3 days of fever, GP suggesting A&E

[LovesHisMummyReally]

Just want a sanity check as to whether you would be concerned. DS is 4 and has had a fever of up to 38.9 for 72 hours now, with no other symptoms. It drops back to 36-37 with regular calpol, and he is playing more or less normally and eating about 50% of what he normally does when dosed up. But he wakes sweating and shivering at night when due à dose. He had a urine test which came back clear and GP is saying to consider A&E to get bloods. Have yours had temps in this range with no other symptoms, and did you ever find out why?

Yes with different children! We got sent to a&e too. Once was a UTI (tiny baby), once was tonsillitis (older baby so he couldn’t tell us his throat was sore) and once turned out to be ‘just a virus’ (4 year old) but she had intermittent fever with rigours like your DS for over two weeks with no other symptoms. They did lots of tests but thankfully they were negative. Consultant said sometimes kids just present weirdly.

I think they worry if there are no clear symptoms so they want to be safer than sorry. I don’t think I’d be overly worried but I’d take him on the GP’s advice if that makes sense?

Hope he’s ok.

Also, gps often have to refer children for bloods as they can’t be done at Gp surgery so I would probably go if Gp advises it.

Thanks, both. She actually called the hospital and the registrar said to wait until day 5 which is tomorrow. I just wonder what it could be that is worth putting a 4yo through bloods for when he seems otherwise fine. And i suffer from anxiety!!

Yes, lots of times and it's either gone away without ever finding the source or it's turned out to be tonsillitis/ear infection.
If GP is telling you to go to A&E then I would go though. Can't understand why they would suggest that if they didn't have cause for concern.

Can you ask him if anything hurts?

My little one had a high temp Weds, and I took him straight for a covid test. Have you done one?

Has your child had a covid test?

Yes - with DS when he was about 3.

The only symptom was a persistent high temperature.

My GP sent him to A&E to rule out meningitis although he told me he didn't think it was but just to be on the safe side.

He actually had sepis and was admitted as an emergency. If you're GP is worried enough to say go to A&E I'd take him

I don’t necessarily think they are concerned, but that they are recognising it as a quicker route.

I think you are right, *haggisfish. It seems to be about him seeing a pediatrician as opposed to it being urgent.

Weirdly neither the hospital nor the GP mentioned Covid, though the GP said he was fine to see his grandparents, so i can only assume they don't think it could be.

*Buenavistabelle we keep asking and prodding throat and tummy but he insists he feels fine, and he is usually very communicative about any complaints.

It will be ok - not too busy probably and it will put your mind at rest x

I would've expected the medics and certainly your first thought to be get a covid19 test....

I am not sure they test children as young as 4? A midwife friend told me its almost impossible to swab a young child's tonsils without contaminating the test with general bacteria from the mouth, which is what they apparently need to do with the covid tests.

They shouldn’t even be letting you anywhere near A&E with a temp at the moment. Get a Covid test first. We had no problem getting swabs from our 4 year old. We showed them one of the videos on YouTube and did a little practice run at home (not real, just talked through what we would do and got them to open their mouth). If you have any lolly sticks around it really helped to hold the tongue down. Results came back within 24 hours.

Also they told me at the drive through centre that it didn’t matter if I touched the rest of my mouth even though all the literature says you shouldn’t.

Clearly you are going to be allowed to A&E if you have meningitis/sepsis which will mean you have fever. But will def push them on the covid test, thanks.

First thing I’d be doing with a temperature that high atm is get a covid test done. I definitely wouldn’t be going to A&E unannounced.

My 4yo had a covid test to rule it out. DH did it in the car at the testing site.

His high fever ended up in an emergency trip to a&e as he had such a bad dose of gastro he got really weak and dehydrated.

With bloods they'll give you emla cream and dressings to apply before you go to the hospital and tell you to put it on a few different sites. DD had them done when she was a similar age and felt nothing at all - wasn't at all traumatic and the nurses were awesome at putting her at ease - we were in a room that had things everywhere to distract them. So don't let concerns about that part of it put you off. The GP can refer to paediatric phlebotomy without going via A&E though. We still got the results very quickly.

OP you don’t need to push anyone on the Covid test. You can just organise it yourself.

I managed to get a covid swab on my own for my 18 month old... was easy but ruled out covid.

The GP doesn’t arrange this for you, you can call 119 or book it online.

I’m surprised that this hasn’t been done and you’re considering seeing grandparents/ GPS/ A&E and god knows who else.

I hope your DC feels better ASAP.

I meant wasn’t easy...

We went to a&e and they think it's roseola as he now has a rash. Pediatrician said covid testing for kids with fever is not undertaken as kids who do have covid present atypically in any case.

We absolutely do test kids for covid. And I think your child should either have a test or isolate.

Ey? My kid had a covid test cos of a fever. You should have got him tested straight away. It's pretty clear that anyone with a cough or fever needs to get a test.