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Sick 3yo - doctor won't come out!!!!!!!!

39 replies

Meanoldmummy · 29/01/2006 17:16

Can someone tell me what to do? My three year old suddenly became very sleepy this afternoon, which is unlike him. Then he started shivering and complaining of cold, so I sat him in the warm living room (it was cold, so I wasn't that worried) He then became roasting hot and said that his stomach was feeling strange and that he could feel a funny bubbly "breathing" in his stomach. Typical three-year old description - I started to get worried, gave him calpol and stripped him to his pants to try and get his temperature down. He's had a runny nose and a cold lately but nothing serious. I then gave him a big drink (fruit juice mixed with water, what he usually has) and he proceeded to projectile vomit, really violently, all over himself and the floor. While I was cleaning him up his legs went from under him and he said he needed to lie down.
DH phoned the emergency doctor while I looked after ds1 and cleaned him up. The doctor said that we would have to bring him to the "walk-in centre" at the hospital 3 miles away. We don't have a car, so it would involve calling a taxi and transporting a sick three-year-old , a 16 month old in his pyjamas, two car seats and a double buggy across the city in the freezing cold. DH expressed our disgust and asked for the doctor to come out. The doctor refused. Is this acceptable? I am absolutely spitting blood and feathers. Ds1 is now curled up on the sofa in his pants watching CBeebies and calming down. I don't want to get him dressed up and take him out in the freezing cold. It's also likely that ds2 will be coming down with the same thing, as they share a room, and I don't want to take him out either. And taxis aren't that easy to come by on a Sunday evening!! On the other had I don't know what's wrong with him and he really does need to see a doctor. Any advice anyone?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 29/01/2006 17:20

Can one of you go w/the ill one and the other stay home w/the baby? That's what we do when one of ours is ill. We have a car, but it's just no necessary for both of us to go.

The doctor may not be able to go out b/c he/she has to cover care for the entire area for the weekend.

Skribble · 29/01/2006 17:20

Firstly how is DS, has his temp come down?

codnotmud · 29/01/2006 17:21

yes why do you all have to go

no prob wiht taxis on a sunday normally

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 29/01/2006 17:23

I would take him in a taxi. But you don;t need both you and dh to go so would leave one adult the 16 month old and the buggy at home. I wouldn;t worry about the cold - he'll only be outside from your door to the taxi and from the taxi into the centre.

lalaa · 29/01/2006 17:23

outrageous

i think it depends how worried you are about your ds. if you think he could be really ill (ie not a d&v virus) then you could ring NHS direct and cry down the phone (sounds very manipulative, doesn't it, but they need to know how worried you are).

or you could just ring 999 and get an ambulance to take him to a&e

or you could go the taxi route - can't dh stay home and look after ds2 while you go to docs? or have you got a friend you could call on to drive you? a mumsnetter??! where are you?!

Meanoldmummy · 29/01/2006 17:23

DS1 says he feels much better and he wants his dinner (1)

I could take ds1 and dh could stay home, thanks expat. I hadn't thought of that! I still don't feel keen to take him out into the freezling cold though.....I suppose I'll have to. It seems insane to me. When I was younger doctors always came out to sick children

Thanks for advice

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lockets · 29/01/2006 17:24

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MaggieT · 29/01/2006 17:24

Not wishing to to upset you since your ds is ill, but I am fairly sure that this is the standard procedure in 99% of the country. If a doc came out for every child with the symptons you describe we would have an even more seriously stretched NHS.

Skribble · 29/01/2006 17:26

It sounds like it is a stomach bug and if he wans to eat that is a good sign, perhaps no food until he can keep water or weak juice down. If his temp isn't coming down or there are any other symptoms then perhaps he still needs to see a doctor.

I have never relied on the doctors on call system, even if you need a doctor out the y prefer you to go to the doctors on call surgery at A&E. If it seems at all serious its straight to A&E, I would call 999 if his condition gets any worse.

SoupDragon · 29/01/2006 17:27

There seems to ba a lot of vomitting about and if he seems better, I'd leave it and keep a close eye on him for tonight.

hockeymum · 29/01/2006 17:27

My dd had exactly this last week. I did take her to the walk in clinic and the cold air refreshed her and reduced her temp, but they couldnt do anything, she felt better a day later. Both DH adn I got the bug 5 days later, it is a horrible one, you feel terrible very quickly, projectile vomit and often diarrhoea but get better quite quickly after.

Usually when they go downhill that quickly with vomitting, it is a virus and is nasty but short lived. If he is photosensitive or cries when you ask him to put his chin to his chest then you need to get him to A & E, otherwise it is tiny sips of juice and keep a bucket handy.

Hope he feels much better soon.

Meanoldmummy · 29/01/2006 17:29

Thanks everyone, I'm calming down now I hate it when they're ill, I always assume it's meningitis or something. It hadn't occurred to me that the whole family didn't have to go, I can take him. He does seem better, and his temp has come down, but it was a pretty violent vomiting attack - so I'll think I'll observe him for a bit and then decide whether to take him or not.

We really must get a car

OP posts:
spacecadet · 29/01/2006 17:31

unfortunately it seems to be standard practice that they dont come out, since the new out of hours service was introduced, gps will only do home visits if you are, elderly, medically bedbound or in a care home.trouble is, these gps are not local and can be based some 50-100 miles away.
its still not right though.

lockets · 29/01/2006 17:31

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foxinsocks · 29/01/2006 17:32

It is horrible when they are ill but if he is well in himself (even if he is vomiting) you probably don't need a doctor to come out. There's a lot of this nasty bug around at the mo and dragging him out would probably only make him feel a bit worse and infect a few other people!

Keep an eye out for the menigitis symptoms but otherwise, I'd brace yourself in case the others start going down with it aswell!

Skribble · 29/01/2006 17:32

DS had this on Thur, projectile vomiting from the top bunk is not nice .

I got a bit worried on Thur night as he said his neck was really sore and had chest pains plus high temp, I have MIL (ex childrens nurse) on call. He calmed down and we think the pains were due to him panicing. A&E is less than 5 mins from us and we always head straight there if Granny says so .

lockets · 29/01/2006 17:32

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spacecadet · 29/01/2006 17:33

there are some hideous tummy bugs around at the mo.

dinny · 29/01/2006 17:34

Hi Lockets - is dd2 better now? An did you get my new mobile no?

lockets · 29/01/2006 17:37

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codnotmud · 29/01/2006 17:37

youa re mad!!! a nd e for a vomiting kid?
larks

codnotmud · 29/01/2006 17:37

sorry not to lockets
but generally if we all took outr kids to and e when they vomited

expatinscotland · 29/01/2006 17:39

i've had to go to a&e for vomitting, when it went beyond dry heaves and was blood . not fun at all!

Meanoldmummy · 29/01/2006 17:42

So should I take him to the walk-in, or put him to bed and keep and eye on him? I'm not sure. He has kept juice down for about half an hour now and says he feels better, but he still seems a bit shaky to me.

OP posts:
spacecadet · 29/01/2006 17:44

i would opbserve him carefully, keep an eye on his temp, sponge him down with tepid water to keep his temp down, give clear fluids.