When to go to the hospital

[mom2caseyafrica]

When my daughter was diagnosed with cf her doctor said if she got sick... even a cold or a fever of 100.4 to take her to the er. She has been coughing a lot more than normal, this morning i woke up at 5 because she was fussing so I cleared out her nose with the baby nose thingy. there was a lot of mucus in her nose. My aunt who is a respiratory therapist checked her lungs yesterday and said she sounded fine, she had no fever... so i did extra cpt and a nebulizer treatment.
She doesnt seem to be benefiting from anything. I dont know what im supposed to do. I dont want to keep calling the nurses and bothering them. When is the right time to take her to the hospital?

 

[mom2caseyafrica]

When my daughter was diagnosed with cf her doctor said if she got sick... even a cold or a fever of 100.4 to take her to the er. She has been coughing a lot more than normal, this morning i woke up at 5 because she was fussing so I cleared out her nose with the baby nose thingy. there was a lot of mucus in her nose. My aunt who is a respiratory therapist checked her lungs yesterday and said she sounded fine, she had no fever... so i did extra cpt and a nebulizer treatment.
She doesnt seem to be benefiting from anything. I dont know what im supposed to do. I dont want to keep calling the nurses and bothering them. When is the right time to take her to the hospital?

 

[mom2caseyafrica]

When my daughter was diagnosed with cf her doctor said if she got sick... even a cold or a fever of 100.4 to take her to the er. She has been coughing a lot more than normal, this morning i woke up at 5 because she was fussing so I cleared out her nose with the baby nose thingy. there was a lot of mucus in her nose. My aunt who is a respiratory therapist checked her lungs yesterday and said she sounded fine, she had no fever... so i did extra cpt and a nebulizer treatment.
<br />She doesnt seem to be benefiting from anything. I dont know what im supposed to do. I dont want to keep calling the nurses and bothering them. When is the right time to take her to the hospital?
<br />
<br />

 

[Rebjane]

It's hard when they are babies cause they can't talk and tell you just how they feel. Do you think she picked up a cold or virus? What I usually do when my daughter catches a cold/cough I increase her VEST time to every 4 hours while she is awake. When she was a baby, I did manual chest pt while I was holding her. Do you use an albuterol neb?

I also did a warm bath, which helped the boogers flow. Simply Saline nasal spray 3% would help get the boogers out as well. If the cough sounds deep bronchial, kept my daughter up at night, or she just did not seem right, I would call her CF doctor. He would listen to the symptoms over the phone and from her recent throat culture prescribe an antibiotic if he thought necessary. Once he even listened to my daughter's cough over the phone and said "I'm calling in Bactrim"

Course, I think our CF doctor has gotten to know my daughter and us though these last 7 years and he is comfortable prescribing over the phone. I have not yet brought my daughter in the ER for Respiratory stuff. The one time we went to the ER was for a bowel obstruction which required surgery.

I avoid the ER; if I am very worried about a cough persisting I will bring my daughter in to the clinic for a throat swab and or a doctor visit to listen to her lungs.

Hope that helps and I hope your little one feels better soon!

 

[Rebjane]

It's hard when they are babies cause they can't talk and tell you just how they feel. Do you think she picked up a cold or virus? What I usually do when my daughter catches a cold/cough I increase her VEST time to every 4 hours while she is awake. When she was a baby, I did manual chest pt while I was holding her. Do you use an albuterol neb?

I also did a warm bath, which helped the boogers flow. Simply Saline nasal spray 3% would help get the boogers out as well. If the cough sounds deep bronchial, kept my daughter up at night, or she just did not seem right, I would call her CF doctor. He would listen to the symptoms over the phone and from her recent throat culture prescribe an antibiotic if he thought necessary. Once he even listened to my daughter's cough over the phone and said "I'm calling in Bactrim"

Course, I think our CF doctor has gotten to know my daughter and us though these last 7 years and he is comfortable prescribing over the phone. I have not yet brought my daughter in the ER for Respiratory stuff. The one time we went to the ER was for a bowel obstruction which required surgery.

I avoid the ER; if I am very worried about a cough persisting I will bring my daughter in to the clinic for a throat swab and or a doctor visit to listen to her lungs.

Hope that helps and I hope your little one feels better soon!

 

[Rebjane]

It's hard when they are babies cause they can't talk and tell you just how they feel. Do you think she picked up a cold or virus? What I usually do when my daughter catches a cold/cough I increase her VEST time to every 4 hours while she is awake. When she was a baby, I did manual chest pt while I was holding her. Do you use an albuterol neb?
<br />
<br />I also did a warm bath, which helped the boogers flow. Simply Saline nasal spray 3% would help get the boogers out as well. If the cough sounds deep bronchial, kept my daughter up at night, or she just did not seem right, I would call her CF doctor. He would listen to the symptoms over the phone and from her recent throat culture prescribe an antibiotic if he thought necessary. Once he even listened to my daughter's cough over the phone and said "I'm calling in Bactrim"
<br />
<br />Course, I think our CF doctor has gotten to know my daughter and us though these last 7 years and he is comfortable prescribing over the phone. I have not yet brought my daughter in the ER for Respiratory stuff. The one time we went to the ER was for a bowel obstruction which required surgery.
<br />
<br />I avoid the ER; if I am very worried about a cough persisting I will bring my daughter in to the clinic for a throat swab and or a doctor visit to listen to her lungs.
<br />
<br />Hope that helps and I hope your little one feels better soon!
<br />
<br />

 

[Rebjane]

The other thing I should add; Do NOT worry about bothering the nurses. That is their job. If you keep calling it is for good reason. When I am worried about my daughter's cough I ask to speak specifically with her CF doctor. The nurses will leave him a message and he'll either call me back between patients or even in the evening. I remember one time I called too late, after 5pm and the doc was going to be on vacation. I was so upset. Luckily he did see I called and he called me after hours.

 

[Rebjane]

The other thing I should add; Do NOT worry about bothering the nurses. That is their job. If you keep calling it is for good reason. When I am worried about my daughter's cough I ask to speak specifically with her CF doctor. The nurses will leave him a message and he'll either call me back between patients or even in the evening. I remember one time I called too late, after 5pm and the doc was going to be on vacation. I was so upset. Luckily he did see I called and he called me after hours.

 

[Rebjane]

The other thing I should add; Do NOT worry about bothering the nurses. That is their job. If you keep calling it is for good reason. When I am worried about my daughter's cough I ask to speak specifically with her CF doctor. The nurses will leave him a message and he'll either call me back between patients or even in the evening. I remember one time I called too late, after 5pm and the doc was going to be on vacation. I was so upset. Luckily he did see I called and he called me after hours.

 

[Liza]

This is a most difficult time, when they are babies. It could be something as simple as allegies BUT you don't know that. Here is what I did when my Rachel was like what you described... First of all, we had our own stethescope

I watched and listened to her sleeping, with and without the stethescope. (no not every minute just to assess) Does she sound congested? Where do you hear it? Nose? Upper chest area? Is she breathing through her mouth?

My first bought of "illness" came when she was about 5 months old. Background... CF was 5 mo. new to us, Anna was diagnosed just 2 wks before Rachel was born AND my husband was deployed to Desert Shield/Storm 6 wks after Rachel was born. I discovered that she was all stuffy and congested, but mostly in the nasal area, no fever. We (my mom and I) inclined her mattress and I am sure gave her some dimetapp(back 19 yrs ago when it was still available). When this did the trick, all was well, but if it didn't seem to help or I started to hear or question if I heard any sort of congestion in her chest I would call her peds. clinic for an appt. We didn't see the CF doc very often, every 4-6 months back then. Not to mention I'd locked up our base house in NC and went home to TX and the CF clinic was in NC.

Here's what I would do now. If the CF clinic said to call with any illness, even a cold, I would. Really you want to avoid the ER if you can, ER's are a breeding ground for illness. They can evaluate her symptoms over the phone, probably/maybe tell you to watch her over the weekend or just the next night or two for fevers and/or breathing difficulties, suggest a OTC med to try (depending on her age) if all she's really having is a icky nose, no fever and sounds good and you are already doing increased nebs.

Now if she's having or showing signs of breathing heavier or a croupy sounding cough, then I would call and tell them she needs to be seen before the weekend. No ER, this does not sound like an ER visit, and ER is not a clinic it is for emergencies, which by your description this does not sound like. Not to mention you are going to see an ER doc and not a CF doc who will assess the stituation after you have waited for a while in the ER, THEN they will call the CF doc. Unless they have a different sytem set up at your hospital where they call in the CF doc as soon as a CF patient arrives.

I hope this helps somewhat. If she's sounding cruddy, having difficulty sleeping, call the clinic. That is what they are there for. They know you are new to this. The last thing you want is for things to settle into her chest because then you have a potential infection waiting to happen. I wouldn't let things go longer than a night or two and never over the weekend if I was in doubt.

 

[Liza]

This is a most difficult time, when they are babies. It could be something as simple as allegies BUT you don't know that. Here is what I did when my Rachel was like what you described... First of all, we had our own stethescope

I watched and listened to her sleeping, with and without the stethescope. (no not every minute just to assess) Does she sound congested? Where do you hear it? Nose? Upper chest area? Is she breathing through her mouth?

My first bought of "illness" came when she was about 5 months old. Background... CF was 5 mo. new to us, Anna was diagnosed just 2 wks before Rachel was born AND my husband was deployed to Desert Shield/Storm 6 wks after Rachel was born. I discovered that she was all stuffy and congested, but mostly in the nasal area, no fever. We (my mom and I) inclined her mattress and I am sure gave her some dimetapp(back 19 yrs ago when it was still available). When this did the trick, all was well, but if it didn't seem to help or I started to hear or question if I heard any sort of congestion in her chest I would call her peds. clinic for an appt. We didn't see the CF doc very often, every 4-6 months back then. Not to mention I'd locked up our base house in NC and went home to TX and the CF clinic was in NC.

Here's what I would do now. If the CF clinic said to call with any illness, even a cold, I would. Really you want to avoid the ER if you can, ER's are a breeding ground for illness. They can evaluate her symptoms over the phone, probably/maybe tell you to watch her over the weekend or just the next night or two for fevers and/or breathing difficulties, suggest a OTC med to try (depending on her age) if all she's really having is a icky nose, no fever and sounds good and you are already doing increased nebs.

Now if she's having or showing signs of breathing heavier or a croupy sounding cough, then I would call and tell them she needs to be seen before the weekend. No ER, this does not sound like an ER visit, and ER is not a clinic it is for emergencies, which by your description this does not sound like. Not to mention you are going to see an ER doc and not a CF doc who will assess the stituation after you have waited for a while in the ER, THEN they will call the CF doc. Unless they have a different sytem set up at your hospital where they call in the CF doc as soon as a CF patient arrives.

I hope this helps somewhat. If she's sounding cruddy, having difficulty sleeping, call the clinic. That is what they are there for. They know you are new to this. The last thing you want is for things to settle into her chest because then you have a potential infection waiting to happen. I wouldn't let things go longer than a night or two and never over the weekend if I was in doubt.

 

[Liza]

This is a most difficult time, when they are babies. It could be something as simple as allegies BUT you don't know that. Here is what I did when my Rachel was like what you described... First of all, we had our own stethescope
<br />
<br />I watched and listened to her sleeping, with and without the stethescope. (no not every minute just to assess) Does she sound congested? Where do you hear it? Nose? Upper chest area? Is she breathing through her mouth?
<br />
<br />My first bought of "illness" came when she was about 5 months old. Background... CF was 5 mo. new to us, Anna was diagnosed just 2 wks before Rachel was born AND my husband was deployed to Desert Shield/Storm 6 wks after Rachel was born. I discovered that she was all stuffy and congested, but mostly in the nasal area, no fever. We (my mom and I) inclined her mattress and I am sure gave her some dimetapp(back 19 yrs ago when it was still available). When this did the trick, all was well, but if it didn't seem to help or I started to hear or question if I heard any sort of congestion in her chest I would call her peds. clinic for an appt. We didn't see the CF doc very often, every 4-6 months back then. Not to mention I'd locked up our base house in NC and went home to TX and the CF clinic was in NC.
<br />
<br />Here's what I would do now. If the CF clinic said to call with any illness, even a cold, I would. Really you want to avoid the ER if you can, ER's are a breeding ground for illness. They can evaluate her symptoms over the phone, probably/maybe tell you to watch her over the weekend or just the next night or two for fevers and/or breathing difficulties, suggest a OTC med to try (depending on her age) if all she's really having is a icky nose, no fever and sounds good and you are already doing increased nebs.
<br />
<br />Now if she's having or showing signs of breathing heavier or a croupy sounding cough, then I would call and tell them she needs to be seen before the weekend. No ER, this does not sound like an ER visit, and ER is not a clinic it is for emergencies, which by your description this does not sound like. Not to mention you are going to see an ER doc and not a CF doc who will assess the stituation after you have waited for a while in the ER, THEN they will call the CF doc. Unless they have a different sytem set up at your hospital where they call in the CF doc as soon as a CF patient arrives.
<br />
<br />I hope this helps somewhat. If she's sounding cruddy, having difficulty sleeping, call the clinic. That is what they are there for. They know you are new to this. The last thing you want is for things to settle into her chest because then you have a potential infection waiting to happen. I wouldn't let things go longer than a night or two and never over the weekend if I was in doubt.
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