Version May 2024
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What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of your child after getting medical care for a health problem.
What is a fever? — A fever is a rise in body temperature that goes above a certain level. In general, a fever means a temperature above 100.4°F (38°C). You might get slightly different numbers depending on how you take your child's temperature: oral (mouth), armpit, ear, forehead, or rectal.
What causes fever? — The most common cause of fever in children is infection. For example, children can get a fever if they have:
●A cold or the flu
●An airway infection, such as croup or bronchiolitis
●A stomach virus
Fever can help your child's body fight against infection.
In some cases, children also get a fever for a short time right after getting a vaccine.
How do I care for my child at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for your child. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
You should also:
●Follow the doctor or nurse's instructions for giving your child medicines.
●Offer your child lots of fluids to drink. If your child is a baby, offer regular feedings of breast milk or formula.
●Dress your child in lightweight clothes. If your child is old enough to use blankets, cover them with a light sheet or blanket if needed. This will help keep them from getting too warm.
●Keep your child home from daycare, school, or regular activities until they have had a normal temperature for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines. This will help prevent infection from spreading to other people.
●Give your child medicine to help bring down a fever, if needed. It is not always necessary to treat a fever in children. But if your child is uncomfortable, you can give acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin). Check the package directions carefully to make sure you give your child the right dose. It's also important to know:
•To prevent an overdose, if your child is taking other medicines, be sure that they do not have acetaminophen or ibuprofen in them.
•Never give aspirin to a child younger than 18 years old.
•Do not give cough and cold medicines to children under 12.
●Wash your hands often. Be sure to do this after wiping your child's nose or changing diapers. Also wash your hands before and after meals. Wash your child's hands often as well.
●Encourage your child to rest as much as they want. But don't force them to sleep or rest.
●Offer your child food, but do not force them to eat if they do not want to.
What follow-up care does my child need? — The doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to make a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go.
When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (In the US and Canada, call 9-1-1.) if:
●Your child has a seizure.
●You can't wake your child up.
●Your child has trouble breathing, and has 1 or more of the following:
•Can only say 1 or 2 words at a time, or your baby has trouble crying
•Needs to sit upright at all times to be able to breathe or cannot lie down
•Is very tired from working to catch their breath
•Is making a grunting noise when they breathe
●Your child has a fever and also develops blue, deep red, or purple spots that do not change when you press on them.
●Your child has passed out, seems very sleepy, or is breathing fast and has 1 or more of these signs of severe fluid loss:
•Your child's skin is mottled and cool, and their hands and feet are blue.
•Your child has no urine for 24 hours.
•Your child's soft spot is sunken.
•Your child's eyes are sunken.
Go to the emergency department if your child:
●Can't keep any fluids down, has not had anything to drink in many hours, and has 1 or more of the following:
•Acting less alert than usual, very sleepy, or much less active than normal
•Crying all the time
•For babies, not having a wet diaper for over 8 hours
•For older children, not needing to urinate for over 12 hours
•Skin that is cool to the touch
●Has trouble breathing and 1 or more of the following:
•Cannot talk in a full sentence
•Their breathing is worse when they lie down or sit still
•Their skin pulls in between their ribs, below their ribcage, or above their collarbones
●Has a stiff neck
Call the doctor or nurse for advice if your child:
●Has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher and is 3 to 6 months old
●Has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher that lasts more than 1 day and is 6 months to 3 years old
●Is not able to do their normal activities because of their breathing
●Is having trouble feeding normally
●Has signs of dehydration such as:
•Dry mouth
•Few or no tears when they cry
•Dark-colored urine
•Being less active than normal
●Has new or worsening symptoms
Patient education: Fever in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and the common cold (The Basics)
Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: Ear infections in children (The Basics)
Patient education: What you should know about vaccines (The Basics)
Patient education: Giving your child over-the-counter medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Colic (The Basics)
Patient education: Febrile seizures in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Adenovirus infections (The Basics)
Patient education: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (The Basics)
Patient education: Mycoplasma pneumonia in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Fever in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Croup in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Vaccines for infants and children age 0 to 6 years (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Febrile seizures (Beyond the Basics)
آیا می خواهید مدیلیب را به صفحه اصلی خود اضافه کنید؟
