Get out the acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil), right?
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| thanks to Purdue University |
For low grade fevers, you can even hold off on the antipyretic (fever reducing medicine) and instead treat with sponging off or bathing with tepid water (DON'T use cold water, ice, witch hazel or rubbing alcohol!), hydrating with extra fluids, and dressing lightly - and don't pile on the blankets either!
All you are trying to do in treating a fever is - make your child comfortable. Fevers do not cause brain damage despite what your well-meaning neighbor/relative/internet source tells you. Research says otherwise.
It's the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Symptoms of concern:
1. Breathing: If your child is struggling to breathe, has flaring nostrils, sucking in between or under the ribs, muscles straining on the neck while sitting in a "sniffing" position....you will want them seen by an MD, it doesn't matter what the fever is. Blue lips, earlobes and nail beds are serious emergency symptoms, it doesn't matter what level of fever.
2. Dehydration: If your child has not had a pee in 12 hours or more and it is dark in color and less in amount and dwindling....that is a cause for concern. They should pee every 6-8 hours. You might want to consider switching over/adding Pedialyte if they are not taking in much. Get it into them in whatever way you can - using a spoon, dropper or whatever. Dehydration is serious - no matter what the fever is.
3. Lethargy: If your child is limp like a rag doll, not responding and muscle tone poor and no matter what you do - they don't respond - it is a serious emergency - no matter what the fever is. Yes, your child will not want to play as normal or be as active when they are ill - that's their bodies telling them to slow down so it can heal itself - but they should still respond to you and recognize you and know where they are.
You can see the theme developing here.
A fever in of itself is not harmful. Once again: it is the symptoms around a fever that determine the seriousness of an illness.
Children do tend to run higher fevers than adults. A body will self-limit a fever. Your body has a thermostat that self-regulates, and despite what some well-meaning person told you - your fever only will go so high....unless of course you are in an enclosed space with the sun beating down to over heat you - and that is something that is entirely different from a fever.
If your child is comfortable, drinking sufficient fluids and peeing normal amounts and seems to be improving - you don't even need to give Tylenol/Motrin. Remember: all you are trying to do is keep your child comfortable with the Tylenol/Motrin for the 3 or 4 days it takes to get better.
On the other hand, if your child has any of the symptoms above, or has a high fever that doesn't come down no matter what you do to treat it - that may mean your child may need to see an MD.
So, remember.
A fever can be your friend. Don't panic at every little fever. In an age that has Tylenol/Motrin as one of the main causes of liver damage - it might be a better idea to hold off on the medication.
If there are NO OTHER SYMPTOMS, you can safely treat an axilla (underarm) fever of 40C (104) at home with medication, as long as it comes down with treatment by one degree in an hour. If it goes up above 39.5 (103F) again after the effects of the medication wear off, take the little one to see your family MD before the end of the day or the following morning.
Plan ahead. If the fever lasts for 72 hours, make a trip to your family MD or Local walk-in clinic just to keep ahead of the game and avoid a possible Emergency Department visit. Don't be disappointed if the MD tells you your child is "OK" or he/she "doesn't do anything" - after all, the last thing you want the MD to do is give an Rx that your child doesn't need or say is that your child is deathly ill, right?
If you do decide to give medication: READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. Acetaminophen/ibuprofen, although seemingly innocuous - can - if used incorrectly - cause more damage than a fever. Remember to give the medication an HOUR to work.
AND - NEVER NEVER NEVER give aspirin/asa to anyone under age 20.
Disclaimer: Always follow your MD's advice. The above info is GENERAL info ONLY. I am only a blogger, a retired nurse, not your doctor. I am not a substitute for a visit to your MD. For babies under 6 months old, please consult your MD, as different standards/symptoms apply. Information taken from reliable up-to-date sources.
7 comments:
I wish all parents could read this. It is excellent.
Thanks! So many parents panic with fevers. Because other symptoms are more serious than fevers, they can become upset and impatient while medical staff are trying to sort through the symptoms....knowledge is an empowering thing for parents, and too often I have overheard parents talk/read on different "forums" - incorrect info....
Not dosing kids for every little fever is good advice. I only medicate my kids when their fevers are so high that they are dehydrating and/or at night so they can sleep. I have a few kids who get wicked high fevers, a 104 in my house is pretty par for the course. I've seen a couple of them up to 105.
My only two caveats to this post are:
a fever in a neonate IS an emergency. While a 101 is no big deal in a 1 year old, it is a "straight to the er" situation with any baby under a month.
Also, ibuprofen is a LOT less toxic than acetimenophen. An overdose of ibuprofen may give a child some GI upset and in rare cases cause a GI bleed but usually is not an emergency. A 2 1/2 year old, 30 lb child can take 11x the recommended dose and all poison control will tell you is to make them eat and drink and watch for a belly ache. Not that I would have first hand knowledge of such a thing. :P
OTOH, the same overdose of acetinmenophen is a lifethreatening emergency.
The two leading causes of death by overdose of children in the US are iron and tylenol.
Tylenol has it's place but I fear too many parents think it, like iron-containing vitamins, are benign because they are over the counter.
K: if you notice my disclaimer that CLEARLY states that the statement may not apply for those babies under 6 months old....generally 37.4 and higher under the armpit is considered high enough to "see an MD right away" because their immune system is not yet mature.
Also, ibuprofen can be "toxic" but at a higher dose than acetaminophen. It still has can damage the liver,and should be used with caution.
As I stated, it's GENERAL info only... :)
CC,
What a great post. I used to work as a pedi nurse way back when. If I had this as a hand out to all my parents back then.... wow! You covered the topic very well indeed.
From another retired nurse.
Thanks so much Phiddy! :) nice to know a Peds nurse likes it! I appreciate your input! :)
It's always good to give parents information given in a way they can understand...so often we as professionals don't do it (or have the time to!) I like "arming" parents with knowledge so they can make informed decisions about their kids when sick.
I'm a parent of an 8 year old with an amazing doctor who was seething when The Fever Reducer Drug came out last year. We have always told her that fevers are your bodies way of fighting off the bad stuff. The one time we took her to the ER for a fever with crazy breathing, hungry mom here decided to give her peanut butter and cheese crackers and as she now tells people that visit saved her life because we left with a peanut allergy diagnosis not anything fever related.
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