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Fever: First Aid
By Matt Unangst, 20 Feb 20:08
When suffering from an infection, your body has some built-in remedies. One of these is fever. Since most organisms that negatively affect the human body are designed to best live at the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, raising your body temperature can help to kill off the infection. A rectal temperature of over 100.4 degrees is always a fever. Rectal temperature readings are normally 1 degree higher than oral readings.
Fevers should be treated more seriously in young children and infants than in adults. A minor increase in temperature often indicates a serious infection in the very young. For infants, a temperature lower than normal may also be a sign of a dangerous infection or illness.
Fevers below 102 degrees should not be treated with medication in adults unless you are advised to do so by a doctor. A fever of over 102 degrees is normally treated by an over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin. But don’t give aspirin to children, as it can cause Reye’s syndrome, a fatal disorder. Children under 6 months or age should also not use ibuprofen.
There are a number of ways to take someone’s temperature. Most thermometers sold today have digital readouts. If using a digital thermometer, read the directions carefully so that you know what the different beeps mean and when the thermometer is ready for you to read your temperature. Some newer thermometers can take a temperature from a person’s ear canal, making them best for use with small children or seniors. Other types of thermometers are use rectally, orally, or in the armpit. Body temperatures are normally highest around 4 PM and lowest around 4 AM.
Mercury thermometers are no longer sold because of the potential danger of poisoning. You should not use a mercury thermometer.
When taking a temperature rectally, coat the bulb of the thermometer with petroleum jelly or another lubricant. Lay the person on his/her stomach and insert the bulb slowly and carefully one-half to one inch into the rectum. Hold the thermometer and the person still for three minutes. Do not let go of the thermometer. After three minutes have passed, remove the thermometer and read the temperature as instructed by the manufacturer.
Remember that rectal temperatures are normally about 1 degree higher than oral temperatures. Taking a temperature rectally is often the best option for small children and seniors who are unable to take an oral temperature.
If you are taking your temperature orally, hold the bulb of the thermometer under your tongue and close your mouth for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer – normally 3 minutes.
Temperatures taken from the armpit are not as accurate as temperatures taken in other ways, but are sometimes the best method for a particular situation. Oral thermometers can be used to take an armpit reading.
To take a reading from your armpit, place the bulb of the thermometer under your arm, keeping your arm held down over the thermometer and crossing it across your chest. Wait five minutes and read the temperature reading. Temperatures taken from the armpit are usually about 1 degree lower than temperatures taken orally.
To take a child’s temperature from the armpit, sit the child sideways on your lap and place the thermometer under the arm nearest you. This will allow you to better hold the thermometer in place.
The following cases of fever require medical attention:
• babies under 3 months of age with a rectal temperature of over 100.4 degrees
• babies older than 3 months of age with a temperature of over 102 degrees
• newborns with a rectal temperature below 97 degrees
• children younger than 2 with a fever that lasts over a day
• children older than 2 with a fever that lasts over 3 days
• adults with a temperature over 103 degrees or a fever that lasts over 3 days
See a doctor in any of these cases.
Immediate medical care should be sought in any of the following cases:
• children with a fever after sitting in a hot car
If any of these symptoms accompany a fever:
• severe headaches
• severe throat swelling
• abnormal rashes
• abnormal sensitivity to bright lights
• neck pain when bending the head forward
• confusion
• vomiting
• difficulty breathing
• chest pain
• extreme irritability
• extreme listlessness
• abdominal pain
• pain accompanying urination
When you call to report a fever, do not try to convert a rectal temperature reading you took to an oral reading. All you need to do is tell the doctor the temperature you got and the method you used.
Tags: fever, first aid, temperature