my mom has a fever...it was up to 102.5 last time we checked....
im hearing mixed comments about when a fever becomes dangerous for an adult....some say anything over 103 (which shes already close to) then some say 104, and one said its only dangerous when it hits 105....
what should i be looking for??? which one is it? shes all paranoid she has swine flu cuz she just had a cough n sore throat all last week, now body aches, nausea n fever...so i jus wanna kno wut im looking for and if and when i should take her to ER?
or should she just take tylenol, drink lotsa fluids n sleep tonight...then go to the doctor in the AM?
TIA!!
AngnShaun
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
unless she has some type of immune system problems... i wouldnt think that a fever would be too dangerous for her until about 104/105....
taking tylenol should help... if its still high in the morning then she should go to the hospital or at the very least her regular doc
lillisa
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
im a nurse.. to be honest i wouldnt worry i was sick 2 weeks ago with a 102 fever and was on antibiotic and slowly it came down.
in my opinion,.. i would just go to the primary dr or the er just to be safe because everyone is different.
i hope she feels better soon
FutureMrsKuehne
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
ok....well, heres another question...
shes been on antibiotics for a few days already for the sorethroat n cough......
and she has an autoimmune disease...
does that change anything?
laurenandmike618
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
Heyy... I'm a medical student so I might be able to help a little. If her fever has been around 103 or more for about 48 hrs then she should probably see a physician, especially if it is steadily increasing. But I must tell you that a cough is not a flu/swine flu symptom. The H1N1 flu is just another strain of flu but a patient presents with the same symptoms as the regular flu. What kind of cough was it? Was it a dry cough or a phlegmy cough? A phlegmy cough is usually more indicative of a cold or a bacterial infection (possibly bronchitis) or perhaps strep throat. In either case, she may want to see a physician. Common symptoms of H1N1 are fever, chills, severe body aches (including skin or joints), sore aching throat, no congestion either nasal or chest. Hope that helps. Tell her not to panic... Biut if her fever continues she should be seen by a doctor for several reasons. If it's H1N1 or the regular flu, Tamiflu will arrest the virus and patients very often get better in days. HOWEVER, the Tamiflu must be taken within 48 hrs of onset. She also may want to go to the dr if it is a bacterial infection, in which case she can receive antibiotics. Please FM me if you have any other concerns and I would be more than happy to help.
AngnShaun
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
for me it would... i would bring her to the er if her antibiotics arent doing anything... or if her doc has a answering service she should call him and tell him the antibiotics arent doing anything... he should either change her prescrip or tell her to go to the er
HurricaneGirl
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
If she has an autoimmune disease, then she should take 650mg of tylenol (unless its contraindicated) and see a dr. They may want to draw cultures and determine the source of the fever.
Nichole2010
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Re: is anyone a nurse or doctor??
FH is a nurse, he said drink fluids, take tylenol, sleep, and go to the doctors in the AM
LoveyDovey
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Hey, I'm a Physician Assistant...
I would definitely go to her doctor in the morning. A fever in itself is not dangerous as long as it improves with tylenol or motrin. If she can take both she should and it is safe to take them both at the same time.
She could definitely have the swine flu(fever and cough or fever and sore throat are the top 2 symptoms- must have both not one or the other), if so the antiviral medication is needed sooner rather than later- its only effective if taken within 48-72H.
most adults should not get a fever for a simple cold. a fever in an adult is more worrisome for flu or pneumonia.
it is always better to be safe than sorry, so definitely go to the ER if you are concerned. Not sure what kind of autoimmune disorder she has but that can be worrisome too since she may not be able to fight infection like the rest of us. The H1N1 can rapidly progress to pneumonia. I don't want to worry you but want to give you all the facts.
