“What Your Patient Reads” are one-page summaries of health-related media reports that are supplemented with references to evidence-based medical literature.

Please let me know if you would like to receive any of the full-text articles cited in the attached issue, on the topic of treating fevers in children.

Summary:

On February 28, the CBC News reported on recent research regarding fever and children. Dr. Farrar, co-author of the report states that parental anxiety about their child’s fever often results in over treatment. Most often a child’s fever is caused by viruses and will go away without medicine.  There is no proof that untreated fevers lead to seizures or brain damage and there is also no evidence that lowering fevers reduces illness. The report says that: temperatures lower than 38 C (100.4 F) degrees are not considered a fever; there is no harm in treating a true fever with over the counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen; and the number one reason to use fever-reducing medicine is to make the sick child more comfortable. It also emphasizes that fever is not an illness but a mechanism to help fight infection. Fevers can slow the growth of viruses and bacteria and enhance production of immune-system cells. The report does not recommend any temperature cutoff or when to treat or call a doctor, but many physicians recommend calling the doctor if a child’s temperature hits 40 or 40.5 C (104 or 105 F). Parents should also pay attention to other symptoms of illness, such as whether the child is unusually cranky, lethargic, not drinking liquids or avoiding food.  Exceptions to this rule include infants that are younger than 3 months (seek medical help if temperature rises above 38 C (100.4 F) because young infants can be very sick without showing signs), children with heatstroke, and children with special medical needs (eg. heart conditions).

Thanks,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Stregger

Library Assistant, MHIKNET Library Services
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