Use of antipyretics for fever in children has a definite place. All
types of fever , viral and bacterial are more frequent in infants than
older children.While children at school age can tolerate fever better than
infants it is infants who need drugs early to bring down fevers.Use of one
or more antipyretics depends on child,s response to fever. Most children
respond to either paracetamol or brufen ,often second drug have to be
given to bring down the fever. With high fever,infants who are
symptomatic(irritability,lethargic,refusal to eat or drink etc)besides
being at risk for febrile convulsions, should be given drugs to bring down
the fever.Infants can not be put to same practise as older children as
they tolerate fevers less. As soon as fever is down a child starts playing
and oral intake increases.
Even neonates in nicu with rise of temperature of >99 dgerees become
symptomatic (increase of o2 requirement, poor perfusion, irritability
,tachycardia etc)and they respond well to paracetamol given orally or as
rectal suppository.Only parents know the agony of a febrile infant with
pyrexia , hence efforts shold be made for containing temperature by drugs,
environmental change etc, of course which drug to choose is personal
preferance
Rapid Response:
antipyretic drugs use in children
Use of antipyretics for fever in children has a definite place. All
types of fever , viral and bacterial are more frequent in infants than
older children.While children at school age can tolerate fever better than
infants it is infants who need drugs early to bring down fevers.Use of one
or more antipyretics depends on child,s response to fever. Most children
respond to either paracetamol or brufen ,often second drug have to be
given to bring down the fever. With high fever,infants who are
symptomatic(irritability,lethargic,refusal to eat or drink etc)besides
being at risk for febrile convulsions, should be given drugs to bring down
the fever.Infants can not be put to same practise as older children as
they tolerate fevers less. As soon as fever is down a child starts playing
and oral intake increases.
Even neonates in nicu with rise of temperature of >99 dgerees become
symptomatic (increase of o2 requirement, poor perfusion, irritability
,tachycardia etc)and they respond well to paracetamol given orally or as
rectal suppository.Only parents know the agony of a febrile infant with
pyrexia , hence efforts shold be made for containing temperature by drugs,
environmental change etc, of course which drug to choose is personal
preferance
sudrshan@hotmail.com
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests