Would you call an ambulance if your DC runs 103F fever?

[kozachka]

I was at work when DH got home and DS was running 103F fever. I told him to call our doctor, give him some Motrin and lukewarm bath. No need to call an ambulance unless our doctor says so. DH is very upset with me for being so cold-headed, not running home right away (takes half an hour at least) and telling him not to call ambulance right away. I told him that kids tolerate fever much better than adults and while 103F fever is high it's not horrible. And that I've read all this online. He made some negative comments about Internet and was generally very upset.

DS' fever is already 101F and ambulance is on the way. I've SMSes our doctor and our nanny who was with DH and DS is a nurse so I felt that DS was pretty well covered. I don't think I did anything wrong. WWYD?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't think 103 warrants an ambulance, unless it is a tiny newborn and even then I would probably just drive to the ER unless otherwise instructed by the Dr..

Beth

[Emmas Mom]

How old is your DS? Even if he is a newborn (or under two months) ITA with Beth & would just take him to the ER instead of calling an ambulance. If he's older than that & the fever is coming down with Motrin than there's no cause to call an ambulance or take him to the ER at this point. I think what you did was exactly right.

[brittone2]

DS has had fevers of 103-104 several times. This was when he was 1-2 years old or so. When he got a fever, it was always high during that time period, but he would nurse and stay hydrated, and it usually would break overnight and he'd be fine. He would get short, intense fevers followed by whatever illness clearing up quickly. In our case, I was comfortable letting it run its course.

I wouldn't call an ambulance, unless as the PP said it was a newborn and my doctor recommended it (fairly unlikely in the absence of other issues IMO) or I saw other concerning signs/symptoms.

[egoldber]

My ped says up to 104 (in a non newborn) is nothing to be concerned about necessarily unless it goes on for several days or is accompanied by other worrisome symptoms. Above 104 they get concerned.

[kozachka]

DS is 4 years and 3 months old. Not a newborn by any stretch of imagination. I think DH is freaking out. Driving to ER is a worse option than calling an ambulance in our case. It's already 8PM here and cold outside. We don't have a car so would have to call a cab which would take about the same time as an ambulance. And we are right now living in a country where doctors still make house calls for kids. Even though DS does not have health insurance I don't think ambulance will charge us anything, child healthcare is free save for medications.

[BeachBum]

My son had a fever of just over 104 on Friday. I put him in a cool bath and dosed him with Tylenol. If the fever hadn't started going down pretty soon after that I would have called my Ped and followed her instructions.
Calling an ambulance wasn't even a consideration.

[KBecks]

no, I would not call an ambulance.

[lisams]

No, but I'd keep an eye on it and call the peds to see if they want to see the child. If it were a newborn, I'd be heading to the ER for sure. Now if the child was acting very off, lethargic and non-reactive then yes, I would be calling 911.

[buddyleebaby]

No. Ambulances are for emergencies, and usually understaffed.

[kristenk]

DD had a fever of 103.8 one weekend. She didn't feel great (obviously), but she wasn't out of it or totally lethargic, etc. We gave her Motrin and then I called the ped's office and spoke with a nurse. We also put lots of cool wash cloths on her forehead and neck and DD said that made her feel better.

I wouldn't have called an ambulance unless the ped's nurse instructed us to or if DD's fever didn't respond to Motrin at all.

Hope your DS feels better soon.

[momma_boo]

DD#1 routinely runs fevers that are 104, so no, I wouldn't call an ambulance.
Didn't even occur to me to do that the first time she went over 104. I gave her motrin and called the ped.

[denise_l_0523]

Just a random thought...I have never been in an ambulance, but do they have a car seat in them?

[buddyleebaby]

In my city they are equipped with carseats that attach to the "captain's chair". I don't know if that is standard or not. I think in a true emergency a child would most likely be being treated en route, so I would think they would be on the stretcher.

[AngelaS]

Heaven's no!

[Radosti]

No and I'd have smacked DH across the head for that. A fever of 104.5F in DS always signals an ear infection. It's guaranteed, without fail. He immediately gets Motrin and a lukewarm bath as well as lots of fluids to drink. And I immediately call the ped to get in for an ear check.

[kep]

Just a random thought...I have never been in an ambulance, but do they have a car seat in them?

Usually, at least here in the US.

[kep]

In my city they are equipped with carseats that attach to the "captain's chair". I don't know if that is standard or not. I think in a true emergency a child would most likely be being treated en route, so I would think they would be on the stretcher.

Yep, what Alicia said. :loveeyes:

[Ceepa]

I could see my DH getting very upset about one of our kids having a high fever if he were home alone and maybe erring on the side of caution.

Once DS fell at the play area in the mall and split his lip ( = blood). DH had a stranger come find me in the Gap and get me. :) When I found them DH looked more upset than DS!

Hope your DS feel better!

[tnrnchick74]

I would not call an ambulance unless the child was having seizures. If over 103-104, call MD &/or take to ER/urgent care. Alternate tylenol and motrin for better fever control. Kids in general tolerate higher fevers than adults. Hydration is also major too as they lose a lot of fluids through the high fever.

[Gena]

I would not, but I think it can depand on the child's history. My son's fevers usually run over 103 when he is sick. He had a fever of 103.6 weekend. After some motrin, lots of fluids, and rest it came down to 100.2. But my son has always run high fevers like that, even when he was a baby.

I was the same way when I was a kid. My fevers always ran very high, over 103 (they still do when I am sick). However, my brother never had high fevers when he was a child. If his fever was over 100, he went into convulsions. So my parents did end up several times calling the ambulance (actaully, back then I think they called the police) and he would be rushed to the hospital.

So, generally no, I do not think that a fever of 103 is cause for an ambulance. If it is unusual for your child, you may want to take him to urgent care or the ER. If he has convulsions, definately call 911.

I hope he feels better soon.

[o_mom]

Usually, at least here in the US.

I'm going to say it varies widely . When DS1 was transported there was no carseat. He sat on my lap on the stretcher. I have heard that some will strap your carseat to the stretcher and others do have a special seat or restraint, but I would not count on it by any means.

For the OP - um, no, 103 is not an emergency. Even at 104+, I would give ibuprofen and only if it didn't come down or there were other symptoms (unresponsive, etc.) or instructed by the after hours doctor, then call 9-1-1

[hillview]

Nope. Never. Would call nurse line if I was worried or search and find out that isn't a high fever really. Now if motrin/baths wasn't keeping fever down or it was going up up up. I'd drive to ER myself (about a 15 min drive). If DS was unconscious or really seeming very very ill I'd call ambulance.

I think some DH/DW's get overly nervous when they aren't used to alpha parent role and feel helpless and somewhat in a panic if things aren't "normal"
/hillary

[TaChapm]

No...I wouldn't dream of calling an ambulance unless it was a TRUE emergency. Jackson ran these really strange fevers every month at the same time for about 10 months. They would get up to 104-105 and even then I never thought about calling an ambulance. We just did a lot of fluids, tylenol/mortin rotation and called the pediatrician to be seen the next day. The only time I ever took a baby to the ER with a fever was when Jaci was 2 months old and running a fever of 103.7 and was totally lathargic.
Hope your little one feels better soon.

[Melanie]

I wouldn't unless there were extenuating circumstances.

[ThreeofUs]

Oh, my gosh, DS posts 105F fevers whenever he's sick - and has since he was a baby. 103, unless there are other significant indications like stiff neck or unresponsive, is just a fever to us.

My ped, who is up on all this, says something I don't quite believe about fevers. He says that fevers, by themselves, do not harm the child at all, and should often be left alone so they can do their work.

Me, I was brought up to think that at 103, you get the fever down at all costs. Motrin, lukewarm baths, whatever. Apparently that's not what most experts recommend anymore. Even so, when he gets up to 105, I'll try to bring it down at least a couple of degrees. I get really worried when DS has a high fever and motrin doesn't touch it.

Good luck to all of you.

[August Mom]

I would never have thought to call an ambulance for a 103 fever alone.

[deborah_r]

I wouldn't, but sounds like something DH would do if I wasn't there to stop him. I still can't get him to understand that a fever in and of itself is very rarely dangerous. He freaks out, then when I don't freak out, he thinks I don't care. I need to have him call the ped's office next time so he can hear the tone in their voice when you tell them his only symptom is a fever of 103 degrees. And they give you that "why are you calling and wasting our time?" attitude. (they're nice about it, but you get the hint)

Tylenol, lukewarm bath, drink fluids. Only worry if fever continues to go up after these things have been tried. Or if there are seizures or other extreme problems.

[elephantmeg]

not at all in that age. Um, honestly I didn't even call the MD when DS's temp was 104.7 It came down to 103.7 in a few minutes (with washing him off and cold juice and tylenol-he had already hat motrin) and it was a viral thing going around.... :) But I see temps like that a fair amount at work so it doesn't bother me much. My MIL was HORRIFIED

[lizajane]

My ped says up to 104 (in a non newborn) is nothing to be concerned about necessarily unless it goes on for several days or is accompanied by other worrisome symptoms. Above 104 they get concerned.

DS1 had a 104 fever at 9months (We both got he flu.) i don't even remember going to the dr at all. (i bet DH took him... i was totally out of it.)

[ShanaMama]

How old is your DS? Even if he is a newborn (or under two months) ITA with Beth & would just take him to the ER instead of calling an ambulance. If he's older than that & the fever is coming down with Motrin than there's no cause to call an ambulance or take him to the ER at this point. I think what you did was exactly right.

:yeahthat: I would only call an ambulance if it was a dire emergency, meaning when every minute counts. Otherwise I'd call the ped first, page him if it was after hours, and only go to the ER if he directed it. 103 fever in a 4 year old would not freak me out.

[bubbaray]

It wouldn't even dawn on me to call an ambulance for a fever, unless it were super high and didn't respond to meds, the child was limp, or there were seizures....

Having just had the horror of an ambulance ride with my baby in January, this is fresh in my mind. I'm in Canada and a car seat was required. The pediatric EMS guys strapped her car seat onto the stretcher. I wasn't given a choice and I got the impression that they would have waited for us to uninstall her carseat from a vehicle (thankfully, we not only have a spare, but her usual MA just happened to be uninstalled in DH's vehicle, so I took that). I thought that was a bit odd as she was having an anaphylactic reaction, so everything needed to happen fast. I asked the fire crew that was first onscene (they attend all ambulance calls) if we would be going to the ER and they said yes, so as the circus unfolded, I had a minute to grab the carseat from the garage.

I have no idea what they would have done if we didn't have a car seat. We rode to the ER in an infant transport ambulance and I didn't see an extra car seat. Maybe they had one stored? Not sure.

[ShanaMama]

My ped, who is up on all this, says something I don't quite believe about fevers. He says that fevers, by themselves, do not harm the child at all, and should often be left alone so they can do their work.

My ped told me the same thing. Fever indicates that DC's body is fighting something. Barring extenuating circumstances like lethargy, fever in & of itself does not warrant alarm. The thing to do is keep the child comfortable and hydrated.

[julieakc]

I haven't read all the replies, but like most of the ones I have read I wouldn't call the ambulance. I think you did the right thing.

[nov04]

Having just had the horror of an ambulance ride with my baby in January, this is fresh in my mind. I'm in Canada and a car seat was required. The pediatric EMS guys strapped her car seat onto the stretcher. I wasn't given a choice and I got the impression that they would have waited for us to uninstall her carseat from a vehicle (thankfully, we not only have a spare, but her usual MA just happened to be uninstalled in DH's vehicle, so I took that). I thought that was a bit odd as she was having an anaphylactic reaction, so everything needed to happen fast. I asked the fire crew that was first onscene (they attend all ambulance calls) if we would be going to the ER and they said yes, so as the circus unfolded, I had a minute to grab the carseat from the garage.

I have no idea what they would have done if we didn't have a car seat. We rode to the ER in an infant transport ambulance and I didn't see an extra car seat. Maybe they had one stored? Not sure.

dd1 has been transported in an ambulance twice. They strapped her onto a small guerney which was attached to the big one, or something like that. All happened so fast, but they explained that they were restraining her in a safe and legal way. Despite all her flailing and screaming, she was secure.

They didn't ask for her carseat. I would assume they would need something that could transport a child without a car seat, esepcially since some would need it after a car accident where the carseat wouldn't be usable. Or ppl who don't have them and use public transportation would have to be assisted too.

eta: I have never called strictly for a 103 fever.

We have called for a similar fever with dd1 being completely altered/in a trance. We didn't want to take her in a the car and have her seize since she has had one seizure and with a brain injury history. With that being said though, I always go with my gut.

[bubbaray]

My ped told me the same thing. Fever indicates that DC's body is fighting something. Barring extenuating circumstances like lethargy, fever in & of itself does not warrant alarm. The thing to do is keep the child comfortable and hydrated.


My dr and my dr friends say the same thing.

[klwa]

I wouldn't have called for an ambulance, but I WOULD have called the Doctor's office to see what they said. Ours has a nurse's hotline to call to determine if anything really needs to be done. I tell DH to call that whenever there's a question abotu what we need to do.

[JBaxter]

103 is high but nothing out of the norm for a virus. My oldest will spike a fever like that anytime he gets sick. The other 2 never get a fever that high.
Even for a fever of higher than that I wouldnt call an ambulance I would simpley go to the hospital AFTER calling the ped and trying tylonel / motrin alternation and a cool bath

[kozachka]

Thank you for all your support ladies. I am glad to hear I was not a bad mom for telling DH not to call an ambulance right away.

DS was laying down, sort of weak, which is very unusual for him, and he has not had 103F fever in the last couple years, if ever. DH is used to me taking care of DS when he is sick so he was nervous. He did listen to me and called our doctor. Since DS has had fever on and off since Thursday and was not active (and I am guessing since DH was freaking out) he told him to call an ambulance. When I arrived home, ambulance was leaving. They prescribed DS antibiotics and said that they will call our pediatrician to come and see DS in the morning. DH has acute bronchitis. He was active by the time I was home but did not want to eat, only drink.

Oh, yeah, and DH told me I was a "heartless person".

[ThreeofUs]

My ped told me the same thing. Fever indicates that DC's body is fighting something. Barring extenuating circumstances like lethargy, fever in & of itself does not warrant alarm. The thing to do is keep the child comfortable and hydrated.


I hear you, and certainly I treat DS this way. But, gosh, when he hits 105-106F, frankly I get worried about all sorts of awful things.

Research shows that, generally, a fever over 105 is "of concern", but I seriously don't know how to reconcile that with what my ped says.

[kep]

I hear you, and certainly I treat DS this way. But, gosh, when he hits 105-106F, frankly I get worried about all sorts of awful things.

Research shows that, generally, a fever over 105 is "of concern", but I seriously don't know how to reconcile that with what my ped says.

Heck, even though I "know" not to worry about a medium grade (102-103 F) fever, I still get freaked out. There's just something different when it's your child. :hug5:

[octmom]

I'm glad your DS is getting meds and hope he will be back to his old self soon.



Oh, yeah, and DH told me I was a "heartless person".

I understand that your DH was worried (mine would have been really nervous too), but that kind of comment doesn't help matters at all. :hug5:

[ShanaMama]

I hear you, and certainly I treat DS this way. But, gosh, when he hits 105-106F, frankly I get worried about all sorts of awful things.

Research shows that, generally, a fever over 105 is "of concern", but I seriously don't know how to reconcile that with what my ped says.

The op was asking about fever of 103. IMO 105 is a whole different ballgame. Regardless of what my ped told me I'd be seriously freaking out if my child had 105-106. IMHO that is 'of concern', although I have no idea about the research.

[KrisM]

I'm going to say it varies widely . When DS1 was transported there was no carseat. He sat on my lap on the stretcher. I have heard that some will strap your carseat to the stretcher and others do have a special seat or restraint, but I would not count on it by any means.


When DS went in the ambulance, we strapped the carseat to the stretcher. I had to ask to do that, but it wasn't a problem.

To the OP - Even with DS's history of Febrile Seizures at temps that high, I wouldn't call an ambluance either.

[littlecindy]

105 rectal, maybe. not 103.