toddler fever

hello you all out there,

I just want to find out if there are people out there had the same
experiences as I had, I had a girl whoes little over 3 years old, she
gets this fever around 100~102 most of the times, and in most of the
cases, the fever just come and go for about a week or so, and if we
decided to take her to see the doctor, the result most likely to be an
ear infection, and a lot of the times, she still seems very active and
no signs of tugging her ears. and this starts making me think does
she really have an ear infection or perhaps I should just let it go on
her own but keep close watch.

thanx

Dont let it go.......my son had ear infection after ear infecting, and
sometimes I didnt even know he had it.
Get her seen by a specialist
It will be worth is later on.
Can stop things like speech problems, etc. As well as reading and spelling
problems, get it early.
I regret being palmed of from doctors

All the best Fiona

"Michael" wrote in message
m...
hello you all out there,

I just want to find out if there are people out there had the same
experiences as I had, I had a girl whoes little over 3 years old, she
gets this fever around 100~102 most of the times, and in most of the
cases, the fever just come and go for about a week or so, and if we
decided to take her to see the doctor, the result most likely to be an
ear infection, and a lot of the times, she still seems very active and
no signs of tugging her ears. and this starts making me think does
she really have an ear infection or perhaps I should just let it go on
her own but keep close watch.

thanx

God has heard your prayers and I'm so excited to be able to help you get
your answer. When I hear of children suffering it pains me and its very
personal to me. I would like for you to call my Grandmasherle at
205-298-8050(office) or on the cell at 205-527-5591. Tell her Alishandra
said "thanks for helping" I hope that you receive this blessing that God
has sent for you.May he richly bless you.....Alishandra Collins

Peace Be Unto You Saints Of The Most High.

(Michael) wrote in message om...
hello you all out there,

I just want to find out if there are people out there had the same
experiences as I had, I had a girl whoes little over 3 years old, she
gets this fever around 100~102 most of the times, and in most of the
cases, the fever just come and go for about a week or so, and if we
decided to take her to see the doctor, the result most likely to be an
ear infection, and a lot of the times, she still seems very active and
no signs of tugging her ears. and this starts making me think does
she really have an ear infection or perhaps I should just let it go on
her own but keep close watch.

thanx



thanx for you guys response, one of the reasons we don't like about
this is we don't really like to give our girls fever reducer or
antibiotic unless it is really necessary, and a lot of times I heard
from my friens, when the doctors can't really find where the problem
is, they will just address to either ear infection or tonsil
infection.

"Michael" wrote in message
om...
(Michael) wrote in message
om...

thanx for you guys response, one of the reasons we don't like about
this is we don't really like to give our girls fever reducer or
antibiotic unless it is really necessary,

Paracetamol works very well for reducing fever. Never give aspirin though.

On 20 Sep 2004 10:34:25 -0700, (Michael) wrote:

(Michael) wrote in message om...
hello you all out there,

I just want to find out if there are people out there had the same
experiences as I had, I had a girl whoes little over 3 years old, she
gets this fever around 100~102 most of the times, and in most of the
cases, the fever just come and go for about a week or so, and if we
decided to take her to see the doctor, the result most likely to be an
ear infection, and a lot of the times, she still seems very active and
no signs of tugging her ears. and this starts making me think does
she really have an ear infection or perhaps I should just let it go on
her own but keep close watch.

thanx for you guys response, one of the reasons we don't like about
this is we don't really like to give our girls fever reducer or
antibiotic unless it is really necessary, and a lot of times I heard
from my friens, when the doctors can't really find where the problem
is, they will just address to either ear infection or tonsil
infection.

I must say this: There are unfortunately plenty of physicians out
there, usually family practitioners and/or older physicians (and
before any family practitioners and/or older physicians complain, this
has been validated by research), who will diagnose a "throat"
infection or ear infection as an excuse to prescribe antibiotics for
children with fevers, for a variety of reasons. Some fear a hidden
bacterial infection that they feel they lack the skill or clinical
acumen to diagnose, and figure it's better just to "cover" with an
antibiotic "just in case." Others just plainly don't know, even in
this day and age, that the majority of fevers, especially ones that
resolve within 5 days, are caused by viral infections and that
antibiotics are unnecessary in this case. Finally, many incorrectly
believe they can recognize streptococcal pharyngitis (a true bacterial
throat infection that does require treatment with antibiotics, causing
perhaps 20% of serious sore throats) just by looking without doing a
throat swab, and/or don't understand that a true "ear infection" is a
focal purulent ABSCESS of the middle ear presenting with a purulent
effusion on otoscopy accompanied by signs or acute inflammation
(redness, pain, fever), NOT just a "red" ear drum. I see too many
notes by family practitioners where the only objective evidence they
record as evidence of an ear infection they treated with antibiotics
is "TM red." Guess what? If you've got a child with a fever or who is
crying, the TM is GOING to be red, infection or not.

Given the overall distrust of doctors displayed by the usual denizens
of this newsgroup, I am surprised that the majority of responders here
seem not only to encourage you to continue to have your child see her
doctor for fevers, but feel as well that she should see a
"specialist," who, no doubt, will be a surgeon who, surprise!, will
want to operate on your child.

I have seen plenty of children who have a history of "recurrent ear
infections" where I have truly doubted whether most of them really
were ear infections, yet they went on to have ear tubes placed.
Furthermore, evidence is pointing away from the conventional wisdom
that you will suffer irreparable damage to your hearing and speech
development if you don't get ear tubes for chronic middle ear
effusion, so tubes for this reason are being done less often.

Finally, I must also say that, in the absence of any other symptoms
such as a runny nose or cough, a fever in a little girl can sometimes
be caused by a urinary tract infection, yet many physicians fail to
check a urine sample, and some of them "accidentally" treat the UTI
they failed to diagnose by prescribing antibiotics for one of the many
"wrong" reasons I described above, whereupon the girl improves, and
everyone is happy. (This, by the way, is only one of the many, many
reasons not to prescribe an antibiotic when you don't know what you're
treating.) The problem is, recurrent urinary tract infections in a
little girl can be a sign of serious urinary problems that, if not
detected, can eventually lead to kidney scarring and ultimately kidney
failure (i.e., needing dialysis and/or kidney transplant). While this
is certainly unusual, it has happened and probably will again.

Let me make this clear, however: Certainly I have no way of knowing at
all what is really happening with your daughter, so I cannot claim to
know that she is or isn't really having ear infections, nor can I make
any judgment on the appropriateness or quality of her care from her
physician. First and foremost, if you have a question about what to do
when she has fevers, you should check with her doctor. A good general
rule, though, is that if she has a fever and it is accompanied by
typical symptoms of a viral infection (sore throat, runny nose, cough,
etc.) without anything serious (poor fluid intake, severe lethargy,
headache/neck stiffness, unusual rash, vomiting, severe ear ache,
breathing difficulties, etc.) then it is usually reasonable to watch
at home, only seeing the doctor if the fever lasts more than 3 to 4
days. If she does have prolonged fevers, and especially if there are
no specific clues from her symptoms or her physical exam, she should
have her urine checked.

PF

PF Riley wrote in message . ..

I must say this: There are unfortunately plenty of physicians out
there, usually family practitioners and/or older physicians....

I would add that many docs feel pressure to prescribe the antibiotcs.
They think the parents want them (which is sometimes true but probably
not as often as the docs seem to think) and they think it will be
quicker and easier to write the rx than to explain why the kid does
not need it. Whether written out of fear or laziness I think they pick
the ear because it is plausible and something not easily checked by
anyone not equipped with an otoscope.

I also agree that I often doubt the diagnosis. On many ocassions the
parents have brought the kid in the morning after a midnight trip to
the ER (so within hours) and I have found a completely normal drum.

However, there is one thing I am surprised that you did not comment
upon. She really does not give us enough details to know if things
have been excessive. Information on how many of these ear infections
have been diagnosed over what course of time would be helpful.

I also agree that being older, being a non-pediatrician (with
specialists being worse than GP's!), and being trained outside of the
US are all predictors of innappropriate antibiotic use.


Given the overall distrust of doctors displayed by the usual denizens
of this newsgroup, I am surprised that the majority of responders here
seem not only to encourage you to continue to have your child see her
doctor for fevers, but feel as well that she should see a
"specialist," who, no doubt, will be a surgeon who, surprise!, will
want to operate on your child.

I agree - a second opinion from a good general pediatrician would be
more likely to give a corrent course of action. Both due to the issues
of correct diagnosis of the ear and, as you allude, to looking at
other causes of fever. The ENT is not likely to order a urinalysis or
consider other diagnoses such as JRA.



Furthermore, evidence is pointing away from the conventional wisdom
that you will suffer irreparable damage to your hearing and speech
development if you don't get ear tubes for chronic middle ear
effusion, so tubes for this reason are being done less often.

A point that bears repeating. The recent literature has been
surprising in how little harm seems to be done by waiting.


The problem is, recurrent urinary tract infections....

In some studies have been as common as 10% of children with fever and
no source (I personally think it is lower but it is certainly not
rare).

--
00doc

(Michael) wrote in message om...
hello you all out there,

I just want to find out if there are people out there had the same
experiences as I had, I had a girl whoes little over 3 years old, she
gets this fever around 100~102 most of the times, and in most of the
cases, the fever just come and go for about a week or so, and if we
decided to take her to see the doctor, the result most likely to be an
ear infection, and a lot of the times, she still seems very active and
no signs of tugging her ears. and this starts making me think does
she really have an ear infection or perhaps I should just let it go on
her own but keep close watch.

thanx

When my oldest son was a toddler, he too was diagnosed with multiple
ear infections though he rarely had discharge from his ears. Six long
years later, after a CT Scan and MRI to find why he was having severe
migraines, the neurologist targeted the problem that was there all
along: chronic sinusitis. His enlarged sinuses had been the cause of
the "ear infections" and fevers it seemed. My advice to you - stay on
top of this, keep asking questions and if necessary, ask for a
referral to a specialist.

"PF Riley" wrote in message
...

I must say this: There are unfortunately plenty of physicians out
there, usually family practitioners and/or older physicians (and
before any family practitioners and/or older physicians complain, this
has been validated by research), who will diagnose a "throat"
infection or ear infection as an excuse to prescribe antibiotics for
children with fevers, for a variety of reasons.

In the UK and Belgium (my area of experience) is seems the warnings about
over perscribing antibiotics have been heeded. In general they don't give
them on the first visit - you have to go twice and typically that means you
have to be ill for at least two weeks before you get them.

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 15:58:54 GMT, "CWatters"
wrote:

"PF Riley" wrote in message
.. .

I must say this: There are unfortunately plenty of physicians out
there, usually family practitioners and/or older physicians (and
before any family practitioners and/or older physicians complain, this
has been validated by research), who will diagnose a "throat"
infection or ear infection as an excuse to prescribe antibiotics for
children with fevers, for a variety of reasons.

In the UK and Belgium (my area of experience) is seems the warnings about
over perscribing antibiotics have been heeded. In general they don't give
them on the first visit - you have to go twice and typically that means you
have to be ill for at least two weeks before you get them.

The way you describe this, unfortunately, makes it sound like the
ultimate goal of a visit to the doctor is to obtain a prescription for
an antibiotic. You "have to go twice" before you "get" the
antibiotics? So if you're persistent enough or sick for long enough
you "win" and get antibiotics as a "reward?" What if you're sick for
two weeks with mono (AKA glandular fever in the U.K.) or rheumatic
fever? Do you "get" antibiotics then?

Sorry to come down on you like this, but I see this attitude by
parents too often. The purpose of a doctor visit is for the physician
to review the history, examine the patient, make a diagnosis,
recommend treatment, and advise on what to watch for as the illness
resolves. It is not for you to see if you "get" to take an antibiotic
or not.

PF