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General health

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Original poster

DS has temperature - how high before I seek medical advice?

22 replies

DaphneHarvey · 21/12/2007 18:10

He is poorly with a cough and snotty nose. Not a surprise as DH and I had it earlier in the week and both felt awful, although we didn't get hot.

Very ignorant of me - but how high is too high for temp. in a 4 year old?

TIA

OP posts:

NAB3hundredbaubles · 21/12/2007 18:10

IIRC anything over 39 is a fever.

VictorianSqualor · 21/12/2007 18:18

Too high is anything that can't be bought down by meds.
Give him calpol and nurofen and check his temp before and about half an hour after, see if it goes down.

Magrat · 21/12/2007 18:21

With my children I don't medicate unless over 38.5 before that I'll just lighten their clothing

Over 39 I'll start to alternate calpol and nurofen

When around 39.9 I'll continue to medicate with DS but with DD will watch carefully as she is subject to febrile episodes

I would only worry if the temp hasn't come down within a good 40 mins of taking ibuprofen (calpol stabilises a temp / ibuprofen reduces it)

VictorianSqualor · 21/12/2007 18:25

Really? Is that why I was told to give DD both then to lower then stabilise it???

Magrat · 21/12/2007 18:28

well they're both analgesics so help with the way they're feeling and with any pain .. so I think that's generally why people use both

sazzybeehomeforxmas · 21/12/2007 18:31

When my DS was in hospital recently I was told that the new NICE guidelines are that you should alternate calpol and nurofen. So if one doesn't work, you can then add the other one. If you give them both at once and the temp comes down, you'll never know if it would have come down with just one of them.

Over 39 I'd call for medical advice.

Magrat · 21/12/2007 18:34

am rather shocked at calling for med advice over 39 to be honest ..

Original poster

DaphneHarvey · 21/12/2007 18:42

Magrat, so you're still fairly relaxed about 39?

ATM am not too worried because DS still quite perky and is eating (not much, but something) and drinking. Looks tired and obviously under par, but not lying around complaining. Bright red cheeks but not saying he has specific pains anywhere.

Just trying to be prepared in advance (it being the Saturday before Christmas and all) if he does get worse ...

OP posts:

VictorianSqualor · 21/12/2007 18:43

NHS Direct say that a fever is over 38C, but can normally be handled at home with infant paracetamol.
Above 39C is when febrile fits can occur.
here

Magrat · 21/12/2007 18:45

I'd be kind of ok at that daphne (s'me Twig btw)

VictorianSqualor · 21/12/2007 18:45

From what you're saying daphne, he isnt in need of med attention if he is eating and drinking well and not in pain.
I'd personally just try to medicate and keep cool.

Magrat · 21/12/2007 18:45

the thing is the body heats up to help kill the infection so it's actually doing what it's supposed to do

are you medicating him?

sazzybeehomeforxmas · 21/12/2007 19:24

I have a 9MO baby Magrat who was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night a few weeks ago when I'd not called for medical advice even though he'd had a couple of days of fever spikes (39+ fevers). The hospital were a bit scathing that I hadn't sought help earlier.

It may be different for 4 YOs (I've only got my DS) but the advice I received from my GP/A&E/children's ward was that you should always call for advice if your child's fever is over 39. And after a terrifying experience when my baby was rushed into resus, I'd rather be safe than sorry now.

JingleBelgoHoHoHo · 21/12/2007 19:28

many children have a temperature of over 39°C and they just have a cold or a mild child hood virus. If you can bring the temp down with calpol/ibruprofen, and the child then eats/drinks/behaves relatively normally, then there is probably no need to seek a doctor's advice.

If a child consistently has a temp of 39°+ which is not adequately brought down with medication, then a doctor's advice should be sought, as what happened with you sazzybee.

Febrile convulsions can occur when the child's temp rapidly rises, causing the child to lose conciousness, and having convulsions.

JingleBelgoHoHoHo · 21/12/2007 19:30

When my dd2 had a febrile convulsion recently, it happened so fast, she didn't really show any signs of illness before hand - she was playing normally.

How is your ds DaphneHarvey?

Magrat · 21/12/2007 19:33

a few days of a high temp that isn't coming down is also a different thing

when my children were babies they said that 40 was the point to be concerned

but different children are different as I said in my first post .. both of mine are

you have my sympathy though with regards to the hospital have been there with DD

mumfor1standfinaltime · 21/12/2007 19:35

Don't know what 39 is off hand, ds was 102 fever at age almost 3. He had it for 3 days and I gave calprofen and calpol together and it didn't drop, I kept him in just his pants when indoors and kept giving him tepid baths and letting him play with water.
I took him to the doctor on day 4 who gave him some antibiotics, she said to carry on with medicine I had been giving him too.
He was fine in another 2 days.

sazzybeehomeforxmas · 21/12/2007 19:38

I suppose now, if my DS was otherwise fine (eating, drinking etc) then I wouldn't be worried and probably wouldn't call.

When my DS was ill I could bring the fever down with calpol so that's why I didn't go and see the doctor (plus it was the weekend and I didn't want to make a fuss). And then it got really bad really fast. I'm going to call the out of hours doc in future I think because I don't trust my own judgement anymore. I was so worried about him being a PFB that I think I erred too far the other way

Anyway daphneharvey, how's he doing?

JingleBelgoHoHoHo · 21/12/2007 19:41

that's the thing, sazzybee, some children get really ill really fast, which is what happened with my dd2. It's not always predictable, and you obviously did the right thing to get her to hospital.

FrayedKnot · 21/12/2007 19:41

DS has the same, his temp last night was 39.4 and I was worried, tbh, because he rarely has a high temperature (he's 3.8), and theat is certainly the highest I have known it.

Once I managed to get some medised into him (unfortunately the first lot was sicked up) it did go down quite rapidly. I also tepid sponged his face for a while until the medised took effect.

Tonight I have some nurofen so am going to alternate as necessary.

Magrat · 21/12/2007 19:41

just to be clear not getting a temp down with meds = A&E always IMO

DD ended up with pneumonia diagnosis

Original poster

DaphneHarvey · 21/12/2007 23:42

Thanks everyone (hello Twig) - disappeared to wrap presents. Thought I'd make the most of what will probably be small window of opportunity as DS will probably be up in the night.

I kind of trust myself to know when I need professional help (but ashamed re. ignorance re. temperature). Both DCs have been in hospital more than once with various illnesses ... you sort of know.

Not witnessed a febrile convulsion though. That must be frightening. Doesn't apply to 4 year olds does it, only babies?

DS had a fun bath with his sister, plenty of running around beforehand, a game of test match and a story. When I tucked him in his skin felt a little shivery and goose-bumpy, his cheeks still flaming hot, his forehead not too bad. He's had 2 doses of calpol and 2 of nurofen today.

Can't help but worry a bit.

OP posts:

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