Fever in children: diagnosis and management by nurses, medical students, doctors and parents

SUMMARY

Thirty-six nurses, 18 final year medical students, 24 doctors and 36 parents were questioned about their understanding and management of the symptom “fever”. There was an obvious tendency to over-diagnose fever by the nursing and medical staff. Antipyretics and sponging were unnecessarily prescribed. Most parents do not have a thermometer and have minimal understanding of fever and its management, and 37% regard fever as a cause of brain damage. Their main sources of information on the subject derive from relatives and friends: only 9% mentioned nurses or doctors as their source of information. Medical students receive little teaching on fever. It is recommended that more time should be devoted to teaching nurses, medical students and junior doctors about fever and they in turn should educate parents on the subject.