Our A&E experience: L1's Viral Fever

L1 came home from school on Friday feeling feverish with a temperature above 38 degrees. By Saturday evening it was above 40 degrees again. We were giving him Ibuprofen and Paracetamol at regular intervals but his temperature was spiking up even before his medication was due.

Weekends are the worst for anyone to fall sick, not many clinics are open and it is even harder to find help in the middle of the night. The child is already feeling miserable and waiting hours to get medical aid just doesn't seem worth it. We previously had to bring L2 to Mt A's 24hr clinic/A&E since she was barely a month old and coughing badly. Despite the relatively short waiting time, it was frustrating that the GP did not bother checking L2 and prescribed medication. Given our past experience, I was hesitant that any A&E help would be useful.

However, our anxiety got the better of us with L1 being extremely lethargic and his lack of appetite was also a concern. I realised that we weren't sure what was the tipping point for us to send him into A&E. The links from NUH and KKH proved useful for such a situation.

So the hubby decided to send him to A&E. Initially we thought we should head to KKH but were advised to try NUH instead since NUH has a separate A&E for children with a shorter waiting time compared to KKH. The moment L1 arrived at the hospital, they took his temperature and put him in the 2nd priority queue. Apparently there are 3 different priority queues that they sort the patients into. After an hour, it was his turn to see the paediatrician. (Yay!! to "short" waiting times) She did a detailed check on him and provided a clear diagnosis explaining that the dosage we were giving him was insufficient for his present weight. Also, with a viral fever, he had to be given the medication like clockwork rather than waiting for the fever to be detected. So apparently for viral fevers, the fever meds must be take for 72 hours straight. She also explained that should the fever (>40 degrees) persist on Tuesday, we should send him in for a blood test with a special walk-in patient card.

We were thankful that this A&E experience was reassuring and helpful. L1's viral fever took a while to clear but it's good to see the mischievous boy back to his usual self. However it is also good to note that the boy who arrived at A&E at the same time as L1 due to a fall at the playground was given the lowest priority in the queue and still waiting for his turn when L1 left. We paid about $120 for visit since Singapore citizens get 50% subsidy.

#Fever #FirstTimeParent #AE #Healthcare