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CAREGIVERS' KNOWLEDGE AND HOME MANAGEMENT OF FEVER IN CHILDREN
Insights
Most caregivers correctly identify fever, but knowledge gaps exist regarding normal body temperature. Home management with medication is common, highlighting the need for public health education on fever monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Fever is a common pediatric complaint, often indicating infection, with most cases managed at home.
- Caregiver knowledge is crucial for effective home management of febrile illnesses in children.
- Inadequate caregiver understanding can lead to complications and increased hospital visits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess caregiver knowledge and practices related to childhood fever.
- To identify areas for improvement in home-based fever management strategies.
- To inform public health initiatives for better pediatric fever care.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Paediatric Emergency Unit of Kenyatta National Hospital.
- Data was collected from 250 caregivers of children under 12 presenting with fever.
- The study period was from August to October 2011.
Main Results:
- Approximately 75% of caregivers correctly defined fever, but only 47.6% knew normal body temperature.
- Infection was recognized as the primary cause of fever by 95.2% of participants.
- Caregivers frequently cited brain damage and dehydration as major complications and predominantly used medication for home treatment.
Conclusions:
- A majority of caregivers demonstrated correct fever definition but relied on touch rather than thermometers.
- Home management of fever primarily involved medication, indicating a need for improved monitoring practices.
- Public health education is recommended to enhance caregiver understanding and promote thermometer use for accurate fever assessment.
Background:
Fever is one of the most common complaints presented to the Paediatric Emergency Unit (PEU). It is a sign that there is an underlying pathologic process, the most common being infection. Many childhood illnesses are accompanied by fever, many of which are treated at home prior to presentation to hospital. Most febrile episodes are benign. Caregivers are the primary contacts to children with fever. Adequate caregivers' knowledge and proper management of fever at home leads to better management of febrile illnesses and reduces complications.
Objective:
To determine the caregivers' knowledge and practices regarding fever in children.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Peadiatric Emergency Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) SUBJECTS: Two hundred and fifty caregivers of children under 12 years presenting with fever in August to October 2011 to the PEU.
Results:
Three quarters of the caregivers' defined fever correctly. Their knowledge on the normal body was at 47.6%. Infection was cited as the leading cause of fever (95.2%). Brain damage (77.6%) and dehydration (65.6%) were viewed as the most common complication. Fever was treated at home by 97.2% of caregivers, most of them used medication.
Conclusions:
Fever was defined correctly by 75.2% of the study participants and a majority of them used touch to detect fever. Fever was managed at home with medications. Public Health Education should be implemented in order to enlighten caregivers on fever and advocate for the use of a clinical thermometer to monitor fever at home.
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01:29Decreased Body Temperature