how high is high temp to really worry about?

[eleanorsmum]

DD has rapidly come down with what i thought was a cold but she has runny (not green or streaming) nose, red face, sore throat and neck and temp of 38.8C had paracetomol and now neurofen too. checked nhs website not really much help. she says she cold but feels really hot. drinking lots and nibbling some toast. she's three BTW.

just worried as neurofen thermometre packet says above 38C seek urgent medical attention!

That does seem quite high, so I'd seek prof help. hth

ok am ringing nhs direct

kids can run a higher temp than an adult but at 38.8 I'd be worried, she will feel cold it's just part of it, I know there's a techincal reason but I don't know what it is. Have you given calpol as well as neurofen?

paracetamol is the same as calpol.

Some children get very hig temperatures - the question is, is her temp coming down?

Where does her neck hurt? a painful back of neck sometimes is a symptom of menigitis.

it's more her behaviour than the temp (though obviously temp important if they get febrile convulsions)

I also think you get to know your own child (and the sort of temperatures they get when they are sick). If this is unusual for her and her behaviour worries you, I'd seek medical help.

The NHS sources I could find all say 39.4+ seek medical atention. DTD1 woke up at 6:30 a coupe of days ago at 39.8 . GP wasn't at all concerned. Just checked her for bacterial causes, could find nothing so told us it is a virus go home and sit it out...but always best to check

There is a really nasty virus going round here (both myself & DTD1 have it) with very swollen glands causing the sore throat nec....

thnaks everyone. just spoke to them (so nice!) told to keep cool as we already are and keep an eye on her as we already are! so no help there really but they said if fevrile convulsion call 999 or if above 40C. so we are on kid watch now!

out of interest they did say they have just changed current guidlines re alternatin calpol and neurofen. They said NOT to. to just stick to one that seems to work the best and every four hours but no more than 4 in 24 hours! lets hope she sleeps all night or we'll be over the 4/24. anyone else heard this?

PS DD is currently climbing on DH so i'm not too worried now...............

I don't worry until around 39.7 .. but I start dosing over 38

If 30 mins after taking nurofen it hasn't come down then I'd be concerned if over 39

if the medication doesn't bring her temp down, get her to the doctors.

kids spike really high fevers

it does depend on how they're acting

Have never heard the don't do both advice before .. in fact that's what A&E do so I'd ignore that tbh if she seems in distress and just continue to intersperse

my gp has always said to alternate the two, but not to use either unless the temperature is above 38.5.

if they have a low grade temperature (37-38.5), their body needs to rest. If you give medication to bring their temperature down, they feel better and become active even though they are still ill, but their bodies still need to rest but they don't rest because the medication has brought their temperature down iyswim, so giving medication for a relatively low temperature isn't really a good thing.

For higher then 38.5 you need to give something because of the risk of confulsion, dehydration and obviously it's very uncomfortable.

and of course paracetamol and ibruprofen, although safe at children's doses, are still drugs and as with all drugs it's best to use them only when really necessary.

eleanorsmum, hope your dd is better soon. if in doubt, it's always best to eer on the side of caution and seek medical advice.

Earlier this week I was advised to alternate both by GP. But yes no more than 4 doses of calpol or 3 doses of nurofen in 24hrs, and no more often than 4hrly.

If it helps a fantastic GP (who has sadly mooved practises) once spent more than 10mins talkinmg to us about fevers on a Saturday morning emergency clinic. He explained that the degree of fever is not necessarily an indication of how poorly a child is or how severe the cause. A child with a temp of 37.2 can have a life-threatening pneumonia whilst a child with a temp of 39.5 could have a relatively harmless virus.

As others have said though very high temperatures can cause other problems so you do need to try and control the fever as you are doing and have been advised to.

I agree with Belgo. My DS has health problems and reguarly gets temps over 40 (he is 3 but has had this since birth), I don't dose anything under 38.5.

EM you don't say how old you DD is, which actually makes a big difference.

My GPs, local A&E and Paed wards advice is to give alternate childrens paracetamol (calpol) and ibruprofen (neurofen or calprofen) due to the fact that you can only give 4 doses of calpol every 4 hours = 16 hours. Also it becomes less effective towards the end of the dosing time and can allow a childs temp to spike causing a febrile convulsion.

Ibruprofen can be give 3 times in 24 hours, but shouldn't be given to a asthmatic child without discussion with GP.

Also strip young child down to very light clothing but keep socks on (strange I know) and keep room around 20. Place in tepid NOT COLD bath with only a few inches of water, splash water on to skin rather than immerse. It is the evaporation of the water from the skin that causes cooling - like natuaral sweating.

thanks all! we're doing ok right now. DD seems happier and off to bed as i type. temp still high but she happier than she was this pm. nhs said normal to go higher in evening. so glad i found mumsnet to tap into all these useful people!

high temp is the body's way of fighting what ever is causing the symptoms, in effect you counter that if you try to bring it down to soon. It's how we build up our immune system.

'high temp is the body's way of fighting what ever is causing the symptoms, in effect you counter that if you try to bring it down to soon. It's how we build up our immune system.'

A high temperature is a bodies reaction to and infection/illness taking PAIN RELIEF just makes you feel better, it IN NO WAY stops your body having an immune response or fighting the illness.

But also, have you ever seen a febrile convulsion??

the problem with febrile convulsions is that they happen so quickly. My dd was playing one minute, with a temperature of 38, then next minute she lost conciousness with a temp of 40 plus and I was phoning the ambulance. That's very very fast, and absolutely typical of a febrile convulsion. She didn't even seem ill before she had the convulsion.

Belgo, I know they happen so fast it's frightening. As we have had them before thats why we now go for the blanket/alternate meds for DS.

My comment was at SP who seemed to be advocating using no pain relief (seemed to have in mixed up with penicillin imvho).

Actually I saw an aussie website the other week which was suggesting that for the majority of children a temp under 38.5 shouldn't be treated, as it may prolong the infection.

A fever is one of the bodys immune response to a bug. Most (human infective) bugs thrive optimal at 36.7C. Your body raises temp to stop the bugs thriving so that the body has less to deal with. By driving the temp down with anti-pyretics you are allowing the bug to thrive and potentially prolonging the 'infection'. BUT by doing so your body has to put the 2nd line of defence into action. It is this 2nd line of defence which is specific for hte bugs and will be remembered by your body for future infections. So actually by countering the fever you are actually more likley to build up the immune response for future infection.

Also as others have said - bringing a temp down to prevent complications such as convulsions and dehydration is a good thing.

Finally I have had a temp of 37.5-38 this week and I felt like shite....that alone is enough to want to use anti-pyretics.

When we are ill our body temperature increases so that we can fight off the infections. The body tries to trick the infection into believing that if it is hot, it will be too warm for the infection or virus to survive. By making ourselves hotter than usual, it makes the invading organisms feel uncomfortable ~ ingenious huh?
However, this is not always a good thing for the body to do. Normal body temperature should be around 37 degrees centigrade. When the body feels unwell with a minor virus such as a cold, it will increase to around 39 degrees. If the body's temperature rises to above 40 degrees, this can cause fainting, dehydration, vomiting and headaches. At 42 degrees the person has a high risk of being comatose and the heart rate will either dramatically increase or decrease. One degree higher and at the very least the person will suffer brain damage and possibly death. Any higher and this usually results in death for the person, however, there have been records of people reaching 44 degrees and surviving.

eleanor'smum - how is she today?

Interesting discussion on temperatures on this thread. Slightlymadsweden - If I have tamperature of 37.5 I am also really ill. My children regularly have this temperature without being ill.

In fact I very rarely take their temperature any more - I only take it when calpol and ibruprofen don't seem to be helping with the fever.

Hi My dd had a temp of 40.5 this week, it was a little worrying! She's fine though. As has been said already kids' temps can spike really quickly but come down again too. Hope she's better.

Kittitywits - my dd1 recently had a very high tmeparature so much so that she was feverish. No other symptoms that I could see. i gave her paracetamol and ibruprofen, but even after two hours her tempertaure was still 39.9!

I got her to the doctors and she was given antibiotics for tonsilitis. It was worrying especially as I could see no cause for the temperature.

morning all, thanks for all the support last night. DD was up several times in the night sweating and clammy had one more dose of neurofen at three this morn and slep then till 6.30 and seems ok today. still warm but not feverish. has got clear runny nose though. i am expecting a long day! and nhs told me to watch out for her temp goin up this evening (good job we have no social life and we'll be in!)

now have the terrible task of brushing her long blond curly hair after she's been sweating in it! feel a quik hair wash coming on though not sure which she hates more