High temp and fast breathing in 8mth old - what would you do?

[missingthemountains]

DS2 has a temp of 102 - and this is couple of hours after having calpol. He has history of bronchiolitis/ bronchitis and asthma-type symptoms brought on by exposure to cats, however his chest sounds clear tonight but he is breathing really fast - 50 to 60 breaths per min and this is whilst he's fast asleep

with my other son I would give nurofen at this point to sort the temperature but don't think I should cos of the asthma thing?

any advice/experience much appreciated!

[bellavita]

I would either give NHS Direct a ring or telephone your Dr's surgery - they should have an out of hours Dr who will call you back.

[SlightlyMadScientist]

OK. Firstly a temperature of 102 (which I translate to 38.8) is certainly high eough to be causign the fast breathing in it's own right. Breathing fast is a perfectly normal response to fever to help the body cool down.

You are right nurofen is not great with asthma - but please talk to your GP about this - because I don't think all asthmatics are sensitive to ibuprofen - her may be fine.

Srtip him down to 1 layer of thin clothing to help him cool down. If his breathing slows as he cools then I would stop worry about his chest - it is probably just a cold or earache or something. If his breathing doesn't slow then get him seen.

In the meantime then NHS direct GP out of hours are obviously also options.

[SalVolatile]

Ring out of hours GP now. Your child is under 12 months so should be seen. In the meantime assess how alert he is/how deeply asleep he is. That will help the doctor when he/she rings. Also lift his top and look at movement of ribcage - if the fast breathing is causing an inward sucking movment then it is possible that your little one may have pneumonia and so needs A&E if an out of hours doctor cannot see him. Best of luck.

[faeriemoo]

NHS Direct?

[missingthemountains]

ok thanks for that - will check his ribcage and try and cool him down - his hands and feet are already very cold but body is hot/

will see if cooling helps breathing slow - of not will ring out of hours

[sammiijayne]

Hi, wondering if anyone can help...ive got a 5 month old son, he has a hole in his heart which mean open heart surgery before july and found out that his left artery to his lungs is smaller than the right which means he gets 98% of air to his lung.... he is breathing really fast and im not to sure what it could be

Thanks sammii xx

[Nextchapterabouttostart]

You may be better starting your own thread.
How long has he been breathing fast? Is he sucking in & looking like he is working hard to breath? How many breaths per minute?
Has he got a cold/temp any other symptoms?
With the history I would phone your GP or depending on answers above he may need A&E-
His the breathing different to normal?

[sammiijayne]

Not sure how to do my own thread lol... got a temp so im going to call doctors tomorrow to be sure he is ok..better to be safe than sorry x

Thanks anyway xx

[Nextchapterabouttostart]

If you are worried, phone tonight - if you watch his tummy can you count the breaths? Is this new?

Honestly if you are worried, phone 111 you know your child best, especially with this history -

Is he struggling to breath?

[53Dragon]

sammiijayne look at the top of the page where it says 'Topics' - Children's Health and it says 'Start a new thread in this topic'. Just click on there and write your thread title and content

missingthemountains why not try tepid sponging? Strip baby to nappy and dunk a sponge in warm water - squeeze it till almost dry and use it to sponge his body. It must be warm water

[Showy]

53Dragon, missingthemountain's baby probably isn't so baby like anymore! He'll be a whopping great 6yo. Regardless, tepid sponging is NOT recommended.

Sammii, I really think you need a professional. All the very best for you and your baby.

[Superworm]

Sammii - have you given anything for the temp? If it doesn't go down or his breathing doesn't improve, I would call the out of hours doctor or go to A&E.

Young babies with underlying conditions like your DS's should be seen. They can become unwell quite quickly with viruses and colds as they can put a strain on their little bodies.

If his breathing is fast, his heart rate will be fast and combined with a temp means his obs are all over the place.

DS has a heart condition and we were always seen immediately in A&E. He was usually just kept in for monitoring for a few hours until things settled.

[53Dragon]

Showy
'Clinical Bottom Line
A balance must be found between the need to decrease the febrile child's temperature and distress. Tepid sponging can have a role to play in fever reduction together with paracetamol but should not be used as a substitute.'

[PurpleWithRed]

dragon - NICE guidelines (160, May 2013) say no to sponging for home care - where are yours from? I'm interested. NICE guidelines [CG160] Published date: May 2013

This is their current advice:

Caring for your child at home
Most children with fever can be cared for at home. You should be given advice on how to care for your child and when to seek further help.

There are medicines (known as antipyretics) that are commonly used to reduce fever. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are antipyretics (check the label if you're not sure from the brand name which one it contains). These medicines can help to lower your child's temperature and make them feel more comfortable but they do not treat the cause of the fever.

You should not use paracetamol or ibuprofen simply to lower your child's temperature or to try to prevent a febrile convulsion (a fit, or seizure, caused by fever) because studies have shown that paracetamol and ibuprofen do not reduce the risk of convulsions. However, it is okay to give your child one of these medicines if they have a fever and they are distressed or unwell.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen should not be given at the same time. If you give your child one of these medicines and they are still distressed before the next dose of this medicine is due, you may want to consider using the other. Only use these medicines for as long as your child feels unwell or distressed, and ask your healthcare professional if you need more information. Always check the instructions on the medicine bottle or packet.

Your healthcare professional should advise you:

to offer your child regular drinks (if you are breastfeeding then breast milk is best)

to look for signs that your child may be dehydrated (dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, sunken fontanelle – the soft spot on a baby's head)

to encourage your child to drink more fluids if they are dehydrated, and seek further advice if you are worried

how to look for and identify a non-blanching rash (a rash that does not disappear with pressure) that could be a sign of meningitis

to check on your child during the night

to keep your child away from school or nursery while they have a fever, and notify them of your child's absence.

Fever is a natural and healthy response to infection, so do not try to reduce your child's fever by over or under dressing them, or by sponging them with water.

[Showy]

Dragon, that is just the summing up of a review of studies looking at tepid sponging. It isn't a recommendation.

The recommendations by NICE and the NHS are that you do NOT use tepid sponging as part of the care of a child with a fever. It can cause vasoconstriction, which can actually raise the temperature. It can also cause rapid cooling and shivering which again raises the temperature. It's also often unpleasant.

They might use tepid sponging in hospitals where they have defined clear clinical need but when caring for a child at home, it is absolutely advised against.