Question
My child had a fever and took medication and an injection the day before. Their condition was stable yesterday morning, but at 2 a.m. last night, their temperature rose to 37.5 degrees Celsius. Since we have no spare medication at home, we can only wait until morning to go to the hospital for treatment. Is this approach appropriate?
Answer
When children have a fever, they should not rush to use drugs to reduce it because fever is a body’s defense mechanism. Fever-reducing drugs can only lower the temperature but cannot eliminate the underlying cause of the fever. When a child’s temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, they should drink more water, rest more, and closely monitor their condition changes, or use physical methods to reduce fever. However, if the fever lasts too long or the temperature is too high (below 38.5 degrees Celsius), then it is necessary to use fever-reducing drugs for necessary treatment.