My friend’s 2 year old niece died of diagnosed flu some years ago. She had taken the child to the dr, and was assured the child would be fine.
She died 2 days later.
The ER isn’t an overreaction. I would wait to see if the child perked up 45 min after talking Tylenol. I sure wouldn’t wait 2 hours.
I always wonder if my friends sister thinks about what might have been had she taken her daughter to the ER a couple of hours sooner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you so shaken up by what some dr implied? Who cares?

I wouldn’t say I was shaken up; more annoyed that the doctor seemed to be lacking in compassion. But also, maybe I made the wrong call. Sometimes a little perspective helps.

Try to unclench.

You still sound rattled and embarrassed.

Then try some compassion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have looked for another urgent care but it's not a huge deal, except maybe the $$$

Urgent care is notorious for misdiagnosing serious illness. If my kid was lethargic with the flu I’d go to the ER. A close friend of mine is an ER doctor at a high level ER and she would never imply that this child shouldn’t be brought to the ER. The doctor who saw your DD was a reckless jerk. What ER was this??

NP here. Not even just misdiagnosing, but they can’t even treat serious illness. When my son was a toddler he had a serious respiratory virus and took a turn for the worse, but we debated on going to the ER. Decided on urgent care and they were basically like “yup, he has low pulse ox and high fever, go to the ER.” I had no clue how bad things were. He ended up admitted for 3 days with pneumonia. Urgent care was a total waste of time and money, and prolonged our son receiving oxygen treatment. I was a FTM. Now I’d go right to the ER if I was seriously worried.

You took a legitimately sick child to the ER, OP. Luckily she is okay, but I’d rather make that mistake than the reverse. It’s not like you are using the ER as your primary care doctor.

Actually, that’s exactly what she was doing... Untreated fever is not an emergency without more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have looked for another urgent care but it's not a huge deal, except maybe the $$$

Urgent care is notorious for misdiagnosing serious illness. If my kid was lethargic with the flu I’d go to the ER. A close friend of mine is an ER doctor at a high level ER and she would never imply that this child shouldn’t be brought to the ER. The doctor who saw your DD was a reckless jerk. What ER was this??

NP here. Not even just misdiagnosing, but they can’t even treat serious illness. When my son was a toddler he had a serious respiratory virus and took a turn for the worse, but we debated on going to the ER. Decided on urgent care and they were basically like “yup, he has low pulse ox and high fever, go to the ER.” I had no clue how bad things were. He ended up admitted for 3 days with pneumonia. Urgent care was a total waste of time and money, and prolonged our son receiving oxygen treatment. I was a FTM. Now I’d go right to the ER if I was seriously worried.

You took a legitimately sick child to the ER, OP. Luckily she is okay, but I’d rather make that mistake than the reverse. It’s not like you are using the ER as your primary care doctor.

Anonymous wrote:The ER was a huge overreaction and you likely infected others with your flu.

Well hopefully op paid attention to the many signs instructing people with the flu or flu like symptoms to wear a mask. But that's a HUGE reason I try to avoid the ER at all costs. All the people that wind up on precautions on different floors because of contagious illnesses are not isolated in the ED.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have looked for another urgent care but it's not a huge deal, except maybe the $$$

Urgent care is notorious for misdiagnosing serious illness. If my kid was lethargic with the flu I’d go to the ER. A close friend of mine is an ER doctor at a high level ER and she would never imply that this child shouldn’t be brought to the ER. The doctor who saw your DD was a reckless jerk. What ER was this??

ER doctor was an asshole. That high fever, knowing she has the flu, requires a child be seen. I would complain.

No it absolutely does not. Keep your ass home and save the ER for true emergencies. Idiot.

The ER was a huge overreaction and you likely infected others with your flu.

We use Town Center Medicine. The Doctors are very good and they have Saturday hours for emergencies and illesses.

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with a fever. I read that it can’t cause brain damage (unless it’s a fever from being in a boiling car). I absolutely wouldn’t have taken my kid to the er for a fever. In my moms group I’m shocked at what people go to the ER for. I’m with kaiser and do go to kaiser urgent care after hours or on weekends.

Yes. Your own body won't raise its own temperature high enough to harm you. The only time you can get hot enough to harm yourself is if there are external circumstances, like being in an overheated car.

I would want to examine spiking fevers after a diagnosis of influenza, particularly if this was a change in fever pattern and/or didn't respond to over-the-counter medication like Ibuprofen. There's a real risk of developing secondary infection, as noted But if they were pretty much back to their normal (albeit ill) self after Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen, it could wait until morning.

Toddlers usually get much higher fevers than adults. It's not uncommon to get up to 104.5 with roseola, and that's just a response to the virus. But it's all about the full context.

I'm sorry you got the impression you shouldn't have come in. I've made that judgement of a parent exactly once in about 20 years -- that was when I walked in the room to see the eight-year old with a sore throat, no fever, no problems swallowing or breathing, brought in by ambulance three minutes before. He was halfway through a bag of Doritos and munching still as I entered.

I was very mild but suggested that if his throat was not so sore that he couldn't eat Doritos, and there was nothing else going on, they probably didn't need an ambulance.

There is nothing wrong with a fever. I read that it can’t cause brain damage (unless it’s a fever from being in a boiling car). I absolutely wouldn’t have taken my kid to the er for a fever. In my moms group I’m shocked at what people go to the ER for. I’m with kaiser and do go to kaiser urgent care after hours or on weekends.

I would have waited to see how her fever responded to meds. Did it go down easily? Would wait for morning. Did it come back but not as high after 4 hours? Wait. Did it barely respond or come back just as high? Go in.

I think that's probably what he was trying to tell you.

You need a new pediatrician. All of this could have been managed with an after hours call and it's so unprofessional that they don't have one.

I would have done ibuprofen, waited 2 hours for fever to go down and if not down, then decide. But, if I was to go I would go to ER, never again will I go to one of those Urgent or First Care places, twice, twice they missed a broken bone on my child! Looking at the x-ray no less! So, in that way, you did right.

There's no way I would have gone to the ER in that situation.

High fevers in young children are not nearly as concerning as in adults. If she was breathing okay and drinking fluids I would wait and call the ped.

I think the only thing the ER doc was thinking was that you should have tried Tylenol or Motrin first. Otherwise, what is he going to do? Oh right, give your kid Tylenol or Motrin and wait to see if it helps. If the fever didn’t respond to painkiller... whole different story. Btw, for situations like this in the future, I would 100% recommend PM Pediatrics; and urgent care only for children, staffed with Peds specialists, open on weekends and until midnight, takes insurance and lower copay than ER for most insurance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have looked for another urgent care but it's not a huge deal, except maybe the $$$

Urgent care is notorious for misdiagnosing serious illness. If my kid was lethargic with the flu I’d go to the ER. A close friend of mine is an ER doctor at a high level ER and she would never imply that this child shouldn’t be brought to the ER. The doctor who saw your DD was a reckless jerk. What ER was this??

ER doctor was an asshole. That high fever, knowing she has the flu, requires a child be seen. I would complain.