It happened two weeks ago and I found out recently from some Mummies' blogs that quite many kids were admitted for high fever.
24 October 2010 (Sunday)
Nothing special happened on that day. We went to church in the morning and Ethan attended Sunday school. After church, we went for lunch and did some grocery shopping. Around 8p.m. that night, hubby realised that his body was warm. Checked his temperature and it was in the range of 38-39C. Gave him paracetamol and kept on sponging him and checked his temperature like every 5 minutes. After a while, the temperature went down to between 37-38C but shot up again to around 39C before 12 p.m. Gave him another round of medication and continued to sponge him until his temperature went down to around 38C. I think I slept at around 1p.m. and woke up every 1 hour to check his temperature.
25 October (Monday)
At 3 a.m. in the morning, his temperature shot up to 39C++ again. It was less than 4 hour after the last medication, so I inserted suppository (voren). He was ok after that until 8.am. and started to develop fever again. I gave him paracetamol again and this time, he complained about the pain in his mouth. I quickly check his mouth and saw ulcers and red spots. I checked his hands and legs but didn't see any spots. In my heart, I suspected it's HFMD because of the ulcers.
Before I saw the ulcers, I thought it was normal fever. We have arranged that hubby will bring Ethan to the clinic and I will go to work. I was very reluctant to leave him at home but thought that I have to go to work for some stupid reason. I thought I want to avoid from taking EL because the boss is very...very sensitive about his staff taking EL/MC especially when he is not around. He was on 3 weeks holiday and that was the very first day of his leave. When I saw that ulcers, I knew I had to call in and take EL.
We brought him to the clinic and the paed confirmed that it was HFMD after some physical examination. Because it is a viral infection, antibiotic is of no help and thus not prescribed. He was given Brufen (Ibuprofen), E-zyme for his throat/ulcers and an oral medication to numb his mouth before meal. I was warned that the fever will come on and off for 3-4 days.
As predicted, his fever didn't subside the whole day even after medication. It shot up to more than 39C again in the afternoon and another dose of suppository was given. He was ok after that until the temperature shot up to 39C again at 9p.m. Gave him Brufen again and sponged him but the temperature didn't go down at all. I check his temp like every 5 minutes and every time I checked, it went up. When the reading was 40C, I panicked. Never before in his life, the fever was so high. I quickly inserted another voren but the reading was still going up until it reached 40.6C.
At that point, we decided to bring him to the hospital. When we reached there, the temp went down a little bit but the doctor said it's still high and asked us to take off all his clothing and sponge him. We were given the choice to monitor him at home or admit him. We decided to admit him because it will be safer that way. He was put on drip but surprisingly he didn't cry when they poke his hand. I was so prepared for the scene where he will protest and cry like mad. Maybe he was too tired.
At the A&E26 October 2010 (Tuesday)
The paed came in the morning to check on Ethan. He said that the blood test showed it was bacterial infection and not viral infection, i.e. not HFMD. So, antibiotic is needed. IF........IF the paed (whom we saw on Monday) had a different diagnosis, and if antibiotic was prescribed, MAYBE Ethan will not have to be admitted.
The paed wanted to check on Ethan's mouth but he just woke up (it was 7.30 a.m. and we slept at 1.30a.m.) so he was a bit blur and not sure how to stick his tongue out properly. I was upset that the paed didn't slow talk him but used his force instead to open Ethan's mouth with the stick tingy and caused Ethan to vomit and cried so badly. My heart ached so much looking at him in that condition. After that, Ethan said to me he doesn't want the boy doctor, he wants the girl doctor.
Heart ache when I saw the ulcers. I managed to coax himto open his mouth wide enough to take a pic.
Went to the playroom with the IV attached.
Played with one handThe paed tried to check his mouth/throat again the next morning. He cried the moment the doctor took out the torch light and the little wooden stick. I was hugging him and tried to persuade him to open his mouth. At the same time this doctor forced him with the stick AGAIN and somehow Ethan's mouth was bleeding. Ethan was inconsolable and reluctant to open his mouth even a tiny bit. The doctor said he didn't used much force and shouldn't have hurt him. @#^$^%&^&*
He was off the drip in the morning but the fever returned one hour after that. Due to this, the doctor said he's not stable yet and need to stay for another day for observation.
Watching tv almost all day long. When he gets bored,he played with the bed, adjusting it up and down.
No fever for the past 24 hours and he was allowed to go home that afternoon. After 3 nights stay at the hospital, my silly boy said he's still hot (while touching his forehead) and therefore cannot go to school and has to stay at the hospital wor. Anyway, he only returned to school the following Monday.
Important notes:
- The nurse at the hospital told me that Brufen/Ibuprofen (oral medication) and Voren (suppository) are the same type of medicine. So, if Brufen does not work, so is Voren. We should give paracetamol and voren instead.
- Ulcers + high fever do not necessarily mean HFMD. It could be bacterial infection and antibiotic should be given.
