When to send home for "Flu Symptoms"

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Good Morning All, I'm back from Spring Break. I can honestly say it was physically painful getting up to my alarm this morning.

Anyway, I had a FF come in saying she had the flu over Spring Break. When asked, she said it started the day after we got out, that was 9 days ago. Came in this morning c/o still having the flu, no temp, no coughing, no other symptoms. Mind you, this student has come in c/o every disease she can think of. She has been put on a "no absence contract" with the school.

My question is, "Do you only send a student home when they have fever?"

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Of course fever is automatic but if I hear wheezing or lung congestion I might send them home; according to the severity of my respiratory assessment. Maybe coughing so much they aren't functional at school. Stuff like that.

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What symptoms was she complaining about that had her coming to see you?

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Specializes in School Nurse.
What symptoms was she complaining about that had her coming to see you?

That she had the flu 9 days ago, and the sad puppy dog look. This is a FF, her and her brother have come up with excuse in the book of why they should go home. When she came in this morning, she had no symptoms, no fever.

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Welcome back! I got you mixed up with G. Pearl.

I send kids home for looking crappy, not just for fever. It depends. FFs are more apt to not get sent home.

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I probably would have laughed if a FF told me they had the flu with no symptoms, but I'm fairly jaded already. I agree with OldDude though. A fever is an automatic out. Everything else is dependent on my assessment.

My usual fall back answer is, "A cold is not a reason to go home from school, but it may be a reason to stay home from school. But that's between you and whoever is home with you in the morning."

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I probably would have laughed if a FF told me they had the flu with no symptoms, but I'm fairly jaded already. I agree with OldDude though. A fever is an automatic out. Everything else is dependent on my assessment.

My usual fall back answer is, "A cold is not a reason to go home from school, but it may be a reason to stay home from school. But that's between you and whoever is home with you in the morning."

I'm swiping this. Full creds to you, of course.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i agree - fever is auto out. Recovering from the flu is not. It can take a long time to bounce back from a severe flu - i try to explain this to my students, but some of them, their discomfort tolerance is incredibly low. I may allow them to return to PE on an as tolerated basis for a day or two and encourage them to take a nap when they get home, but unless they are cooking away - they stay.

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I'm swiping this. Full creds to you, of course.

They don't understand why I can't/won't give cough drops. But most of them really, actually, honestly, get this concept.

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Speaking of flu, how are you all doing with it? It seems to be on an upswing, with more diagnosed cases here in March than February.

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It sounds like symptoms are more consistent with "Don't want to return to school after a week offitis." Symptoms ARE contagious but not excludable!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Speaking of flu, how are you all doing with it? It seems to be on an upswing, with more diagnosed cases here in March than February.

The infectious disease MD at our local children's hospital didn't declare flu season had started until Feb 24. We're seeing an upswing here too. It's still mostly A but there are more Bs than usual at the Urgent Clinic where I work. Flu shots are still being recommended in that the season onset is delayed.

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