Should I be worried about my mom?
August 12, 2009 4:45 PM Subscribe
YANMDfilter: Do these swine-flu-like symptoms require a trip to the emergency room?
My mother has been feeling ill for just under two weeks I think. She is currently on two COLDEX (not the magic-pill) which I don't even think is for fever, and one advil. Her fever is at 38.2C, she's feeling very weak (can't get out of bed) and she has a cough and runny nose. Also, she was feeling a bit nauseous earlier.
She is against going to the emergency room just now, but I think she should go. Am I being hysterical? Or is her situation swine-flu-esque?
(For all relevant purposes, it is now 2:45AM and so calling our doctor is not an option.)
And yes, I know you are not my/a doctor, but medical forums are failing me right now.
My mother has been feeling ill for just under two weeks I think. She is currently on two COLDEX (not the magic-pill) which I don't even think is for fever, and one advil. Her fever is at 38.2C, she's feeling very weak (can't get out of bed) and she has a cough and runny nose. Also, she was feeling a bit nauseous earlier.
She is against going to the emergency room just now, but I think she should go. Am I being hysterical? Or is her situation swine-flu-esque?
(For all relevant purposes, it is now 2:45AM and so calling our doctor is not an option.)
And yes, I know you are not my/a doctor, but medical forums are failing me right now.
Swine flu shouldn't factor into it. She has a fever and can't get up. What can it hurt to go?
If she absolutely won't go, give her something to bring her temp down and keep her hydrated.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:53 PM on August 12, 2009
If she absolutely won't go, give her something to bring her temp down and keep her hydrated.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:53 PM on August 12, 2009
I should add that I meant make the appointment at the appropriate time when the place opens. D'oh.
posted by biochemist at 4:53 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by biochemist at 4:53 PM on August 12, 2009
Response by poster: Update: Her fever's up to 38.4 Just a few minutes later.
posted by alon at 4:57 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by alon at 4:57 PM on August 12, 2009
Best answer: The standard practise here in NZ at least is that if you have Swine Flu-like symptoms you don't just bowl up to the Dr or ER, you ring them first. Because if you do have H1N1 they don't want you sitting there amongst the other patients being contagious and they want to be warned you're coming in (and sometimes a person will be directed to a different place more able to deal with it). This also has the side benefit that they can do some screening, tell you if you need to come right now or whatever.
So give your ER a ring, see what they say. If they're taking patients right now then I imagine they're answering the phone too and you can frame it as being worried about infectiousness rather than fishing for free medical advice.
posted by shelleycat at 5:02 PM on August 12, 2009 [2 favorites]
So give your ER a ring, see what they say. If they're taking patients right now then I imagine they're answering the phone too and you can frame it as being worried about infectiousness rather than fishing for free medical advice.
posted by shelleycat at 5:02 PM on August 12, 2009 [2 favorites]
It certainly can't hurt to call a doctor or the equivalent of Ask-a-Nurse. I'm not sure what kinds of telephone accomodations are around where you are, but it may help you to make a decision on where to go from here.
posted by xingcat at 5:15 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by xingcat at 5:15 PM on August 12, 2009
Best answer: The can't-get-up symptom is worrisome. Extreme fatigue can set in quickly if you get too dehydrated (as you of course can with a fever) and can be a bad downwards spiral. Get some electrolytes into your mom as soon as physically possible - gatorade is great, but at least make her drink as much water as possible.
posted by you're a kitty! at 5:15 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by you're a kitty! at 5:15 PM on August 12, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for the advice. I have given her water and she is sleeping right now. Also, I called the emergency room. They said they can't tell me when to bring her in but that I should be worried if the fever won't go down or if it reaches 40 degrees.
posted by alon at 5:22 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by alon at 5:22 PM on August 12, 2009
1) Just because she has the flu doesn't mean that it's swine flu. Influenza kills about half a million people per year, worldwide. Swine flu, by last count, has killed under two thousand. As of today, only three thousand people in NZ have come down with H1N1, and only 14 have died. So yeah, it's probably a good idea to receive some medical attention, but it's very, very unlikely that this is H1N1.
2) If she's sick, make an appointment with your family physician or internist, don't go to the ER. Only go to the ER if there's an actual emergency, i.e. she's likely to suffer death or permanent injury unless she gets treatment now. Vomiting and nausea and even most fevers aren't immediate cause for alarm. This site has a list of conditions that you should see before contacting a health provider is necessary, and 38.4C isn't nearly high enough. According to that site, you shouldn't really be worried until she hits 40C or if her fever continues for more than 2-3 days.
IANAD, but my recommendation is that yes, you should probably think about calling a doctor, but no, it's not time to go to the ER.
posted by valkyryn at 5:24 PM on August 12, 2009
2) If she's sick, make an appointment with your family physician or internist, don't go to the ER. Only go to the ER if there's an actual emergency, i.e. she's likely to suffer death or permanent injury unless she gets treatment now. Vomiting and nausea and even most fevers aren't immediate cause for alarm. This site has a list of conditions that you should see before contacting a health provider is necessary, and 38.4C isn't nearly high enough. According to that site, you shouldn't really be worried until she hits 40C or if her fever continues for more than 2-3 days.
IANAD, but my recommendation is that yes, you should probably think about calling a doctor, but no, it's not time to go to the ER.
posted by valkyryn at 5:24 PM on August 12, 2009
38.4 is about 101 F yes? If so that's not at all a worrisome fever. Last time I had the flu my fever hit 104 F (40 C) and I still didn't go to the doctor. If it had gotten any higher I would have been there pronto as 104 is about my Maginot line for fevers. Cough and runny nose are also typical of normal illnesses.
This hinges on what you mean by "can't get out of bed". I would have described myself as not able to get out of bed but that's hyperbole. I was still dragging myself to the bathroom for example. But I didn't get up unless I had to. If that's what you mean by "can't get out of bed" then it's absolutely normal for a regular ol' flu. If you mean she quite literally can't get up and would die in place if the place burned down then, yeah, you should get her to an emergency room.
If you're just scared because of the media's obsession with pig flu then don't be. Monitor the situation. But 101 F is not a dangerous fever by any stretch of the imagination. Like others have, it's the fatigue that is an issue and only you know what you mean by "can't get out of bed".
posted by Justinian at 5:25 PM on August 12, 2009
This hinges on what you mean by "can't get out of bed". I would have described myself as not able to get out of bed but that's hyperbole. I was still dragging myself to the bathroom for example. But I didn't get up unless I had to. If that's what you mean by "can't get out of bed" then it's absolutely normal for a regular ol' flu. If you mean she quite literally can't get up and would die in place if the place burned down then, yeah, you should get her to an emergency room.
If you're just scared because of the media's obsession with pig flu then don't be. Monitor the situation. But 101 F is not a dangerous fever by any stretch of the imagination. Like others have, it's the fatigue that is an issue and only you know what you mean by "can't get out of bed".
posted by Justinian at 5:25 PM on August 12, 2009
And I see that the ER agrees with me about the 40 C maginot line for fevers. Go me!
posted by Justinian at 5:25 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by Justinian at 5:25 PM on August 12, 2009
This has been going on for 2 weeks? I would follow the recommendations above and not go to the ED unless her fever reaches a more critical point (like the 40ºC mark you mentioned) and the "can't get out of bed" situation doesn't veer into diminished consciousness/non-responsiveness. Pretty much any situation that has existed for 2 weeks and hasn't taken a sudden turn for the worse is unlikely to constitute an emergency. It's already the middle of the night there and with non-critical symptoms you could well be waiting for hours in the ED anyway, which is unlikely to help her condition. I would let her rest and monitor the situation and call the doc in the morning and see if you can get an urgent appointment or a referral to a doctor who can see her soon. There may be an urgent care center nearby that she could go to tomorrow if you have trouble getting an appointment somewhere else.
posted by zachlipton at 9:33 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by zachlipton at 9:33 PM on August 12, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Either way, if you have any say in the matter you should take her to see a doctor. Why risk it?
posted by biochemist at 4:52 PM on August 12, 2009