Fever

Dr. Elías Jiménez F.

WHAT IS NORMAL TEMPERATURE?

Normal temperature varies with time and place where it is taken at and with exercise and emotions. During the mornings it usually is slightly lower than in the afternoon. With exercise temperature increases, this is why it is recommended to use light clothing on these occasions. Normal oral temperature varies from 36 to 37.5 ° C (97 to 99.5 ° F) and the rectal temperature can reach up to 37.8 ° C (100 ° F).

HOW IS THE TEMPERATURE MEASURED?

First of all it is necessary to remember that there are rectal, armpit and oral thermometers. Even though all of them may be used in either of these places, their main difference is their safety. Due to the fact that rectal thermometers have a shorter and thicker bulb, the risk of injury or the risk of the thermometer breaking diminishes. Unfortunately, strip thermometers are not reliable, especially in small children.

The rectal thermometer must be kept inside for 1 minute, and it has to be introduced 3 cm (1.2 in). The oral one should be kept inside the mouth for 3 minutes and the armpit one for 4 minutes. When using an oral thermometer it is necessary that there hasn't been any cold or hot food ingested. When using the axil one it is necessary to dry the skin thoroughly.

Recently the use of thermometers that measure the temperature through the ear has become popular. Even though they are very practical, they have two main inconveniences: their cost and their lack of sensibility, which make it easy to be mistaken.

WHAT IS FEVER?

Fever is not a disease, but the response of the organism to an abnormal situation. In children, it is frequently caused by an infection, for this reason it is not as important to control the fever, but to diagnose and treat the infection appropriately. There is a lot of evidence that shows that moderate fever helps the defense mechanisms fight against infections.

WHEN TO GO TO THE DOCTOR?

There are certain things you should think about before you decide to consult your doctor. First of all, you should consider if your child looks fine in spite of his fever, if he looks happy and has an appetite. It is very rare that a child who looks good is seriously ill. On the contrary, if the temperature is very high (more than 39.5 ° C, 103 ° F), when it's a newborn baby or when the child is less than 3 months old, when the cause for the fever is not clear or it has been there for more than 24 hours; or when it is accompanied by paleness, mental confusion and convulsions, it is necessary that you call your doctor so you can decide what is most appropriate for you child.

WHAT TO DO?

As important as knowing the necessary actions to be taken, is knowing the useless ones and the dangerous ones. In this category the following are included:

1. Never use cold water enemas, since they carry with them the risk of hydric intoxication.
2. Never use alcohol baths, because the alcohol may be absorbed by the skin causing serious injuries.
3. Do not use medicines with aspirin on children. If you follow this advice, you'll have given an important step toward the treatment of your child.

But, what can you do? First of all, keep the child with light clothing, this allows heat to leave the body. Do not feel anguished by the fever; remember it might be of use for the organism. Measure the temperature with a thermometer, and not with your hand. If the temperature is lower than 38.5 ° C (101 ° F), and the child is not suffering from pain, the best thing to do is to keep a close eye on him. If it is higher and it is considered necessary to lower it in order for the child to feel better, eat more and to remain calm, or to reduce the risk of seizures, you may use sponge baths, wetting the skin with ROOM TEMPERATURE OR SLIGHTLY WARM WATER. If you use water that is too cold you can produce more chills and by this you might cause the opposite effect.

The best medicine to control fever is acetaminophen, with the advantage that it is also an analgesic. But if you abuse this medicament by exceeding the recommended dose, it can be toxic for the liver. Also, with fever, the child looses more liquid than normal, and it becomes necessary to increase the intake of fluids.

Always remember that fever is only a symptom which is indicative of the presence another problem. This is a meaningful sign and it produces certain benefits in the organism. This is why it is more important to know the cause of the fever than to lower the temperature.