What to do when your child has a fever viruses?

Viral fever has no specific treatment, so the best treatment is to reduce fever, cool packs, rehydration and electrolytes. If there is no bacterial infection, do not use antibiotics.

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The body of children has no high resistance, so it is very susceptible to infection. During these summer days, increasing the number of children hospitalized with viral fever is a very common phenomenon in pediatric departments.

Under normal conditions, there are also parasitic viruses on the respiratory tract, digestion . When meeting favorable conditions, they develop, invade the body and cause disease. Common viruses that cause fever include myxo, coxackie, entero, measles, chickenpox, Japanese encephalitis . Viruses can be spread from person to person, especially through respiratory, digestive, possibly causing epidemic. One of the prominent symptoms of viral infection is high fever, the medical term called viral fever.

Characteristics of fever due to viral infection

High fever : This is a common manifestation of viral fever, usually between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius, even 40-41 degrees Celsius. In a fever, children are often tired and have little response to antipyretics Common fever like paracetamol . When the fever subsides, the child is alert, playing normally.

Pain in children: Muscle pain in older children so children often complain of pain all over the body, young children may cry.

Headaches : Some children may have headaches but remain alert, not excited, struggling.

Respiratory inflammation of the respiratory tract : Symptoms of respiratory tract inflammation such as cough, runny nose, sneezing, red throat .

Gastrointestinal disorders : Usually occur early if the cause of fever due to gastrointestinal virus, may also appear later a few days after the fever characterized by loose stool, no blood, mucus.

Lymphadenitis : The lymph nodes in the head, face and neck are often swollen, painful and can be seen or felt.

Rash : Usually occurs 2-3 days after a fever, when the rash appears, the fever will be relieved.

Conjunctivitis : Conjunctivitis may be red, with ocular discharge, lacrimation.

Vomiting: Children may vomit several times but often appear after eating.

There are no signs of infection.

The above symptoms often appear very loud and after 3-5 days will diminish and then disappear, children return to healthy.

Management of viral fever in children

Virus-induced illnesses have almost no specific drugs, mainly symptomatic treatment, as is the case for viral fever. Therefore, the usual measures are:

Antipyretic : Often used paracetamol dose 10 mg / kg, every 6 hours.

Apply cool : Wipe your child with a cool towel, dry sweat, let him lie in a cool place, wear thin clothes.

Anticonvulsants : If a child has a fever higher than 38.5 degrees C, use antipyretics with a prescription anticonvulsant, especially those with a history of seizures when high fever.

Water and electrolyte compensation : When high fever can cause dehydration, eventually electrolyte balance in the body, it is recommended to use drugs that work to compensate for the loss of water through the skin and electrolytes due to fever like oresol, porridge dilute salt.

Anti-superinfection: Clean the children, eyes, nose with natriclorid 0.9%, avoid respiratory infections.

Nutrition : Give children liquid, easy to digest, rich in nutrients.

Hygiene : Clean the body for children to clean, bathe in warm water in a closed room.

Children should be taken to the medical center right away when there are the following signs: Children with fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, especially over 39 degrees Celsius, but using antipyretics do not meet; drowsiness, lethargy, sleep a lot, seizures, continuous headache, increasing gradually; repeated nausea, vomiting, fever for more than 5 days.

Viral fever is easy to cause fluids, so when children become infected, they need to be isolated and kept warm. When children get sick, they should not go to school. Some viral diseases such as Japanese encephalitis, measles, mumps, rubella .