Children - Pyrexia Flashcards
Pyrexia
Fever
Raised body temperature
a temperature of over 37.5C (99.5F) is a fever
What is normal body temperature?
36.5 - 37.5
Symptoms associated with fever
- excessive sweating
- chills
- headache
Additional symptoms:
- body/muscle aches
- weakness, fatigue
- cough
- sore throat
- rash
- sinus congestion.
Red flag symptoms
- non-blanching rash
- vomiting
- dehydration (dry nappy)
- no improvement with paracetamol
- febrile convulsions
Simple febrile convulsion
Most often in children aged 6 months to 6 years old
Can occur when:
- There is a rapid rise in temp followed by a seizure.
- Child’s temperature drops from a high level
- lasting < 5 minutes
Complex febrile convulsion
> 15 minutes and can recur
Common conditions which can cause fever
- Post-immunisation fever
Conditions: - URTI
- Flu
- Ear infection
- Tonsilitis
- Roseola (virus that causes temp + rash)
- Kidney or UTI
- Common childhood illnesses: chicken pox, whooping cough
Symptomatic treatment
- Reduce temperature
Antipyretics
- Paracetamol or Ibuprofen - Prevent dehydration
Encourage child to drink cool clear fluids
Keep room cool - 18⁰C
Sponging with cold water not recommended to reduce fever - Assess or monitor for life-threatening illness
Monitor temperature regularly
Look out for warning signs
Antipyretics available
- Calpol Infant sugar free Strawberry Flavour (2 + months)
- Calpol Six Plus sugar free Strawberry flavour
- Nurofen Strawberry flavour (3 months to 9 yrs)
Calpol infant sugar free Strawberry Flavour
- 2 months to 6 yrs
- syringe included
Calpol Six Plus sugar free Strawberry flavour
6 - 16yrs
Nurofen Strawberry flavour
- 3 months to 9 yrs
- Up to 8hrs pain and fever relief
- Starts to work in 15 mins
- Syringe
Caution
Gastric irritation
Caution in asthmatics
Referral
- <3 months old + temp of 38C or above
- 3-6 months + temp of 39C or above
- Treatment failure
- Fever > 5 days
