Question
My 10-month-old baby had a fever and was given a fever-reducing medicine when the temperature reached 39 degrees. However, after the temperature dropped, it rose again, and the final medication may have been due to antibiotics causing the temperature to drop. I would like to ask if there are ways to treat fever without using antibiotics? How can we distinguish whether it is caused by bacterial or viral infection? What was the past treatment and its effectiveness? Can you provide some assistance?
Answer
When dealing with a baby’s fever, one can observe the child’s mental state and perform routine blood tests to speculate on the presence of bacterial infection. Additionally, paying attention to symptoms such as sore throat, yellow phlegm, or yellow nasal mucus can also help in making a judgment. If a viral infection is suspected, antiviral traditional Chinese medicine can be used instead of antibiotics. The main function of antibiotics is prevention, and symptomatic treatment is sufficient. I hope this information is helpful, and I wish you a speedy recovery.