Discharge instructions help parents provide home care
Discharge instructions help parents provide home care
The following are examples of fever discharge instructions provided to parents at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas:
- Do not bundle your child in heavy clothing or blankets. Use light clothing and bedding to help your child stay cool.
- Give plenty of extra fluids to prevent dehydration. Your child should drink enough to urinate every six hours. Be observant of the number of wet diapers for infants and toddlers.
- Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen as instructed to relieve discomfort and keep temperature down. You may sponge or bathe your child in lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Never use cold water or alcohol to sponge a feverish child.
- The use of aspirin to relieve fever or other symptoms of viral illness has been linked to Reye's syndrome. Children should be given only nonaspirin medications (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) for the relief of pain or fever.
- Check your child's temperature every four hours. For infants, use a rectal thermometer.
- Call your doctor if the fever has not subsided in two days. [Click here for Instructions in Spanish.]
Parents also receive instruction on symptoms that require immediate evaluation by a physician. Examples of these symptoms include a fever longer than two days, seizures, delirium, repeated vomiting, dehydration, or difficulty breathing.
The following are examples of fever discharge instructions provided to parents at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas:Subscribe Now for Access
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