High temp - when to call doctor?

[yellowflowers]

A question about grown up not children so hope this is right place...

My dh has temp of 38.72 celcius (101.70 fahrenheit) and feels shakey. He's in bed and had drink of water on my advice - how high should it be before I call doctor out? He can look at light and no rash so not meningitis.

Have you already given paracetomol and its not gone down?

38.72 is probably just flu. Give him paracetamol if he's feeling really awful, but the temp will help fight it off quicker if he can cope with it. He needs to sleep as much as possible and drink plenty. Call a dr if he passes out! Call NHS direct now to get proper advice, but not dr yet - waste of their time.

and some nurofen

He has trouble swallowing pills. It's gone up since I posted message (now 38.96) but he's going to sleep for an hour and I will then take it again and will only call doc if it goes up significantly. Thank you for replying - have realised I have very limited knowledge of first aid!

Can you mash the pills? Or soluble paracetomol. He can always take calpol!!

It doesn't matter what the figure is. You can have only a midly elevated temp and something bad wrong, and vice versa. Don't get hung up on what the actual temperature is, more how ill (or hopefully not!) he is. There is no number where it suddenly becomes necessary to call a doctor, when half a degree lower it isn't IYSWIM.

Thanks - I gave him calpol and he's now managed to get out of bed and eat something. I'm ttc so was just a bit stunned because my temp only ever gets to 36.6 even just after ovulation and his went straight up to the high 38s but think he'll be okay now. Thanks again.

I think that the suggestion from the NHS is that if the temp is elevated and NOT coming down with paracetamol then you should call them. OR if it is elevated for more than three days.

thanks- I am going to take it again before we go to sleep and if it has gone up I will call nhs direct.