Is it necessary to have an IV drip when having a fever?

The temperature difference between day and night is quite large. Many people cannot adapt to such weather and begin to have fever and cough. In fact, you do not necessarily need to receive intravenous drip when you have a fever. First, look at the factors that cause the fever. If after taking anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs, the fever continues to worsen due to recovery, you need to go to the hospital for medication or intravenous drip. The specific treatment method should follow the actual condition of the body. Do not blindly treat it after you have a cold and fever.

Causes of fever in children

Director Yu said that there are usually two causes of fever in children, one is disease factors and the other is non-disease factors. As the name suggests, non-disease factors mainly refer to fever caused by external environmental influences, including high temperature, too many clothes, too little water, water loss (sweating), etc. These are more common in younger children. The most common disease factors are viral and bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections.

According to incomplete statistics, 70% to 80% of children who visit the hospital are suffering from respiratory tract infections, with the main symptoms being runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, etc.; gastroenteritis is manifested by abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Of course, the causes of fever vary at different age stages. The main causes of fever in children aged 2 to 5 are various respiratory infections, urethritis, meningitis, enteritis, etc.

A Guide to Physical Cooling at Home

"First of all, you should realize that a child's fever is a warning sign. It is informing you that some part of the child's body is sick." Director Yu said that fever is a normal immune response. When the armpit temperature does not exceed 38.5℃, there is no need to use injections or infusions to reduce the fever. Some physical cooling methods can also have a good cooling effect. First, you can let your child drink more water to help sweat and dissipate heat, and it can also replenish lost water. The cold compress method is also very simple and easy to use. Apply a towel soaked in cold water to the forehead. After the towel becomes hot, soak it in cold water again and apply it. You can also mix 75% medical alcohol (do not use pure alcohol) and warm water in a 1:1 ratio, dip a soft gauze or a small towel in it, wipe the child's palms, soles of feet, armpits and thighs, and then wipe the limbs and back. This method is suitable for children over 2 years old.

Don't take injections or infusions at will

Parents need to be reminded that when children have a fever, they should not take their children for injections or infusions at will. This is also one of the health concepts promoted by the World Health Organization to parents. This is because the injections used to reduce fever in children are mainly aminopyrine and its derivatives, such as acetaminophen and metamizole, which have relatively large side effects. If the child's armpit temperature exceeds 38.5℃, antipyretic treatment should be given at this time, and oral antipyretics can be chosen first.

Currently, the safest and most effective medicine recommended by the World Health Organization is tablets made with acetaminophen as the raw material. This type of drug has a better antipyretic effect and less irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. It usually has an antipyretic effect 30 minutes after oral administration. If the medication does not reduce fever, consider injections or infusions. Of course, the choice of medication and dosage for children should be done under the guidance of a doctor.

How to take your temperature correctly

1. Shake the mercury column to below 36°C before use so that the measured body temperature will be accurate.

2. The measurement should be taken for a sufficient period of time. Generally, the axillary temperature should be taken for more than 5 minutes.

3. Do not measure your body temperature immediately after bathing, eating, or exercising. Wait half an hour after bathing before measuring your body temperature. (Reporter Chen Guanying and Li Han)