Fever, Bloody Mucus/Phlegm?

[Oblivion]

Ok, so I have had a fever for the past 4 days.
Yesterday, I was almost better, and ready to go back to school today.
This morning however, I woke up with a severe cough/chest pains, so I stayed home again.
My fever went back up, and down, just short of going to urgent care.
However, the cough continued, and I ended up coughing up phlegm with a bit of blood in it. We ended up going to the urgent care, but the doctor practically ignored the bloody phlegm bit.
I told both the nurse and doctor, and they both dismissed it- I don't think the nurse even wrote it down.
He gave me a perscription for antibiotics, since it might be strep throat, but I should wait until Friday to be sure. If it isn't, it's a viral infection and there's nothing I can do.

So my question: Why did the doctor/nurse dismiss the bloody phlegm like it was nothing? Is it common?

[MysticalBurrito]

Um no they shouldnt of have done that.
It could be that the blood from a raw throat or something like that
Doctors arent supost to ignore something like that

[Oblivion]

Ah, ok, well I found this:
Always check the phlegm color. If it's clear, white, or pale, the infection may still be viral, and antibiotics may not be necessary. If it's yellow, green, brown, or bloody, or if you are having fevers, chills, chest pains, or have other health problems, you might need antibiotics. Contact your health care delivery person.
And mine was yellow/green with blood, I have had a fever, chills, chest pains, and other health problems (:P) so I'm pretty sure it's a viral infection, where i *think* it's somewhat normal to have small bits of blood in your phlegm.

Either way, my doctor gave me a perscription for antibiotics.
However I thought antibiotics couldn't help viral infections, due to their quick mutation?

[byee]

As a rule of thumb, if the *stuff* is clear, it's usually a viral infection, if it's cloudy or green, it's bacterial. Bacterial infections respond to antibiotics, virals do not. Sometimes, you can be unlucky enough to have both, the antibiotics work on the bacterial infection, your body needs to fight the virals on it's own. Virals actually invade the host cells and sorta merge their DNA with theirs, so the antibiotics cannot work, killing the viral would mean killing the host cell. Bacterials are 'free floating', so the antibiotics can go after them.

The blood in the phelgm is scary, but not alarming. It's just another signal that you've got a really bad infection, which you already knew. When you cough and sneeze a lot, when there's a lot of irritation, like any other part, the sinuses and other delicate tissues there can bleed a little. It doesn't mean you have something dreadful like cancer, if that's what you're worried about.

If you're worried about something, Nick, when the doctor or nurse is talking with you make sure you ask the question until you get a satisfactory answer. You're there to be taken care of, make sure they do that to your satisfaction.

*Gives Nick some chicken and rice soup and a warm brownie*

[Requin]

Nick! Taking a diagnosis off the internet! How unlike you. :-)
But it seems like you say that that is what you have. I have come to the conclusion that doctors are useless. As most say you have a virus (I mean well duh! A virus = disease. All they tell you is that your ill!)
And they dose you up on antibiotics!!

So I expect they'll do that for a while. You might want to wait for a diagnosis from VT's very own doctor! Sam?

[Oblivion]

Haha. Thanks guys.
Well after the doctor, I was less worried, but still kind of worried- the doctor was somewhat old, talked rather slowly, and mixed up his words a lot.
(And yes, it is unlike me, but on ever other website, I couldn't find my *exact* case- every time I saw 'red/bloody phlegm' it recommended going to the doctor, which didn't help me at all! :P)

So anyways, thanks Sam and Joe! :D
Hopefully it'll clear up ;)
It's already feeling better than last night, which is a relief.

[CaptainObvious]

Bloody phlegm is an extremely important diagnostic indicator in segments of the population, because it is often one of the first discernible signs of lung cancer - not a concern for you. In your case, with the fever as the pretty clear cause of the cough a tiny bit of blood was probably decided by your doctor to not be diagnostically relevant - which is probably correct.

[Oblivion]

Thanks ;)
The doc called today (about the strep test) and it was negative (I am surprised :P) so all I can do is wait.
it's getting better, my chest doesn't hurt as much, and I'm on the road to recovery ;)