【Learning points】
- Fever means the average temperature inside the body is higher than 38℃.
- About getting a fever, hands and legs are felt cold and shivering. When having this, keep warm first. If feeling hot or sweating, take off some clothes, decrease quilt, keep good air circulation of the room, and tepid water sponging bath.
- Give adequate water, electrolyte and some food that is liquid like and easy to digest, such as pudding, yogurt, steamed egg, and ice cream. Also avoid the overhot food.
- If kids don’t like plain water, give some flavored energy drinks to make them drink. But energy drinks sold in convenience stores contain higher electrolyte which will get kids’ kidneys overloaded, so we suggest that special electrolyte water can be provide supplying water.
- Emergency situations requiring immediate medical attention: No tears when crying, significantly reduced urine output, persistent headache and vomiting, unclear consciousness, continuous deep sleep, convulsions, paralysis of limbs, and abnormal sensations.
I.What is fever?
- The average temperature inside the body is higher than 38℃.
- Except the following fators:
If one of these fators occurs, take the temperature after removing the heavy clothes or blankets and resting for 15 minutes.
II.Will fever burn out the brain?
It is said that having a fever for long hours will burn out kids’ brains. But most of the cases come with the diseases like encephalitis, and meningitis, etc. And for those cases, having a fever is one of the symptoms in these diseases. However, the things that infect the brains in those diseases should be the major reasons to hurt the brains.
III.Symptoms and ways to take care
- About getting a fever, hands and legs are felt cold and shivering. When having this, keep warm first. If feeling hot or sweating, take off some clothes, decrease quilt, keep good air circulation of the room, and tepid water sponging bath.
- We don’t suggest ice padding because it’s too stimulating for a kid.
IV. Suggestions for the diet
- Give adequate water, electrolyte and some food that is liquid like and easy to digest, such as pudding, yogurt, steamed egg, and ice cream. Also avoid the overhot food.
- If kids don’t like plain water, give some flavored energy drinks to make them drink. But energy drinks sold in convenience stores contain higher electrolyte which will get kids’ kidneys overloaded, so we suggest that special electrolyte water can be provide supplying water.
VI.Conclusion
If you think that kids are having a fever, feel their temperature on the hands and legs. If their hands and legs are felt cold, keep them warm first. And when the skin temperature are felt hot, reduce the heavy blankets to dissipate the heat. For the diet care, provide the food that is liquid like and easy to digest. Avoid the over hot food, and get water and electrolyte supplied.
VII.Reference
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Ferretti, A., Riva, A., Fabrizio, A., Bruni, O., Capovilla, G., Foiadelli, T., ... & Parisi, P. (2024). Best practices for the management of febrile seizures in children. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 50(1), 95.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-024-01666-1Mutic, A., Tan, R. Z., Tan, E., Fahey, M. C., Callander, E., Haskell, L., ... & PREDICT Network. (2025). Paediatric Fever Management Practices and Antipyretic Use Among Doctors and Nurses in Australian Emergency Departments. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 37(6), e70165.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.70165Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
VII.Image Source:
- Hand-drawn by Nurse Chen Yishan