Question
What should I do if my 2-year-old child, diagnosed with a viral infection by the doctor, keeps having a fever after receiving a fever-reducing shot and now has a temperature of 39 degrees?
Answer
If your 2-year-old child has been diagnosed with a viral infection by the doctor and is now running a fever of 39 degrees after receiving a fever-reducing shot, what should you do? Since yesterday, the child has had a low-grade fever. A blood test revealed a viral infection, and medication for the common cold was prescribed. However, the condition did not improve, and the fever escalated to 38.6 degrees this morning. After receiving the shot, you thought the temperature would drop, but now it’s up to 39 degrees. You’re unsure whether you should seek immediate medical attention or if there are other ways to quickly lower the temperature. Previous treatment and its effects: No abnormalities were found. Based on your description, the child has a fever, and a detailed blood test indicates a viral infection. The treatment primarily involves antiviral therapy. Since complete recovery also requires time, it’s possible that the body is still fighting the infection, which could explain why the temperature didn’t drop after receiving the fever-reducing shot but instead rose higher. At home, an emergency solution is to use physical cooling (temperature reduction), such as rubbing alcohol on the body or placing a cool towel on the forehead to temporarily lower body and brain temperatures, which can also provide some protection for the brain. If physical cooling (temperature reduction) does not bring down the fever, then it may be necessary to go to the hospital for further medication treatment.