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Fever management audit: Australian nurses' antipyretic usage
Helen E Edwards1, Mary D Courtney, Jennifer E Wilson
1School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. h.edwards@qut.edu.au
Pediatric Nursing
|March 13, 2003
Summary
Nurses monitored children's fevers frequently, often at set times, and administered antipyretics. This suggests a potential ritualistic approach to fever management in hospitalized children, warranting further investigation into nursing practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Clinical Practice
- Fever Management
Background:
- Fever is a common symptom in hospitalized children.
- Nursing management of fever is crucial for patient comfort and outcomes.
- The study questions whether current fever management practices are evidence-based or habitual.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns of fever monitoring and antipyretic administration by nurses in pediatric wards.
- To determine if fever management practices are rational (evidence-based) or ritualistic (habitual).
- To identify areas for improvement in nursing knowledge and decision-making regarding fever management.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of nursing practices in a pediatric ward.
- Analysis of temperature recording frequency and timing.
- Documentation of antipyretic administration, including timing and associated temperatures.
Main Results:
- Nurses recorded temperatures more frequently during the initial 24 hours post-admission, with a mean of 13.36 recordings.
- A consistent bimodal pattern of temperature monitoring was observed, often aligned with specific times (e.g., 0600, 0800, 1000 hours).
- Seventy-six percent of children received antipyretics, with administration peaking during the day, while temperature recordings were highest at night.
Conclusions:
- Fever management by nurses may exhibit ritualistic patterns, particularly in temperature monitoring frequency and timing.
- Discrepancies between antipyretic administration and mean temperatures at certain hours (0800, 1600) suggest a need for re-evaluation.
- Further research is needed to understand nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making processes in managing pediatric fever.