UPDATE - Quick - is this "urgent"?

[marie]

UPDATE
guess their lunch is over at 1:30. Talked to the nurse. They take a wait-and-see approach to ear pain. If it still hurts tomorrow then they will have me bring her in (no small feat since it's a 50 minute drive one way). She also said "we don't really get concerned about how high the fever is unless it's 105 or above." Well, I'm sorry I was trying to be specific and told you what her temp was! :irked: She also said that they prefer tylenol over ibuprofen. :shrug: I'll piggy back the two if need be.

thanks again. you all rock.

__________________________________________________ _______
Got the call from DD2's nursery school. She's lethargic, feels a little warm, yada yada. Pick her up. Her temp is 103.7, tells me her ear hurts and "feels like it blows up when i yawn".

Called the ped., got the outgoing message: If this is a true emergency, hang up and dial 9-1-1, if it is urgent and you would like Dr. X paged, press 1, to leave a non-urgent message, press 2.

so, do you consider this "urgent"? I gave her some tylenol and am waiting for that to kick in.

poor baby.

[LMPC]

I wouldn't consider that urgent enough to page the dr. I would wait and see if the tylenol kicks in.

Hope she feels better soon!

[MoJo]

No experience, but if your office is like mine a real person will answer the phones in 10 minutes after their lunch break is over (and it takes longer than that for a Dr. to return a page) . . . so I'd wait 'til 1:30 and talk to the phone nurse, if your office works that way.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Not urgent, but I'd get her into the office today.

[BabyBearsMom]

Sounds like an ear infection. Could you leave a message? When will the office be open? If the office was going to be open in an hour or 2, I would wait. If it was closed until tomorrow, I would page the doctor.

[marie]

I wouldn't consider that urgent enough to page the dr. I would wait and see if the tylenol kicks in.

Hope she feels better soon!

thanks. that's what i was leaning toward.

she fell right to sleep after i gave her the tylenol.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Not urgent, but I'd get her into the office today.

:yeahthat:

and if she can't go to her ped today, I'd probably take her to an urgi care kind of place as it sounds like an EI.

Beth

[amldaley]

Sounds like an ear infection. Could you leave a message? When will the office be open? If the office was going to be open in an hour or 2, I would wait. If it was closed until tomorrow, I would page the doctor.

:yeahthat:

Leave a message
Recheck temp in 30 minutes
Call them back a couple of times throughout the lunch and late lunch time to see if they re-open.

[HonoluluMom]

Also no experience, but if you're worried or you sense something seems very wrong, I'd page.

[alirebco]

My son always runs really high temps - 103-104 and I normally never call the doctor unless it's been more than 2 days and there are other concerning symptoms.

I would leave a message or call back during office hours and see what they say.

Also, I would probably give Motrin at that temp, not Tylenol.

[marie]

Sounds like an ear infection. Could you leave a message? When will the office be open? If the office was going to be open in an hour or 2, I would wait. If it was closed until tomorrow, I would page the doctor.

not sure. we're talking small-town solo practice doc. though he did get a nurse recently. . . (before that he would answer the phone himself - crazy, right?)

i'll try them again at 2pm.

thanks for the responses!

[deborah_r]

I feel like I would not consider it urgent ehough to page the doctor, but if I couldn't get an appointment today, I would take her to urgent care. Hope she's better soon! My 7 year old recently had such a painful ear infection he was crying inconsolably, it's so hard when you can't make them feel better.

[Tondi G]

I would just call right when they get back from lunch and see if someone can check her ears this afternoon.

[Melaine]

Last cold around DD complained about her ear hurting but I think it was just congestion because she didn't end up having an ear infection, so I would wait it out.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Last cold around DD complained about her ear hurting but I think it was just congestion because she didn't end up having an ear infection, so I would wait it out.

But, with the high fever and the ear pain it sounds like more than a cold.

I have boys prone to ear infections and the fever + pain always = ei for us.

Beth

[marie]

bump for update and question:

so if she is on tylenol/motrin for the fever, won't that take care of the ear pain? will i still know if she has ear pain? (and why don't i think of these questions when i'm on the phone?!?!)

[elephantmeg]

it generally takes care of the ear pain. BTW the newest studies are that for kids motrin is the most effective pain medication (in some cases more so than narcotics such at tylenol with codeine). I personally never give tylenol. The other thing you can get is some homeopathic ear drops-I found them at a general pharmacy section-they're just numbing drops and are great for the "it's 2 am and the medication wore off and I'm screaming" pain... Hope she feels better soon!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't give Tylenol either- we don't even own any. Ibuprofen lasts longer between doses and seems to work better.

If you can't keep her comfortable with the meds, I really wouldn't hesitate to take her somewhere. I know some take a wait and see approach to using antibiotics for them but my kids haven't kicked them without meds- and the meds make improvements so fast!

Beth

[Melaine]

But, with the high fever and the ear pain it sounds like more than a cold.

I have boys prone to ear infections and the fever + pain always = ei for us.

Beth

My kids haven't really had EIs....maybe one? So with them, I'm not quick to assume infection. Last cold around they did have a high fever and complained of ear pain briefly, but after getting checked didn't have an infection and we just had to wait it out.

Obviously, she should take DC in if she has concerns, I was just saying that ear discomfort and a fever doesn't always mean ear infection in every child.