Question
A 5-year-old child suddenly developed a fever of 39.2 degrees Celsius at night. The child was in good spirits during the day, had normal appetite, and played happily with peers. The child has a history of low-grade fever seizures. After the parent applied fever-reducing patches and suppositories, the child’s body temperature slightly decreased. The parent asks whether the child needs to be taken to the hospital for further examination.
Answer
The most common cause of a child’s fever is infection. If the fever persists for less than 48 hours and there are no other symptoms such as coughing, vomiting, or lack of energy, it is recommended to undergo a urine test to determine if there is a bacterial, viral, or mycoplasma infection. Based on the results of the urine test, the doctor will provide symptomatic treatment. Additionally, the doctor may perform a lung percussion or take a chest X-ray to check for pneumonia. If the fever lasts longer, it is also necessary to consider the possibility of Epstein-Barr virus infection. When the body temperature is below 38.5 degrees Celsius, oral medication such as Merck can be taken for fever reduction.