Background: Fever, a common childhood experience requires correct home management and seeking medical advice at the correct time. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of fever home management of a febrile child among the primary caregivers. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in four randomly selected wards at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, in Sri Lanka. among 400 primary caregivers of children less than 12 years of age admitted with fever. A pre-tested, pre-coded, interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Measurement of temperature by the participants were also observed. Results: Normal body temperature was correctly mentioned by 46.2% and mercury thermometer was identi ed as the best thermometer by 45.8%. Nearly 3/4th stated that the dose of antipyretics should be calculated according to age and or body weight and their knowledge on dose calculations showed that in 70.9% the calculated dose was considered safe and effective. In practice, 54% of the study population had used a thermometer for detection and/or monitoring of fever. Paracetamol was used by 99% of the study population alone or in combination by to treat the febrile child at home before the hospital admission. Non-Steroidal Anti-In ammatory Drugs were also used by 1.5%. The dose of paracetamol given to the child was too low for 6.5% while it was too high for 24.5%. Statistically signi cant associations (p<0.05) were seen for correct technique of temperature measurement with higher education, higher family income and having a single child. Conclusions: This study adds to the contemporary fever management literature, by assessing problem from another dimension, which was the knowledge and practices of the primary caregivers in providing home management to a febrile child. Several knowledge and practice gaps were identi ed, which could be corrected through the clinical and public healthcare system.
Background: The significance of self-care in heart failure is yet to be demonstrated empirically; however, it's commonly believed that effective self-care delays the development of heart failure. This study aimed to assess the level of self-care among patients with heart failure attending a cardiac hospice center in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was used to examine self-care maintenance, self-care management, and self-care confidence in heart failure patients at Heart Hospice Center, Hayat Abad Medical Complex. A total of 195 heart failure patients were recruited using a convenient sampling method. Data were collected using the Self Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) version 6.2.
Results: The mean SCHFI score (comprising 22 items) across n=195 participants was 50 ± 28.9. A very low percentage (31.28%, n=61) scored an accepted level (≥70) of self-care. On the subscales of self-management, self-confidence, and self-maintenance, the mean scores were 50.0 ± 28.8, 46±26.6, and 50.0 ± 28.7, respectively. One hundred eighty symptomatic patients completed the self-care management subscale who was experiencing shortness of breath and ankle swelling.
Conclusion: Heart failure patients attending the Heart Hospice Center in Peshawar, Pakistan, did not portray a satisfactory level of self-care behavior. More effective nursing interventions are needed to manage heart failure patients in this center.
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