How can I keep my toddler comfortable in an overheated hospital room?

[Overcaffeinatedandoverstimulated]

I’m currently in the children’s hospital in Glasgow with my toddler DS who is on oxygen for a respiratory virus. His temp was up a bit but the hospital is so so hot. It’s all individual room but the thermostat is reading 26, and can set no lower than 23. It’s stifling and the windows don’t open either. I’ve stripped him down to his nappy but he’s soaking with sweat and too uncomfortable and hot to settle. I’ve tried a cold compress but doesn’t seem to help much. The nurses have just said all the rooms are like this and there’s nothing they can do. I don’t know how a hospital can justify having children and babies in that kind of heat but there’s not much they can do right now. Any tips?

Poor baby. Can you dampen a muslin and put it over him? It works quickly.

A cold bath?

Ask for a fan?

No fans apparently. I’ll be getting DH to bring one from home. There’s no bath but can try a cold cloth on his back

Can someone pick up a fan for you? I’ve been on hospital in hot weather when there was only 1 fan for 6 beds and windows that won’t open more than an inch!

You won’t be allowed to have a fan because of infection control- certainly not one from home that hasn’t been PAT tested.

Damp paper towels, keep as much skin as possible moist

You may be able to use a fan, regardless of PAT testing (we brought one from home when my mum was in a 30+ degree ward)

Alternatively a handheld fan, or even a manual hand held would help

I I don’t think the staff will be deliberately awkward in the circumstances, they will feel the same as you do

Can he tolerate cold drinks?

Order a cool towel from Amazon to be with you tomorrow. Place them on feet, head, back etc.

Definitely a fan. I used my own no problem when my son was in hospital.

Ask about a bath. Sometimes children's wards do have a room with a bath instead of a shower.

Ask the play specialists about incorporating keeping him cool into play such as using water if he is well enough.

Cool showers if a bath isn't available.

Ask for a cool pack. They will wrap it in cloth and they are really great, my son had one a lot in hospital when he had a temp.

Cold water if he's allowed to drink.

A walk outside his room to cool down (if he's well enough to be out of his room). Hospitals tend to have gardens etc.

Have they said why it can't be set no lower than 23? Seems odd in a single room.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

I've always had fans from home in hospital in multiple hospitals.

A damp muslin really helps like a previous poster suggested.

Eh? Since when? DH had a fan with him in hospital last summer when he was admitted for diabetes.

We give our patients fans if they are hot. They are in a side room and if they are infectious they should be taking adequate precautions anyway. They could always turn it off when nurses were in the room so it wasnt blowing at them.

And while we'd give you one of our own (if we can find one) we're not pat testing every phone charger somebody brings into hospital, and you're far more likely to have got a dodgy one of those off the internet than a fan. I can't see a world where I would stop a patient using their own fan unless it looked like it was about to blow up, and our estates team would be happy to check it over if there were concerns (or you could buy a new one)

An icepack from home wrapped in a tea towel?

Or even go out and get a bag of frozen peas.

OP some cold water in a glove tied to make a little balloon can also work well. You want to try and focus on cooling pulse points as that's where your blood is closest to the surface, so wrists, inside of elbows, backs of knees, groins, neck, temple etc.

My ward has a fan by every bed space. Even though one caught fire a few years ago. And caused a lot of damage. The ward warm in the day and arctic at night. We can’t win.

if you have a cool mat one of those like dogs lie on (wipe it over first course) then put it under the sheet can really help when its hot.
wring out towel drape over
ice lolly pops if the shop has them
cool showers