Viral or Bacterial

[T-HoneyLuv]

Aside from bloodwork, is there any way to tell if your child has a Virus or a Bacterial infection? I hate having to bring DS to the Dr ( it has happened twice in the last six weeks ) for what turns out to just be a virus. He has had fever both times. Ughhh. I hate this time of year.

[i.heart.myboys]

Viral I know that they do a nose swab:)

[T-HoneyLuv]

They only did the throat culture which both times came back negative. He has no tonsils. This last time he was having breathing issues and wheezing. He needed breathing treatments because his asthma flared up. He also started vomiting after they gave him Prednisone. Can the steroid cause him to vomit or could it be a stomach virus on top of respiratory?

Quoting i.heart.myboys:

Viral I know that they do a nose swab:)

[mandee1503]

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[T-HoneyLuv]

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[mandee1503]

I understand. Ds got the flu at therapy. We wound up in the hospital for 3 days!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[T-HoneyLuv]

Oh no!! Poor guy! Did they put him on Anti-Virals? How is he doing now? The flu is BRUTAL!

Quoting mandee1503:

I understand. Ds got the flu at therapy. We wound up in the hospital for 3 days!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[mandee1503]

He's better now. They gave him fluids and zofran. Nothing else.

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Oh no!! Poor guy! Did they put him on Anti-Virals? How is he doing now? The flu is BRUTAL!

Quoting mandee1503:

I understand. Ds got the flu at therapy. We wound up in the hospital for 3 days!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[T-HoneyLuv]

Zofran has been a god send for DS. I am glad he is doing better. :)

Quoting mandee1503:

He's better now. They gave him fluids and zofran. Nothing else.

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Oh no!! Poor guy! Did they put him on Anti-Virals? How is he doing now? The flu is BRUTAL!

Quoting mandee1503:

I understand. Ds got the flu at therapy. We wound up in the hospital for 3 days!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[mandee1503]

Thank you!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Zofran has been a god send for DS. I am glad he is doing better. :)

Quoting mandee1503:

He's better now. They gave him fluids and zofran. Nothing else.

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Oh no!! Poor guy! Did they put him on Anti-Virals? How is he doing now? The flu is BRUTAL!

Quoting mandee1503:

I understand. Ds got the flu at therapy. We wound up in the hospital for 3 days!

Quoting T-HoneyLuv:

Thanks Mama!! He is better but there is SO much stuff going around school and he is picking up EVERYTHING!

Quoting mandee1503:

Hope he feels better soon! I have no idea!

[jjamom]

It is so hard to tell sometimes. Usually bacterial will cause a higher fever than viral, but some viral illnesses can cause high fevers too. I usually try to treat it at home for a few days (as long as there is nothing really concerning like breathing difficulty or dehydration, for example) and then if it's still not getting better or is getting worse, we go in. But, when my little guy was younger and had chronic pneumonia, the first sound of wheezing sent us on.

I know the doctor can also often tell if it's pneumonia from listening for crackling noise in the lungs with a stethoscope, but of course that would entail taking him in.