspberries to the sprog

beeper · 13/11/2008 16:51

Just a question (not a judgement) Those of you who's children have had this, did you breastfeed and or where you breastfeeding when they had it?

beeper · 13/11/2008 16:51

ok op I see you BF

beeper · 13/11/2008 16:52

ok op I see you BF

Umlellala · 13/11/2008 17:02

My little one (16 weeks) has had this twice (just recovering now - starts off as happy wheezer then becomes distressed and tired, then eventually gets better and 'happy wheezer' again). The main worries are that they will get too tired and not be able to breathe or feed properly - and that's why you should keep close eye. So for me, because your dd isn't drinking or eating and is upset, I would go to out-of-hours doc/a & e. And it is scary and horrible, though I think doctors like to err on the side on caution.

And yes, my ds is fully bf and no smokers or anything, while ff dd has hardly ever been ill .

ChippyMinton · 13/11/2008 17:10

why beeper?

TheMadHouse · 13/11/2008 17:44

dairymoo - just wanted to see how things were. Hope you dd is OK

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