www.womanthismonth.com 49 August 2013 Solitary fever is not an ailment but rather a symptom or sign of an illness. A fever is actually a good mechanism for your body to have and is a positive sign an infection of some sort is being combated. It is the body’s way of creating a warmer environment to fundamentally have the good guys, white blood cells, ‘cook’ the bad guys, or bacteria. Fever, especially in children, is commonly associated with respiratory illness (pneumonia or croup), ear infections, influenza (flu), sore throats and severe colds. Since a fever is the body’s natural response to invading organisms, it is imperative to understand why we care so much about it. Medical professionals are taught, in a nonurgent setting, to treat the patient not the numbers (ie vital signs). If the patient, your child, feels normal and is not experiencing pain, no intervention is necessary. Thus, it is vital to treat the patient not the ‘number’ of the fever. First ensure that you have measured your child’s temperature appropriately. In the emergency department, rectal or core temperature is measured on most children under the age of three. Beyond this age, an oral temperature is conventional. Again, remember to treat the child not the temperature. A temperature is considered a fever if a rectal reading is >38°C, an oral/ pacifier reading is >37.7°C or an axillary reading (under the arm) is >37.2°C. It is appropriate to treat your child’s fever with ibuprofen (if older than six months) or paracetamol. Seeking emergency care is warranted if the paediatrician or family physician is unreachable. Ensure that your child is not suffering from heat stroke or fever due to environmental or external heat. If heat stroke is suspected, you must promptly move the child to a cool place and remove all clothing, sponge them with cool water and fan them, then seek medical care immediately. Note: Never administer aspirin to a child to avoid Reye’s syndrome. Do not give any cold medicine to children below two years of age. Reasons to call your family physician: l Signs of dehydration like dry mouth, urinating less than usual, no tears when crying, less alert and less active than usual. lA skin rash l Persistent diarrhoea and/or repeated vomiting l Fever lasts more than three to five days despite consistent, around-the-clock medication administration. Managing a fever at home without medicine: l Keep your child at home after school to rest and rehydrate in a comfortable environment to avoid exhaustion. l Encourage him/her to drink extra fluids like water, Jell-O, popsicles or commercially prepared oral electrolyte solutions such as Pedialyte. l Keep your child’s room and your home comfortably cool. l Dress them lightly. l Sponge your child with lukewarm water in a bath. Reasons to seek emergency care immediately: l If your child is an infant or younger than three months of age and has a temperature of 38°C or higher. lA feverish convulsion, especially if it lasts for more than 15 minutes. Be sure to turn your child’s head to the side so saliva and vomit can drain from the mouth. Do not put anything into your child’s mouth, including your finger for a finger sweep. l Suspected heat stroke, especially when there is no improvement in condition. l If your child has a chronic medical problem like sickle cell disease, cancer or heart problems. by DR JINAN DARWISH Most of the time fevers are manageable with patience, observance and a bit of tender love and care. Here are a few pointers on how to take care of an ill child at home. Heating column UP
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==