medical

[azurelunatic]

teenagewitch is babysitting, and the little girl has a fever of 102 F. She just called in a panic.

I told her to go put the kid in a cool bath now, and then to look up the local hospital's number and call them for further advice. She can't get ahold of the mother at the moment.

Gods, I'm glad I read that little kid emergency advice sheet my mother used to have taped to the inside of the cupboard door.

Comments

[azurelunatic]

Heard that this kid was uncomfortable and cranky. Not surprising. Sabrina was panicked ... I suppose I don't panic as easily these days.

I'd never heard about convulsions from fever. My mother told me, way back when I was little, that if a fever was too hot that it might hurt the brain, and that 102 was when you started keeping a very careful eye on me, 103 was pushing it, 104, you should be concerned, and 105 you should think about a hospital in case it got to 106. My mother didn't believe in fighting low fevers. She told me much the same thing, about the body cooking out the disease. She also didn't believe in overmedicating kids. "You look like you're coming down with something. Have some vitamin C," was about the extent of things unless the cold got bad enough to require decongestants & cough medicine. Even then, she knew she was just treating the symptoms until we got rid of it on our own...

That's an issue I disagree with my roommate on. She seems to think that the cold medication she gives Nephew actually cures the damn thing... so she panics whenever he's got a cold and we don't have any cold symtom surpressing medication in the house.

Re:

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

::doubles over in laughter::

She...she thinks...hehehe...she thinks cold medicine CURES a cold??? heeeeheeeeeeheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Get that woman to a doctor! Or at least a long session with a Physician's Desk Reference!!

[azurelunatic]

Unfortunately, she was raised by as lovely a collection of heads-up-their-asses know-nothings as it's been my displeasure to meet.

Sometime when it's not her little angel's health and safety in the balance, I shall enlighten her. Sometime when she's not grouchy and cranky and tired from work and pissed at the world.

Re:

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, she was raised by as lovely a collection of heads-up-their-asses know-nothings as it's been my displeasure to meet.

Sounds like my in-laws.

[azurelunatic]

Oh dear. Dear me.

I guess I was lucky in my choice of relatives. Mine are artists or scientists or both. My dad's a retired programmer who now studies ham radio and the violin, and my mom's a potter, a quilter, plays the violin, guitar, and accordian, and is trained as a biologist, specializing in microscopic swamp critters. My little sister's a violinist, perform & composes, also messes with guitar and drums, and a sometimes sculptor, in addition to her random biological pokings. I write, occasionally paint, will sing, and am studying computer science. Honestly, it makes me feel like the family's tie-dyed sheep...

[azurelunatic]

...as opposed to black sheep.

...well, I suppose my clothing color of choice *would* make me the black sheep...

[azurelunatic]

Ah, my mistake.

Cold medicine completely knocks the kid out, which is what he needs in order to get better -- he's too hyper to rest and get better on his own.

So for this case, yes it does work.

Ahhh, the lovely sound of miscommunication in the mornings.