Intermittent temperatures and ‘optional’ antibiotics

[Pen89ox]

I’m really at a loss of what to do and wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation.

My 2.5yo has had a fever on and off since early Monday morning, it started off with temps of 39+ and was 39.9 at one point and we struggled to get it down with calpol or neurofen (it would take 1.5 hours to go to the high 38s). We saw Dr who said he seemed okay but if worse in a few days to take antibiotics and gave us an optional prescription.

It’s now Friday evening and he’s having intermittent temperatures now, he had one this morning at 6am, absolutely fine all day (without medication) and now at bed time he’s burning up again.

His temp is lower than start of week and it’s responding to calpol a lot more effectively, I just don’t know whether to stick it out or whether he needs the antibiotics as it’s been 5 days now.

We are in exactly the same position. Ds had a bad cold and a high temperature (going up to 39.9 as well) since Tuesday. We keep giving him nurofen, which brings his temperature down and calpol, which doesn't seem to do much.

I took him to A n E yesterday night as advised to by 111. They listened to his chest and said it's a viral infection and we should just continue with nurofen and calpol.

I just took his temperature again and it's 39.8. if I had antibiotics I'd have given them to him.

I think if I was you if your son seems to be getting better and isn't hitting late 39 anymore then I might just monitor him for another day but start the antibiotics if there isn't a marked improvement by tomorrow. If he's the same or worse then give him the antibiotics. From an individual perspective as far as I know antibiotics don't cause any lasting harm. I'm not keen on giving antibiotics without good reason but antibiotic resistance is a global problem and it won't make much difference in this instance if you give your ds antibiotics. What I mean is I'd err on the side of caution. If your Ds isn't improving then just give him the antibiotics.

If my ds isn't better tomorrow then I'll probably have to go to the walk-in centre or A n E again but I doubt they'll prescribe antibiotics. My GP probably would have.