Urgent please - is this a hospital job?

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Sorry. Im feeling stressed.
Ds age 6 got sent home from school at lunch in an awful lot of distress screaming that his ear and head hurt.
Been to gp just. He has

• Temp of 38.5 despite calpol and ibuprofen
• a large swelling behind his ear at the top of his neck
• a lot of pain in his head and ear
• very pale
• distressed / crying / falling asleep very quickly

She was concerned and did a full body check including testes. Told me she has no idea what's caused it and then noticed his ear is bleeding and has very weird brown spots in too.
Has prescribed antibiotics and an ear spray.
Wants to see him again Tuesday to review the swelling In neck (size of a golf ball but not as prominent)
Said if I'm concerned at all go to a&e immediately
Has anyone seen anything like this in an ear before? She said it looked almost like a rash but odd that it's bleeding.
It's also on his school collar.
He had a nose bleed earlier this week which I forgot to tell her. The first one he's ever had

Absolutely go!

Thanks all. Heading there now. Will update now I know I'm not being paranoid

Another vote for go and trusting your instincts

I am a children's A&E nurse and would advise taking him to A&E due to the swelling you mentioned behind the ear.

I would be concerned about mastoiditis which is a hospital job

Hoping you can be seen quickly and dc is feeling much better soon.

This is what i was thinking

Glad you’re heading in, definitely sounds the right decision. GP shouldn’t be talking chances when they clearly had no idea what it is.

I would definitely go.

I'd go for your own peace of mind. It's probably a nasty ear infection but better safe than sorry.

Hope he's ok glad you're going to a and e! X

Definitely A&E don't leave with antibiotics and not much of an explanation. I have a parent friend who was turned away three times with 'swollen glands' told it was viral.. the third time she refused to leave and asked for further test. It was cancer and had she not persisted her poor daughter would have just continued to suffer 😔 always trust your gut. Hope everything is ok x

Yes that's what I thought too. My son had a perforated ear from and it looked very similar.

Glad you are going to A & E, hope you are seen quickly & everything is ok.

Poor little chap. Hope he gets seen asap.X

Paediatric nurse here. My first thought was also mastoiditis.

Aww hope he's OK OP sending hugs you have definitely done the right thing taking him xxx

Hope he's okay OP, poor little chap

We're booked in, nurse just said if it is mastoiditis then the amoxycillen he's been given is fine... but we can still see the doctor. Bit of a wait

Well done OP 💐

Yes I was thinking mastoiditis as well. Please go straight to A&E and ask them to check him for it as it needs prompt treatment

Sorry just saw you’ve taken him, hope he gets seen soon (and that you’re ok as well!)

Sorry one more thing the NHS page says mastoiditis needs intravenous antibiotics, please do show them the page and query whether amoxicillin will be enough.

I had mastoiditis- ended up on a drip for the week, bone behind my ear began to fill but luckily didn’t need surgery. It’s very painful, also felt sick and dizzy.
You did the right thing and he’s in the right place to be treated. I had antibiotic ear drops to go home with.

Edited - I previously had oral antibiotics for two weeks and consultant said it wasn’t enough. I had to have a drip.

A bit of a wait now is better than questioning yourself at midnight when he can't sleep and you're phoning 111 and heading up to A&E. Looks sore.