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How to tell a “serious” fever from an “ordinary” one
With very young children there’s fever and then there’s “serious” fever. An ordinary high temperature can usually be sorted out with a simple trip to your pharmacist. But with a “serious” fever, it’s absolutely essential that you consult your doctor.
So what are the signs to look out for? Professor Bouchra Slaoui, who teaches at the Casablanca Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Morocco, gave a clear explanation of the “fever barometer” to participants at the Officine Expo 2007 pharmacists’ conference in Casablanca.
First of all, there’s “ordinary” fever. This can be dealt with by your pharmacist. “You can tell “ordinary” fever by the colour of the child’s face”, states Professor Slaoui. “The child will have red cheeks and shiny eyes.” But the sounds the child makes are also important. “Any cries should be vigorous, not plaintive.” And if the little one’s skin is red and warm, don’t worry. It means that he or she is coping well with the fever.
By contrast, a “serious” fever is characterised by “a rectal temperature of or above 38°.”. The child will be sleepy, “his face will be pale and his lips bluish. His cries will be plaintive. He will shiver and his skin will be mottled. Cold extremities– fingers, nose and feet – are also a bad sign”. If this happens consult your doctor straight away or go to the hospital. It’s an emergency.
As far as treatment is concerned, it is best to use paracetamol as this is the medication that offers the best tolerance/efficacy ratio. It should be taken every 6 hours for 4 days at a dosage of 15 mg/kg. However, beware of using aspirin as it can cause Reye’s syndrome, an extremely serious condition. As for ibuprofen, which is available under various brand names, again take care. Aside from the fact that it tastes sugary and can therefore be confused with some kind of sweet drink, this syrup can, even in low doses, cause digestive hemorrhage. Also, it can sometimes lead to serious or even fatal infectious cutaneous complications. It is therefore very important to check the composition of syrups as a matter of course. If a syrup contains ibuprofen you should speak to your doctor before using it.
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