At what temperature should I give an antipyretic to a child? Effective drugs

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Children are curious and sometimes inattentive to their condition. Therefore, diseases are not uncommon with sudden changes in temperature or when the child just sweats and runs around in an open jacket.

Any caring mother learns in advance all the ways to quickly and quickly treat colds, as well as how you can drastically bring down the fever. I don't want to over-medicate my kids. So at what temperature to give an antipyretic to a child? We will consider this issue later in the article.

When can a child be given an antipyretic

Up to a certain point, the body itself can fight the infection. This is a natural process, counteraction to which can weaken the child's immunity. If the temperature is below 38, take the antipyretic early. The body has a chance to cope with microbes on its own. If this mark on the thermometer is crossed, it's time to start acting.

There are the following recommendations by which you can determine the appropriateness of the use of antipyretics:

• In the absence of other diseases before the illness and at the age of less than three months, you need to start taking specialized drugs to reduce the temperature with38-38.5 degrees.

• If the child was in a normal state of he alth and is older than 3 months, you can use antipyretics at a temperature of 39-39.5 degrees, or if there is severe discomfort, feeling unwell, headache and muscle aches.
• In the case when hyperthermia was detected and children refuse food and water, their he alth becomes worse, the appearance of chills, muscle aches, pale skin, dryness, when the feet become cold, it is worth immediately switching to treatment with drugs, lowering fever.
• If before that the body met with febrile convulsions, the temperature rose high and severe diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as lungs were noticed, you can start taking antipyretic drugs from 38-38.5 degrees.

In addition to specific remedies, you also need to know the dosage, the form of medication in order to ensure safe treatment. Today, the most effective antipyretic for children is Paracetamol. You can buy suppositories, syrups, suspensions or tablets.

You can also consider the use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug “Ibuprofen”, which is effective and long-lasting due to the prolongation effect. However, the more effective the remedy, the more contraindications it has and side effects may appear. So use it in case of emergency.

Also known is “Nemisulide”, which is part of the antipyreticagents at high temperatures. In children, its use is limited due to the fact that the drug is not well studied and is still in a state of research and development. A child over the age of 12 can be treated in this way.

Consult experts

A referral from a doctor must be issued. Before using this or that medicine, it is worth figuring out at what temperature to give an antipyretic to a child. Also, from the variety of options, you need to choose the one that will help in your particular case. Take into account the age of the child. After all, antipyretic for children from 3 years old is different from that which is advised to take an older child.

It is worth considering the fact of the presence or absence of allergies. Different drugs have different duration of action and form of use. Antipyretic syrups have approximately the same effect as tablets, their work manifests itself half an hour after ingestion. There are other ways to heal.

Alternative Methods

In the form of suppositories, antipyretics are taken for high fever in children. In this case, the result will come within forty minutes. We'll have to wait longer, but the effect is more powerful.

Some children don't want to take medicine or experience nausea. Then the means taken orally are not suitable. Before the introduction of suppositories, the intestines are emptied. It is better to take the medicine in the evening.

Temperature 38, 5 is a signal that it is time to take the drug. If you decideuse syrup or tablets, make sure that the chemical additives and flavors contained there do not cause adverse reactions. The body of a child is very delicate. This must be taken into account, especially if antipyretic drugs are chosen for children from 3 years old.

Especially if this is your first experience with this or that medicine. In this case, you just need to consult a pediatrician. The specialist will tell you exactly at what temperature to give the antipyretic to the child, in what doses, the best option for a particular age.

At the same time, carefully study the instructions yourself, because your child's he alth is at stake, so there can be no place for frivolity. The medicine may be suitable for you, but your pediatrician may consider it necessary to change the dose. Trust the specialist and follow his instructions. He will tell you exactly what to do if the child has a fever.

Don't overdose

There must be at least four hours between doses of pills. Even if the thermometer reflects a temperature of 38.5 and the child complains of feeling unwell, overdoing it and giving him too much medicine will also be a mistake.

To bring down the fever is not at all the same as curing your child. It's just about managing the symptoms. The patient will feel better, but it is worth continuing the treatment of the disease itself, because it was he who caused this condition. It is not enough to understand what to do if the child has a temperature. We also need to figure out why it appeared, what was the root cause.

Most Common Drugs

Most often, pediatricians advise taking antipyretics. These are Paracetamol and similar drugs: Panadol, Efferalgan, Tylenol, Dolomol, Kalpol, Dofalgan, Meksalen. Taking them, at one time, you can reduce the temperature by 1-1.5 degrees. The action will last 4 hours.

If there is a strong fever, only half the effect is possible. The child may be overly sensitive to these agents. The use of Iuprofen, Nurofen and Ibufen is not as safe, but more effective.

Knowing at what temperature to give an antipyretic to a child and in what doses to do it, you can competently and effectively improve the condition of your own creature. It may be useful remedy "Viburkol", related to homeopathy. It relieves pain and fever.

What not to do

In no case do not use Aspirin, Antipyrin, Phenacetin, Amidopyrin, Analgin, as well as other products that were made using the above medicines. They are very powerful and even adults are not advised to use them often because of the sharp effect on the intestines and other organs. What can we say about the delicate body of the child. Better limit yourself to more gentle methods.

Methods Proven by Generations

If you turn to traditional medicine, you can also learn a couple of options for dealing with high fever. The well-known practice of rubbing with vinegaror alcohol.

If the child is less than three years old, it is better not to use these options, because for a too small child they can be dangerous. His skin is so delicate that it absorbs the surrounding moisture. Toxic, alcohol poisoning may occur.

Give your child plenty of water, freshly squeezed juices without pulp. The vitamins found in cranberries, cherries, oranges, raspberries and lingonberries will be extremely helpful in such a moment of weakness. Make a fruit drink and please your child.

Start with the softest and gentlest options

You can use the children's version of "Paracetamol", which will relieve fever and pain, which are typical for colds, flu, ear infections, SARS and teething periods.

However, using this method is worth the wait if you have a newborn in your arms and he is not yet three months old. The body is still overly sensitive. If you have Gilbert's syndrome, kidney or liver failure, diabetes mellitus or viral hepatitis, you should also be extra careful.

As side effects, itching, angioedema, methemoglobinemia, rash, anemia, thrombocytopenia may occur. You can talk about an overdose in cases where nausea occurs, liver dysfunction, pallor appears, vomiting, appetite disappears.

Treat wisely

If after the use of "Paracetamol" there was an adverse reaction or it did not give the desired effect, it is advised to use "Ibuprofen". Not worth ituse this medicine if the child has had allergic rhinitis, cough, hives or bronchial asthma. Also, do not give it to children who are under three years old, who have problems with the circulatory system, ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, impaired kidney and liver function, and reduced hearing.

If the treatment fails, diarrhea, nausea, allergic manifestations, vomiting, and stomach pain may occur. Do not exclude the possibility of hives, itching, insomnia, dizziness, cystitis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, rash, bronchospasm, headache, hyperexcitability, impaired kidney function, leukopenia.

In case of overdose, blood pressure may decrease, abdominal pain, tachycardia, vomiting, heaviness in the head, metabolic acidosis, kidney failure, tinnitus.

As for the homeopathic preparation "Viburkola", it can be used for any child's respiratory illness. The medicine has many functions, including the removal of inflammation and fever, when complex therapy is used. The composition includes conhae, pulsatilla, dulcamar, hamomilla, belladonna, plantago. Rare side effects and contraindications. They can occur if sensitivity to the elements of the drug is increased, flowing into an allergic reaction.

There are really a lot of subtleties in this matter, and, most importantly, the he alth and well-being of the most valuable creatures that we have - children depend on them. So carefully follow all the instructions and contact a specialist for advice.