پزشکی بالینی ابن سینا (Sep 2012)
Fever Management in Parents who Have Children Aged 0-5 Year
Abstract
Introduction & Objective: Fever is very common in children and is usually due to self-limiting viral infections. Management of fever is based on culture, community and religion of people all over the world. Parental concerns arise in part because of the belief that fever is a disease rather than a symptom or sign of illness. Misconceptions about childhood fevers heighten parents' concerns leading to inappropriate use of antipyretic drugs or overdosing may cause drug toxicity and frequent use of health care services. This study aimed to identify parental views of fever management in their children aged 0-5 yr. Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional study, 350 parents with children less than 5 years referred to various units of clinics covered by community oriented center of Kermanshah, completed the research questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were determined and the data was analyzed by SPSS Software. Results: Findings showed that the first medical care was sponging (53.1%). Sponging with saltwater was common (47.7%) and Over - the - counter medications were (30%). Acetaminophen was the first drug in 90% of the cases. However, many parents express high levels of anxiety so that they seek for self-medication with antibiotic 34% of the cases. Our study showed that correlation between over concern about fever management and parents who had a positive past medical history in their children with P=0.02, parents education (P=0.018) and in employed mothers (P=0.005) was statistically significant. Conclusion: Considerable efforts will be required to educate parents about fever and its management.
