Saturday, October 27, 2007

How Do You Monitor??

I have stopped blogging for more than a week. It was because last week was a busy and troubled week. Busy with jobs (always), busy with fixing the system (finally "completely done"), busy with church meeting but these were nothing BUT the most headache part was my boy had admitted to hospital due to high fever at 39.9 degree C.

Li Chien start having fever on Monday evening, the fever medicine seemed not control him well. My mom brought him to doctor on the next morning, found some white spots in his throat so doctor prescribed antibiotic. We thought with taking it together with fever syrup would help him. However his temperature rose up to 39.9 degree C after taking medicine 1/2hour ago, even after sponge it remained as 39 degree. Mind started struggling whether continue to wait further until 9am so that to bring him back to doctor to comment or straight away send him to hospital "Emergency Dept". As he continued remained at 38.5 to - 39 degree we lastly drove him to Sunway hospital at 6.30am. After diagnosed by the doctor on duty there, she said the best was to leave him there so we follow of course.

It was a horrible experience to have a 15 months baby admitted to hospital especially on "drip". You can't imaging how strong was him to try to get rid of the situation. First, he was wrapped with a big towel with a hand left out, they try to get some blood for testing and also to put on the "tube for dripping use". He was very strong, crying very loud to show disagreement. Towel of course not strong enough to hold him so two nurses tried to stable him on the bed. No matter how we comforted him he was just too scared!

Doctor told me it was not really serious as it was initial stage of fever, not much things could be done but monitoring and under investigation only. It is just too early to judge because more symptoms will come out 4-5 days only after fever.

So I learn few things in this experience but honestly I don't know if I can fully apply it in the future?? WHY, see my notes and teach me if you do understand how to judge and what to do when you child is 40 degree C next time.

1) Nothing much to do if fever cannot drop but sponge you child is the best way. You cannot let him take fever medicine too frequent say it effect can last for 8 hours, if your child remain fever after 1-2 hours, please sponge him. However if in initial stage, you can feed him more frequent say 4 hours once. (I think it depends on the brand too). For example, I noticed the first day in hospital, doctor let him take every 4 hours, the next day extend to 6 hours.

2) For high fever at 39 degree C, for fast effect can use those "sub" (I am not sure if I spell correctly) type to put in rectum, it will drop very fast. If your child take the oral fever medicine, after an hour or two if it still remain high, you can use the "sub" but of course not so often.

3) As long as your child still can play actively and eat normally when they are fever, what you can do is monitor them, if cannot drop please sponge them. If after 4-5 day temperature still remain high so bring him to doctor to check again. The doctor said we have to judge.

4) According what the doctor told me a serious patience doesn't mean he would have high fever, he may be at low side say 38 degree C. However a high figure say 40 degree C doesn't means the patience is in serious situation. (So do you learn something, do you know how to judge whether it is serious or not??)

5) Virus fever will come and go, go and come, it drops and it will arise again. I think the general doctor is based on this factor and advise us the best is to leave him in hospital. (However, I later was lectured by the pediatrician about the fever knowledge, he said parents are too nervous).

So I start question myself am I too nervous in this situation? I think my reaction was normal, I just forgot to answer him if I can judge so well I would become a doctor (as they always like to say we are doctor we know). If the general doctor advised me to hospitalised, am I not followed??

Li Chien was there for three days two nights, much longer than expected, after returned home yesterday evening, we start seeing some spots/ red rashes on his body, and today it spread more on his face, neck, ear. According to friend, my parents and mother in law, it should be "poison", it may disappear in 2 days or a week time. Let's wait and see, so at least now I know why he fevered. I shall bring him to doctor again if situation go worsen.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

hope your baby is fine now.... it sure pains the heart when our kids are sick and have to be admitted.