Say you have an child about 3 years old with a 102 fever, the heartrate is extremely high. How do you lower the fever? The grandmother wanted to take a room temp. rag to cool the child off. My opinion was not to do that b/c the child was shivering. I took vitals and strongly recommended to take the child to the ER. What is your opinion? Did I handle this correctly?
Question that I'm unsure of...
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The elevated temperature is a symptom of a more significant concern. At 102 degrees I'd say that it needs to be treated by a doctor or urgent care.
I wouldn't be concerned of any short-term issues with a fever itself, but a medical professional in a clinical setting would be able to better assess the child's condition, diagnose and problem, and provide the appropriate treatment.
I wouldn't be concerned of any short-term issues with a fever itself, but a medical professional in a clinical setting would be able to better assess the child's condition, diagnose and problem, and provide the appropriate treatment.
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the grandmas idea is acceptable, but should not stop you from seeking medical care. The high pulse is a normal response to a high fever in children. i would not give the child aspirin, for fear of precipitating Reye's syndrome.
How long has the fever been present and are there any other signs or symptoms? The causes of fever are numerous, but many common causes include varicela, croup syndrome,DEHYDRATION(which may alos be derived from the fever), mumps, otis media, pertussis, roseola infantrum, rubella, rubeola or tonssillitis.
I highly urge you to seek care from your primary care physician or a walk in clinic. due to changes in fluid, nutritional and electrolyte balances, especially in a 3 year old, i storngly suggest you seek a doctors diagnosis.
but, to answer your question, yes you handled the situation well. good job
also at 36 months a max "normal" heart rate is up around 110 beats per minute.
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Yes, the fever and elevated temp is of great concern, along with the underlying cause. As far as what you can do is passive cooling and temperature reduction. This involves removing the childs clothing only. Anything in addition will cause a rapid spike in temperature decrease. This is where febrile seizures from. Children of that age cannot compensate for such a dramatic change in temperature.
Also, you can give the child Childrens Tylenol(not aspirin as it may cause Reyes Syndrome). This are going to be the first step in stabilization for you child in the ER. It is something which can be performed safely at home.
Also, check for symptons of Hypovolemia. This includes fluid and food intake. Vomiting, diarrhea episodes. Also, check skin signs. Pale skin signs are an indicator. Also, the inside of the eyelids should normally be pink. Whiteness is a poor sign.
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Acetaminophen is contraindicated in kids under 3 years of age without direction from a doc. also if a nutritional deficit is the cause or a resultant of the fever, there could be unwanted reactions.
A fever by itself is not a disease, illness or an infection, but a sign of an generally negative internal or external stimulant the body is coping with(trying to return to homeostasis)
Contraindicated-NO. Doctors orders-Maybe, depends on where you work. Most Peds specialty facilities usually will have standing orders. The main concern for acetaminophen is overdose or use in conjunction with another cold remedy. The dose, which often isn't labeled is 10-15mg/kg every 4-6hr.