waiting on ambulance for 17 month old. Handhold please.

[whiskersonkittenss]

baby woke screaming and red hot, wouldn't settle or take a drink. Doesn't like the light being on. Called 111 and they went through the symptoms and have requested an ambulance attend but it could take another hour from now
Currently keeping him cool with the electric fan. I'm shitting myself so scared.

Wishing you and your baby well, paramedics are great,. 111 tries to cover all possibilities but can be inflexible.
Never feel embarrassed to ask for advice or help, please.

Have you got a car or how near are you to A &E???

Have you got a thermometer to check the babies temperature. Otherwise you could be chosing to do something by mistake.

I once had a GP call an ambulance to the surgery for my eldest dc around the same age. I had my car with me and the hospital wasn't far but protocol was wait - reason given that if something happens on the way then the ambulance has everything required. The paramedics were great - and always happy to have false alarms. I have had more blue light journeys than I would like but have had nothing but genuine caring from paramedic service.

@Advic3Pl3as3

If he’s not currently distressed or obviously unwell I wouldn’t be giving calpol, unless his temp is very, very high. The immune system works better at a higher temperature so if you artificially reduce it unnecessarily you can impede the immune system from doing its job as effectively.

This is insane. I'd never try not to reduce my child's fever!

I hope your little one is doing better I would get him seen as I was told they can go down hill as fast as they go up hill. I had a scare when my dautgher was 6 months started fitting in the back of the car lucky we was round the corner from a little hospital so ran her in and they seen hrt straight way done a few checks then rushed us to the children's hospital she had a uti and the fitting was down to her high temp

Please can the people telling me my clinical practice is incorrect point me in the direction of the evidence that indicates this so I can improve my professional development.

If it helps, I’m a Paeds nurse and we are told not to give paracetamol unless the child is visibly distressed or displaying signs of being unwell, I.e floppy, high heart rate, high respiratory rate etc.

Even if a child has a temperature we don’t get paracetamol as standard if they seem otherwise well.

We are informed that by doing so we are reducing the body’s temperature when in fact it is the high temperature that is needed to kill the bacteria.

NICE guidelines: do not treat fevers with paracetamol/ibuprofen if the child is comfortable.

@ThornAmongstRoses

Please can the people telling me my clinical practice is incorrect point me in the direction of the evidence that indicates this so I can improve my professional development.

If it helps, I’m a Paeds nurse and we are told not to give paracetamol unless the child is visibly distressed or displaying signs of being unwell, I.e floppy, high heart rate, high respiratory rate etc.

Even if a child has a temperature we don’t get paracetamol as standard if they seem otherwise well.

We are informed that by doing so we are reducing the body’s temperature when in fact it is the high temperature that is needed to kill the bacteria.

Thankyou. That is what I also work to.

We don’t give medication to reduce fever unless the child is distressed or obviously unwell. As far as I know there has been no change in guidelines but if there is new evidence that says otherwise I would very much appreciate being pointed to it so I can improve my practice.

I hope your dc and his dad are with the paramedics now OP and you get your mind put at ease

Glad your LO is feeling better, OP, but definitely wait for them to check him over.

When my DS was 2 months old he had a choking episode and an ambulance was called. Thankfully he recovered whilst my partner was still on the phone to the 999 call handler but they insisted an ambulance was on its way and to allow them to check DS. When the paramedics arrived I felt a little silly as DS was alert and happy and happily gulping down his milk. But the paramedics strongly suggested DS and I to go with them to the hospital in their ambulance in case of aspiration. When I suggested we could go in our own car they refused and I can't quite remember the reason behind it. Something to do with him being a baby and waiting times at A&E. It's really bothering me now!

hope all is ok x x

Hand hold op hope they’re with you now.

Hoping your LO is OK OP

@ThornAmongstRoses

NICE guidelines: do not treat fevers with paracetamol/ibuprofen if the child is comfortable.

Screaming, red hot, photophobia and refusing fluids ? Of the above symptoms, which are the ones you consider to clinically indicate the baby is ‘comfortable?’

Hi @whiskersonkittenss How are things? I think you were right to get the paramedics to come and take a little look, as they'd been called already, just in case. But I'm sore you're LO will be ok. xx

@RealhousewifeofStoke the OP posted update that child had woken from sleep and was happy.

Hope he's feeling better OP. We had to call ambulance for dd in Dec (after 2 x gp, 2x111 calls and 2 × A&E visits). It's always a worrying time. She had raging temperature that couldn't control and ended up in hospital for 5 days

Just wanted to say that they striped her and put a fan on her in the hospital to cool her down so it is done sometimes. Hope you're all getting some rest

*stripped

Hope you all managed a quiet night.

Hope he is ok OP. Always better to be cautious with a young non verbal child who can’t explain how they feel. I had an ambulance out for identical symptoms at a similar age with DS and it turned out to be tonsillitis - hope your wee one is ok.

I hope all is OK now. Kids can go uphill and downhill sooo quickly.
Yesterday my 3y.o threw up her morning milk. She then spiked a temp of 39 but seemed fine in herself. A dose of calpol and she was back on form.

About five, she was sitting beside me. In her power rangers costume, we were just watching telly. I happened to toucher her face and she was burning up. Got up to be the thermometer and calpol came back and she was practically asleep and not very responsive. It freaked me out. Got the costume off her and some calpol into her. Five minutes later happy as Larry.

Wow I’m really surprised how many people have given advice to cool via fans, cool bath, open windows. Doesn’t this make them shiver which makes them hotter? I thought this was extremely dangerous.

Hope your little one is better today.

Just for future reference to anyone, A&E told me few weeks ago only thing to do for a temp is calpol, nurofen and windows opening.

Stripping them down, cool baths/flannels can be dangerous and make their temp plummet too quick.

Hope your LO is going ok op, it’s very scary the first time they are ill