[Fever management by parents: a quantitative cross-sectional study]

Fever management by parents: a quantitative cross-sectional study Abstract: Background: Childhood fever is one of the most common reasons for healthcare utilisation. Parental concern can lead to incorrect treatment of fever. The education of parents in Germany about fever management in children is therefore of great importance. Aim: The aim of this study is to test, based on hypotheses, whether an explanatory video can improve the guideline-oriented fever management of parents in Germany and to survey parents' behaviour and attitudes towards fever before and after the explanatory video. Methods: This is an intervention study with a pretest-posttest-design and an explanatory video integrated into the online questionnaire. Results: A total of 400 parents answered the questionnaire. After watching the explanatory video 36.3% of participants no longer believe that the reduction in fever dependens on body temperature. 53.8% feel more confident in recognising fever warning signs, and 88.3% would recommend the film to others. Even before the explanatory video, the majority of parents based their decision to reduce fever on several factors rather than just the child's body temperature. After the intervention, this result was even higher. Subjectively anxious parents did not administer more antipyretics than subjectively confident parents. No difference could be found in fever management between people with and without previous medical training. Conclusions: An explanatory video is a short-term means of supporting guideline-orientated fever management for parents in Germany.