Fever literacy and fever phobia.
Clin Pediatr (Phila)
; 52(3): 254-9, 2013 Mar.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23349363
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To identify the percentage of parents who define the threshold for fever between 38.0°C and 38.3°C, which has not been reported previously, and to describe parental attitudes toward fever and antipyretic use. STUDYDESIGN:
Thirteen-question survey study of caregivers.RESULTS:
Overall, 81% of participants defined the threshold for fever as <38.0°C, 0% correctly defined fever between 38.0°C and 38.3°C, and 19% defined fever as >38.3°C. Twenty percent of children brought to clinic for a chief complaint of fever were never truly febrile. Ninety-three percent of participants believed that high fever can cause brain damage. For a comfortable-appearing child with fever, 89% of caregivers reported that they would give antipyretics and 86% would schedule a clinic visit.CONCLUSION:
Our finding that 0% of parents correctly defined fever is both surprising and unsettling, and it should inform future discussions of fever between parents and clinicians.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Parents
/
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
/
Antipyretics
/
Fever
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Limits:
Adult
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Clin Pediatr (Phila)
Year:
2013
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States