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February 18, 2004

SickKids offers tips for treating fever in children

TORONTO – A child with a fever is one of the most common reasons for a trip to the Emergency Department. Parents are worried about their sick child and are unsure of what to do to lower their child's temperature. Parents' fears about fever can often lead to improper use of fever medications and in some cases, unnecessary trips to the doctor's office or local hospital. Emergency Department physicians at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) want to help parents in these situations by offering tips on how to treat children with fever.

A study conducted by Drs. Ran Goldman and Dennis Scolnik, from the Emergency Department at SickKids, surveyed 248 parents who came to the hospital with children with fever. The study determined that 41 per cent of visits to the Emergency Department could have been prevented if parents had properly treated the fever at home. This research is reported in the February issue of the journal Pediatric Emergency Care.

“ Acetaminophen is recommended for treating fever in children but we found that many parents brought children to the SickKids Emergency Department without previously having given the recommended dose, “ says Dr. Ran Goldman, principal investigator of the study. “Over half of the parents interviewed would have decided against a trip to the Emergency Department had the fever subsided at home with the proper use of acetaminophen.”

Drs. Goldman and Scolnik recommend to keep the following in mind when treating your child's fever:

• The first thing to remember is that fever is a symptom, not a disease. Like all symptoms (for example, cough or vomiting), fever may be due to illnesses that are minor or serious, or sometimes life-threatening. A temperature is considered a fever if it's above 38 ° C (100.4 ° F). measured in the ear or rectally . Lower temperatures , when measured under the arm or in the mouth, are also considered a fever.
  
• If your child is over three months of age, you may give him or her acetaminophen (trade names include Tempra, Tylenol, Panadol) in liquid, tablet, or suppository (rectal) form. Follow the instructions on the package to figure out what amount your child needs to take and how often.
  
• If your child is less than three months of age, you should not give him or her fever medication unless you have spoken to your doctor. All children under three months of age with a fever should be seen by a doctor.
  
• Do not give your child aspirin (ASA) for the fever, or any other drugs containing aspirin, unless your doctor tells you to.
  
• Bringing down the temperature with medication does not take away the cause of the fever, but may make your child feel more comfortable.

If your child seems to be getting sicker and has any one of the following symptoms, take your child to your local hospital's emergency department immediately:

• if your child has had a fever for more than three full days or your child cries when he goes to the bathroom (or his urine smells bad).
  
• seems confused or delirious.
  
• does not use an arm or a leg normally, or refuses to stand or put weight on his legs.
  
• develops small purple spots on his skin (that may look like bruises).
  
• has problems breathing.
  
• cries constantly and you cannot settle him.
  
• has a fit (seizure, convulsion).
  
• if your child is under three months of age and has a fever over 38 ° C or 100.4 ° F.
  
• if you have difficulty waking your child (fever may make children want to sleep more, but they should awaken easily and be able to interact with you) or his skin colour does not look right or becomes grey, pale, or blue.

The Hospital for Sick Children, affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in the country. Its mission is to provide the best in family-centred, compassionate care, to lead in scientific and clinical advancement, and to prepare the next generation of leaders in child health.

Media Contact
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
Phone: 416-813-6380
Fax: 416-813-5328