Patient education: Fever in children over 3 years old – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

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. Offer food, but do not force them to eat if they do not want to.

●Dress your child in lightweight clothes. 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 that 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 cold medicines to children under 12. This includes medicines to treat a cough or stuffy nose.

●Wash your hands often. Remind your child to wash their hands as well. Everyone should wash their hands before and after meals. Wash your child's hands often as well.

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

•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.

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

•Acts or talks confused

•No urine for over 12 hours

•Skin that is cool to the touch

●Has trouble breathing, and 1 or more of the following:

•They 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 that lasts longer than 3 days

●Is not drinking fluids or is not able to keep fluids down, and has:

•Dry mouth

•Few or no tears when they cry

•Dark-colored urine

●Has new or worsening symptoms

More on this topic

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)