My daughter who is 11 yrs old is running a fever that keeps going up. It is now at 103.1, and her face is really flushed. She had pneumonia in October for 3 weeks and then strep directly following that. Considering that, when would you be going to the ER? She has not done anything all day but lay on the couch and sleep. Please tell me what you would do. I did give her Advil with a fever reducer that should last 8 hours about 6 hours ago. Would you give her more?
Sara B. We will be going to Children's Mercy South. My ped is the same way!!!
I tried calling the on call service but they will not get back to me untill around 11pm. It was not helpful at all which very frustrating!!!
Her fever started this morning. She has not been vomiting. She has been drinking water. When she stands she gets really dizzy and feels like she is going to pass out.
I don't go to the ER for fevers. I think of the ER as life and death or something that cannot be handled at home. I would keep her hydrated, give her a bath, let her sleep etc and bring her to the doc first thing in the am to see what's going on in her little body. Hope she is feeling better soon.
Call her doctor first. This is why they make the big bucks. ERs are full of flu. If she doesn't have it now...
Don't give her more advil before you are supposed to - that would be an overdose.
How long has she had this? Did you call the ped?
Has she been drinking fluids? Gatorade is good - plenty of electrolytes and potassium.
Talk to the ped on call. He or she will give you better direction.
Dawn
If her last dose of ibuprofen (that's the medicine in Advil or Motrin) was 6 hours ago, it is safe to give another dose. You can also alternate that with Tylenol so that you can dose her more frequently to try and keep the fever down a bit (although SOME fever is helpful for fighting the bug, you don't want it much over 102, so keep the fever reducer going).
Honestly, all that the ER will do is give her more Motrin unless it's up to 105ish, so you're better to keep her home and away from any viruses she doesn't already have.
Call the pediatrician or the on call nurse and get advice from them instead of going to the ER.
T.
Talk to your pediatrician's nurse line and see what they say.
My pediatrician didn't feel a temp was high till it was 104 or higher.
If the Advil brings the fever down for awhile then it's manageable.
Rotate Advil and Tylenol.
Have her take a tepid bath (not cold but not hot either) and make sure she keeps drinking plenty of water.
Have her in light pajamas so heat can escape.
It's important to keep her fluids up.
If the fever goes up, go to an urgent care.
http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/weeklyquestion/a/122601_as...
I would take her to Children's Mercy. Our ped said not to go to a regular ER for our dd if we could avoid it, just because they're better equipped to deal with children.
Did her fever go down at all with the Advil, or did it go down and is now back up? if the Advil did nothing, I'd head over.
I think I'd go to the ER, given her history of pneumonia and strep, as well as knowing that the flu that is particularly virulent right now does present with a high fever. Okay, maybe it's nothing - but what if it is? You'll feel better having her looked over by the ER docs.
Meanwhile, I'd address the lack of responsiveness of your pediatrician's office first thing in the morning. They won't get back to you until 11pm... WHAT?! That would send me over the edge.
Since she has been so sick recently, I would rather be safe then sorry. I would head to the ER or urgent care. Good luck, I hope she feels better!
If her fever just started this morning, I would really try and wait it out until tomorrow. I do agree you should be alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours. If you are unsure of the dosage, put her on a scale, weigh her and read the package...worst case scenario call a pharmacist or ask-a-nurse to get some advice on that. Children's Mercy does have their own ask-a-nurse line, you can google it, I've called them before.
I'm not trying to downplay your situation here but I think you need to give it a little time, this is the beginning of whatever she's got and as long as her breathing isn't labored, I wouldn't go. ER co-pays are expensive, you're going to be waiting forever, and they may not be able to tell you anything. Plus, in a few hours her doctor's office will be open. Although I do agree it is not very helpful for them to call you back at 11pm, it is not an emergency, and if it is they would have told you to go to the ER.
If you really want to talk to someone, call as a nurse. I hope it's just a run of the mill something and not pneumonia or strep! Good luck!
You should be alternating Advil with Tylenol every three hours or so. I understand your panic. Believe me. But I would give her some Tylenol and cold rag, make sure drinking fluids and take her to the doc tomorrow. Now I'm only going off what you have said. So obviously if you feel the need for EMR then go. I just know that sometimes I've panicked and hubby has had to calm me down. Hope she feels better soon!
I would take her to the ER now..especially since the fever keeps going up and it hasn't been that long ago that she had pneumonia. With everything we keep hearing in the news about the flu, I'd be concerned that due to her previous illnesses that her immune system is down and that she may have it now. Keep us updated, hope she feels better soon. I hate the helpless feeling we moms get when our kids are sick (:
If she had fever meds and her temp is still that high, I would go to the ER or an after-hours doc-in-a-box.
I don't really see anything that would even almost have me considering the ER.... that's a place that should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, shes undoubtedly gonna be exposed to all kinds of germs there, while waiting uncomfortably for hours when she needs to be resting. By all means, if you feel the need to let a DR see her, take her to the pedi in the morning. You can give tylenol and advil at the same time, then continue the tylenol every 4 hrs and the advil every 6 hrs. As long as shes hydrated and breathing fine, I would stay home and let her get the rest she needs.
Her immune system is compromised at best due to what it's been through lately. I'd take her for a chest X-Ray alone.
When my granddaughter starts running a hot fever like you're describing we don't mess around. We take her right away.
One time we took her and the doc thought we were just wasting their time. They were going to send her home without even examining her. My daughter threw a fit. I called a friend of mine from church and he came by to help give my granddaughter a blessing. He just happened to be the highest ranking doc in the whole hospital, I can't remember that title but I don't think it was Chief of Staff, it had something to do with being a doc.
Anyway, he walked in and everyone almost went to attention. When he asked for my granddaughters chart they silently handed it over. He looked at it and asked if it would be okay with the doc if there was some blood work and X-Rays ordered just to make sure. Then he put the chart down and walked to our room. I was peeking out the door and WAY impressed.
They came in within 5 minutes to do the blood work and the X-Ray technician had to wait for that person to finish. That's how fast they got to us.
Her sounds in her lungs were clear but her blood work showed that the enzyme that indicates pneumonia had just been activated>I can't remember exactly how this was said but she was in the process of starting pneumonia. Her X-Ray showed some signs of it too. Mostly likely they would have overlooked it if they had read the X-Ray that night but the Radiologist would likely have seen it the next day when he got there.
She doesn't run a fever randomly, when she hits with a fever and it's a hot one we know she's really sick and needs medical care right away.
If this was her she would have been at urgent care today somewhere. If it were my grandson I would have kept a close eye on him and might have left it until morning.
Since your daughter has been so sick I would have taken her where she could get a good X-Ray to check for walking pneumonia.
Since her fever keeps going up instead of coming down with the meds, I would be at minimum calling the pediatrician after hours. If I could not get in touch with them, I would go to the ER. Maybe it's not necessary, but I'd prefer to err on the side of caution. She may have strep or flu, and in either case they could give her an antibiotic or Tamiflu to help her body start fighting the cause of her illness. I'd be especially cautious with her having been so sick in the fall.
Fever and dizziness...could be an ear infection. Could be something else. Push fluids because hydration will help with fever. Did the fever go down at all w/ the medication? You can alternate between Motrin (or Advil) and Tylenol (example Advil at 12, Tylenol at 4, Advil at 8) to have better impact on the fever. Cool compress on back of neck and on wrists also helps.
If the fever goes any higher and/or doesn't respond to the medicine and other methods, I would take her in just to be safe.
Stressful! It does sound like the flu? Did it come on suddenly? Do you have any of the night time pediatric places by you? We have them in NY and they open when the normal pediatrician offices start to close for the day. I agree w the other mom's, alternate tylenol and advil every four hours. Also, there is a great article i read once called Fever is Our Friend...maybe google it. Good luck!
Did you give her Tylenol? Did that not help? The doctor told me Ibuprofen just helps with muscle pain but does not bring a fever down...that it has to be Tylenol. I would try that first.
Do not give more than the specified dosage!
Call your pediatricians office - there should be a doc on call that the answering service will have call you back.
If she is listless or having any pain breathing or if the fever doesn't respond to the fever reducer--I'd have her looked at.
Call urgent care and see if they suggest the ER or urgent care. Or if they do not have a doc to talk to you, call a pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist. I've gotten some of the best advice from them.
But you will be going to the urgent care or ER tonight. Hugs.
My rule is : If I feel my child is really sick or is in danger in any way, I have no qualms about going to the emergency. Fever in itself isn't bad, it is bad when it gets too high and causes other problems like : febrile seizure etc. If you are worried, take her in. If you feel the motrin is helping and brings it down, then you may want to wait and have her go to the doctor tomorrow. But if there is any question in your mind, just go in! You will feel better and she will too-hopefully!~
I would take her to the ER. Actually, I agree 100% with Hell on Wheel!! Hang in there and I hope your daughter is OK.
Keep her hydrated...cool compresses on the forehead and wrists...every twenty minutes change them. NOT COLD but cool - let them bring the fever/heat out.
No, I would NOT give her more. NEVER give more than the recommended dose. Call the pharmacy - ask them their advice since your pediatrician is not getting back to you in a more practical time frame.
Personally? I would go to the ER NOW. But that's me. Anything over 103, in my opinion, can lead to febrile seizures...which are scary things. And with her dizziness? I wouldn't wait. I would go now.
Good luck!! I hope she is better soon!!
Immediately. Anything above 103 that you cannot control requires Dr. or ER.
A fever that high is usually viral. She's got something going.
I'd bring her in...
LBC
