Children - Pyrexia

Question 1

Pyrexia

Answer 1

Fever
Raised body temperature
a temperature of over 37.5C (99.5F) is a fever

Question 2

What is normal body temperature?

Answer 2

36.5 - 37.5

Question 3

Symptoms associated with fever

Answer 3

• excessive sweating
• chills
• headache

Additional symptoms:
- body/muscle aches
- weakness, fatigue
- cough
- sore throat
- rash
- sinus congestion.

Question 4

Red flag symptoms

Answer 4

• non-blanching rash
• vomiting
• febrile convulsions

Question 5

Simple febrile convulsion

Answer 5

Most often in children aged 6 months to 6 years old
- Can happen when there is a rapid rise in temperature
- Followed by a seizure
- but can occur as your child’s temperature drops from a high level
- lasting < 5 minutes

Question 6

Complex febrile convulsion

Answer 6

> 15 minutes and can recur

Question 7

Common conditions which can cause fever

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Symptomatic treatment

Answer 8

1. Reduce temperature
   Antipyretics
   - Paracetamol or Ibuprofen
2. Prevent dehydration
   Encourage child to drink cool clear fluids
   Keep room cool - 18⁰C
   Sponging with cold water not recommended to reduce fever
3. Assess or monitor for life-threatening illness
   Monitor temperature regularly
   Look out for warning signs

Question 9

Antipyretics available

Answer 9

• Calpol Infant sugar free Strawberry Flavour (2 + months)
• Calpol Six Plus sugar free Strawberry flavour
• Nurofen Strawberry flavour (3 months to 9 yrs)

Question 10

Calpol infant sugar free Strawberry Flavour

Answer 10

• 2 months to 6 yrs
• syringe included

Question 11

Calpol Six Plus sugar free Strawberry flavour

Answer 11

6 - 16yrs

Question 12

Nurofen Strawberry flavour

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

Referral

Answer 13

• <3 months old + temp of 38C or above
• 3-6 months + temp of 39C or above
• Treatment failure
• Fever > 5 days