Is Fever Treated More Promptly Than Pain in the Pediatric Emergency Department?

Utilization of Antipyretics for Nonurgent Fever in a Pediatric Emergency Department

“…[9][10][11][12] Furthermore, parents of young, black and Hispanic patients have been shown to be more likely to exhibit fever phobia. 4,13 Finally, the majority of patients in our study sample had Medicaid insurance (75%), and several studies have shown that publicly insured children have higher ED visit rates and specifically higher nonurgent ED visits. 14 This difference between publicly and privately insured patients is confounded by several cofactors, including race, ethnicity, and family income.…”

“…When asked, families site physicians and nurses as their primary source of information for the treatment of fever. 4 When parents have a child with fever who receives more testing, they report more anxiety with the next febrile illness. 4 Furthermore, fever is a common reason for 72-hour return visits to the ED.…”

“…4 When parents have a child with fever who receives more testing, they report more anxiety with the next febrile illness. 4 Furthermore, fever is a common reason for 72-hour return visits to the ED. 17 Physician management of fever not only affects the present patient’s care, but it sets a tone for future care.…”

“…In a study of 1097 patients seen in a pediatric ED, those who received acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever received their medication 25 minutes faster than those who received analgesics for pain. 4 Similarly, when 88 pediatric nurses in 4 pediatric EDs across the country were surveyed about fever, the median temperature considered a fever was 38°C with a range of 37.2°C to 38.9°C. Additionally, 29% of nurses in this study felt that if left untreated, fever could lead to brain damage or death.…”