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Marble fever in a child. How is fever manifested and treated in children?

In this article, I would like to summarize the entire arsenal of available means for reducing body temperature for influenza, colds and other diseases, which have already been mentioned on different pages and in different sections of my site. Also give characteristics of different types of fevers (red and white) and talk about ways to reduce temperature in adults and children, as well as during pregnancy, since this topic is of interest to many people and especially parents.

Let's immediately take care of the terminology, because an increase in body temperature in a person can be called both hyperthermia and fever. So that's the term fever can only be used when the temperature rises and thermoregulation changes as a result of the development of an infectious disease. And the term hyperthermia used globally for any other non-infectious cases of increased temperature (this can be observed with heat stroke and overheating, with malignant tumors, disruption of the thermoregulatory center of the brain, radiation sickness).

In general, fever is a protective reaction of the body to the introduction of an infectious agent (virus or bacteria) into the human body. When something foreign enters our body, hordes of protective blood cells called leukocytes and macrophages immediately rush to this place, which release endogenous pyrogens (interferons, cytokines, interleukins) into the blood - special substances that themselves are stimulants of leukocytes and macrophages ( this process can be considered as a way of transmitting information between these cells about a foreign agent that has entered our body), that is, they stimulate the body’s defense against viruses and bacteria, and they also cause an increase in body temperature.

Based on the above, fever is a normal reaction of the body to the penetration of foreign agents and it is necessary to fight it when the temperature reaction exceeds a certain limit and becomes pathological and dangerous for humans. You definitely shouldn’t get carried away with antipyretic drugs - this only increases the recovery time, as we fight our pyrogens, which stimulate the body’s protective cells. Hence the long recovery time from common infections, and poor health combined with low-grade fever (around 37 degrees) both during and other infections. And all because of the craze for powders and tablets for fever.

Stages of fever

Any fever goes through three stages in its development:

  1. Increase in temperature.
  2. Maintaining temperature at a certain level.
  3. Decrease in temperature.
First stage- increase in temperature. At this time, an imbalance begins between heat transfer and heat generation in the patient’s body. Normally, it looks like this - the heat generated in the body as a result of vital processes is balanced with the processes of heat transfer to the external environment. As a result, temperature balance is maintained. Due to this, the human body temperature is approximately at the same level - the notorious 36.6 °C. As a result of the penetration of a foreign agent and disruption of thermoregulation, this ratio changes. As a result we have:
  • in adults, the body follows a more economical path of thermoregulation and reduces heat transfer to the external environment without significantly increasing heat generation, that is, in adults, the temperature rises mainly due to a decrease in heat transfer to the external environment;
  • in children, on the contrary, heat generation increases with relatively stable heat transfer, that is, in children the temperature rises mainly due to heating.
This is the fundamental difference in the organization of thermoregulation in adults and children in the development of pathological processes, which will be discussed below.

Thus, in adults, in order to implement the mechanism of heat conservation during an infectious disease, at the first stage of development of the febrile process, a spasm of peripheral vessels and a decrease in sweating occur. The skin turns pale. A spasm of the muscles that raise the hair occurs, hence the so-called “goose bumps”. Trembling or chills appear (the mechanisms of the thermoregulation center of the brain are activated).

Then comes second stage- maintaining the temperature at a certain level. That is, when the temperature reaches its peak and the processes of heat transfer and heat generation balance themselves, but at this high point, not at the normal point. In this case, chills or trembling disappear and a feeling of heat appears due to the fact that the spasm of peripheral vessels passes and blood rushes to the surface of the body. The skin turns pink and becomes moist. Daily temperature fluctuations persist, but at the same time they occur within the limits of excess temperature, that is, they decrease to 37 degrees or higher and then rise to their highest values. Typically, the temperature rises in the evening.

With recovery comes third stage, which is characterized by the normalization of thermoregulation processes and a decrease in body temperature. It can be gradual or abrupt. The amount of pyrogens in the blood decreases, our brain perceives the temperature as increased and begins to use factors to reduce the temperature, that is, to increase the heat transfer of excess temperature. To do this, the system of removing fluid from the body is strengthened - sweating increases (so-called heavy sweats), diuresis (urination) increases. The temperature is gradually returning to normal.

Thus, having become familiar with the processes of thermoregulation during the development of infectious diseases, we can understand why in the first days of a rise in temperature we do not sweat, and when we recover, we can even wring out our shirt and move on.

Types and classification of fevers

According to the degree of temperature increase, they are distinguished:

  1. Low-grade fever (low-grade fever) means an increase in body temperature no higher than 38 °C.
  2. Mild fever - an increase in body temperature to 38.5 °C.
  3. Moderate fever - increased body temperature to 39 °C.
  4. High fever - an increase in body temperature to 41 ° C.
  5. Hyperpyretic or excessive fever is an increase in body temperature of more than 41 °C.
According to the nature of daily temperature fluctuations:
  1. Persistent fever is a long-term, stable increase in body temperature, daily fluctuations do not exceed 1 °C.
  2. Relapsing fever - significant daily fluctuations in body temperature within 1.5-2 °C. But the temperature does not drop to normal levels.
  3. Intermittent fever - characterized by a rapid, significant increase in temperature, which lasts for several hours, and then is replaced by a rapid drop to normal values.
  4. Hectic, or debilitating fever - daily fluctuations reach 3-5 ° C, while temperature rises with a rapid decline can be repeated several times during the day.
  5. Perverted fever - it is characterized by a change in the circadian rhythm with higher temperature rises in the morning.
  6. Irregular fever - which is characterized by temperature fluctuations throughout the day without a specific pattern.
  7. Relapsing fever is characterized by alternating periods of increased temperature with periods of normal temperature that last several days.
The above types of fevers can occur not only with acute respiratory viral infections or other colds, but also with malaria, typhoid fever and other diseases for which self-medication is unacceptable. Here and further we will consider the standard version of remitting fever, with temperature rises more often in the evenings and decreases in the morning, characteristic of a cold in its various manifestations.

By type:

  1. Red or pink fever (aka "hot").
  2. White fever (aka “cold”).
The fundamental point, especially in children, is that with white fever a spasm of peripheral blood vessels and arterioles occurs. That is, the process develops according to the adult type. In children, as mentioned above, an increase in body temperature during the development of an infectious pathological process occurs due to an increase in heat production, and not a limitation of heat transfer (the latter type occurs in adults).

Patient management tactics and manifestations for red and white fever will differ.

Red fever (which is more common in children) is characterized by:

  • the skin is hyperemic, warm and moist to the touch;
    limbs are warm;
  • increased heart rate and respiration correspond to increased temperature;
  • the child’s behavior is normal, despite the temperature rising to high levels;
  • there is a good effect from taking it;
  • When wiping the skin with vodka or cool water, the “goose bumps” symptom does not appear.
White fever is characterized by:
  • the child’s skin is pale or cyanotic (bluish);
  • cold to the touch and dry (especially arms and legs);
  • the child is lethargic, decreased activity, even despite low temperatures, incomprehensible agitation and delusional states are also possible;
  • tachycardia (increased heart rate) inappropriate for the elevated temperature and shortness of breath may be observed;
  • chills;
  • weak effect from taking antipyretic drugs.
What to do and how to reduce elevated body temperature

From all the material, you have already understood that it is better not to reduce elevated body temperature, since this is a natural protective reaction of the human body to the entry of viruses and bacteria into the body.

When to lower body temperature:

  • body temperature above 38.5 at any age;
  • body temperature above 38.0 in children;
  • body temperature above 38.0 in pregnant women;
  • body temperature above 38.0 in patients with epilepsy, convulsive syndrome, with increased intracranial
  • blood pressure, heart defects;
  • at any temperature during white fever.
Naturally, this applies to relatively healthy individuals who do not have chronic or other aggravating pathologies. There are people who cannot tolerate an increase in temperature; above 37.5 they almost faint and have convulsions; such people need a decrease in temperature to lower values.

The same applies to pregnant women; high temperatures can harm the baby in the womb. Thus, prolonged high temperatures can have a teratogenic effect and lead to disturbances in embryonic development (in particular, the child’s cardiovascular and nervous system suffers). In the later stages, a prolonged increase in temperature can lead to changes in the placenta and premature birth. In any case, it makes sense for a pregnant woman to consult a doctor (call her at home) if the numbers on the thermometer are high. Pregnant women should definitely not allow the temperature to rise above 38 degrees, and it is necessary to start reducing it at lower values.

This does not apply to cases when, due to natural self-love, we reach for antipyretic drugs, even if the temperature has not reached its peak and balances around 37-37.5. We must endure. Yes, it will be bad, but there are enough physical methods for reducing temperature that allow you to lower your body temperature by a couple of degrees without chemicals and this is enough to alleviate the condition, but the healing process will not be slowed down by external factors (taking pills, powders and tablets).

Physical methods and chemical methods (use of drugs) can be used to reduce the temperature.

Physical methods of reducing body temperature

Their essence is to increase the body's release of excess heat into the external environment. How this can be implemented:

  • do not wrap a person in extra feather beds and blankets;
  • dress cool enough, in light natural fabrics that will absorb sweat and not disturb heat exchange;
  • You can use rubbing (with vodka or cool water with vinegar (1 tablespoon of 6 percent vinegar per liter of cool water)). We wet the sponge in the liquid and wipe the patient, paying special attention to the places where blood vessels pass close: the wrists, the neck area and the joints of the arms and legs. Naturally, we do this not in drafts, so as not to freeze the patient. You can put a napkin soaked in regular cool water on your forehead (no vinegar is needed so as not to irritate delicate skin).
Despite their apparent simplicity, these methods make it possible to reduce body temperature by 0.5-1 degrees and this is often enough; in addition, they do not inhibit the development of the body’s protective reactions and do not grossly interfere with thermoregulation processes. They can be repeated over time and used more often than medications over the same period of time. In addition, they can be used at lower temperatures, and not just above 38 degrees and above, thus alleviating the suffering of the patient.

Medicinal (chemical) methods of reducing temperature

Currently, they are represented by a huge number of different antipyretic drugs; I have indicated in more detail the tactics of their use, the composition and mechanism of action of popular antipyretic drugs in.

Just remember that you should not use aspirin to reduce fever during the flu, especially in children - it can cause a dangerous complication of Reye's syndrome. In general, it is better not to use this drug to reduce fever in children or adults with a cold.

Also, at elevated temperatures, you should not use such folk methods as tea with raspberry jam or steaming in a sauna or steam bath, this is an additional burden and additional degrees to an already heated body. These procedures will not bring any benefit to the body; it can cope without them, responding to the infection with an increase in temperature.

The need for sufficient water regime runs like a red thread throughout the entire article. You need to drink a lot and enough (watch for edema in people predisposed to it and especially in pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy; it’s best to look at the legs, where they appear faster and are easier to diagnose). Children are forced to drink against their will; for this you can use any liquid (not soda, rich in chemical sweeteners and flavors), but ordinary water, tea, with or without lemon, compotes, fruit drinks. You can use salt solutions, such as rehydron (sold in pharmacies).


And finally, I will describe the tactics of behavior for white fever in children, since the topic worries many and the approaches to treating this condition differ from those for standard pink fever:
  • use the same antipyretic drugs as for standard pink fever (paracetamol and drugs derived from it) in an age-related dose;
  • It is necessary to use antispasmodics to eliminate spasm of peripheral vessels. No-shpa, which is so advised to be used for white fever on forums, should not be used, since it is necessary to relieve spasms of internal organs and deep vessels; it is better to use drugs such as Papaverine or Nikoshpan (a mixture of no-shpa and nicotinic acid);
  • hands and feet must be warmed with a heating pad or rubbing;
  • Give plenty of fluids without fail, while controlling urine output.
If within an hour after the above procedures the temperature does not decrease, this indicates serious problems and you need to consult a doctor (call an ambulance).

Such a protective mechanism as fever is discussed in the article. Now you know what types of fevers there are and what needs to be done to reduce the temperature in adults, children and pregnant women.

Fever in a child: what to do?

It is difficult to remain calm and sober in thought when your baby’s mercury thermometer goes beyond 38. High fever is much more difficult for children than for adults, and if not treated promptly, it can lead to tragic consequences.

A pediatrician told our magazine about how to properly help a child with a fever.

An increase in temperature in a child is probably one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor. The term fever is understood as an increase in temperature in the armpit above 37.1 °C or temperature in the rectum above 38 °C.

Normal in both adults and children body temperature equal to 36.5 °C. It is usually measured in the armpit. It can be difficult to hold a thermometer under the armpit of an infant, so you can measure the temperature in the mouth or rectum, but keep in mind that it will be about 0.5-0.8 °C higher.

How to measure temperature correctly?

When measuring temperature, you can use either a mercury or an electronic thermometer. Although instant temperature thermometers are generally not very accurate.

Under normal conditions, body temperature fluctuates during the day within 0.5 °C. In the morning it is minimal, in the evening it increases.

Very warm clothes, high ambient temperatures, a hot bath, and physical exercise increase body temperature by 1-1.5 °C.

Hot food or drinks can increase the temperature in the mouth, so temperature measurement should be done before meals or an hour after it.

A slight increase in temperature is possible in cases where the child is acting restless, crying.

Causes of high temperature in children

The most common causes of fever are infectious diseases. Changes in weather, long travel, overexcitement weaken the child’s body, and any infection may cause an increase in temperature.

In young children the temperature may rise due to simple overheating. Very caring parents, having wrapped their child in a warm room, create a “micro-steamhouse” for him, effectively

Children in the first two months of life do not yet know how to “give off” heat.

Another reason for a rise in body temperature may be teething , but it should be remembered that in this case the temperature is usually does not rise above 38.4 °C.

What kind of fever is there?

An increase in body temperature is a natural protective process, aimed at mobilizing the body’s own forces, increasing immunity, since microbes do not tolerate elevated temperatures well, stop their development and even die. This is why the temperature does not always need to be lowered.

Fever (high temperature) may be low-grade fever (up to 38 °C) and febrile (more than 38 °C). Also emit fever "white" and "red" types.

  • "Red" fever

    • With “red” fever, the skin is pink, moist, hot to the touch, the child’s behavior practically does not change. This fever is easier to deal with.

  • "White" fever

    • With “white” fever, the skin is pale with a “marble” pattern, the tint of the lips and fingertips may be bluish, and the baby’s arms and legs are cold to the touch. Characterized by a feeling of cold and chills. Increased heart rate and shortness of breath are observed, and convulsions may occur.

How to reduce the temperature?

It is necessary to reduce the temperature if it is more than 38.5 °C. Exceptions are situations if the child does not tolerate an increase in temperature or his age is less than 3 months; in these cases, it must be reduced already at 38 ° C. The most important thing is don’t panic! It’s better to calm down and think about how to help the baby.

More liquid!

With a fever, as a rule, appetite decreases sharply, and you need to come to terms with this. The main thing is that the baby has plenty of breast milk, and if the temperature is high, additional fluids. A child with a fever should drink more than a healthy child. An increase in body temperature causes increased evaporation of fluid from the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

You need to drink more!
For every degree of increase in body temperature, the child should receive fluids 20% more than the daily norm.

If the baby is breastfed, then if the temperature rises or medications are used, the need to supplement it with water, even if you haven't done it before. Children over 6 months old can be given warm (slightly warmer than room temperature) tea, cranberry and lingonberry juice, linden blossom infusion, as well as fennel and chamomile infusion.

Little ones should be put to the breast more often and given water or chamomile tea. Even if the child is capricious and dissatisfied, be persistent. Only Do not give too much liquid at once so as not to provoke vomiting.

Fresh air

Try to maintain the air temperature in the room no higher than 22-23 ° C, ventilate the room more often. Do not wrap your child up with a cotton blanket.

From the home medicine cabinet

Of the drugs recommended, mainly those where the active ingredient is paracetamol . These are “Paracetamol”, “Panadol”, “Efferalgan”, “Tylenol”, “Cefekon D”, etc. They are available in the form of syrup, rectal suppositories, tablets. A single dose of paracetamol is 10-15 mg/kg (up to 1 year from 50 to 120 mg at a time), can be repeated up to 4 times a day.

If paracetamol does not help, children from 6 months can be given Nurofen syrup (Ibuprofen) (daily dose - 5-10 mg/kg, divided into 4 doses). It is possible to take the drug from 3 months, but only as prescribed and under the supervision of a doctor.

It should be remembered that aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is contraindicated for children under 15 years of age! Analgin is prescribed only by the attending physician according to strict indications.

When the temperature rises, especially in infants, do not self-medicate, call a doctor. A specialist will help to correctly assess the severity of the child’s condition and prescribe adequate treatment.

Folk remedies for fever

Physical cooling methods are used: the child must be undressed, a cold compress must be placed on the forehead and changed periodically, the body must be wiped with a mixture of water and vodka in equal quantities (wipe, but do not rub the baby, otherwise it will cause the opposite effect). The procedure can be repeated several times until the temperature drops to 38 °C.

You can do an enema (always reduces body temperature by 1 °C). The enema is given with water at room temperature. For children 1-6 months - 30-60 ml, from 6 to 12 months - 120 ml. But this method should not be abused.

Attention: special occasion!

With “white” type fever, the temperature does not drop well due to spasm of the blood vessels in the extremities, which is why the child’s feet are cold. In this case, you can additionally, in addition to the antipyretic, give the child Papaverine or No-shpu (¼-½ tablets), and at the same time an antihistamine (Suprastin, Fenistil, Zyrtec) and give the child hot tea.

You can apply a cold compress to your forehead, but You cannot wipe the child. You need to put woolen socks on your baby and wait until your feet become warm and your skin turns pink.

See a doctor urgently!

If the temperature has not decreased 30 minutes after taking paracetamol or even rises, loose stools or cramps appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Be attentive to your baby. Even if the child’s condition is apparently good, you need to remember the likelihood of unfavorable dynamics and be on alert.

It is not a disease, it acts as a protective reaction against a large number of acute infectious and inflammatory diseases. High temperatures increase the production and release of interferon, an antiviral protein.

Viruses lose their ability to attack and reproduce. But elevated temperature does not always have a positive effect on the human body.

Therapist: Azalia Solntseva ✓ Article checked by doctor


Characteristics of the disease

Not many parents know what white fever is, how it manifests itself and why it is dangerous. White fever is a significant increase in body temperature, reaching 39 or even higher degrees. White fever is accompanied by an outflow of blood from the skin. It is as a result of the drainage and pallor of the skin that the fever got its name.

In this situation, an increase in temperature is not a protective function, but rather is harmful to health. Fever carries the prerequisites for serious illness. At the first symptoms, children need treatment, which should be aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease, and not the obvious symptoms (fever).

Help

First of all, when the temperature is elevated, parents begin to bring it down with various antipyretic drugs, but in this case the problem should be approached with all seriousness. It is necessary to determine the baby’s condition, how poorly he feels, and take into account the accompanying symptoms.

What to do if you have a high temperature (emergency help for fever):

  1. It is important to provide the baby with complete rest and bed rest.
  2. You should refrain from eating; do not force your baby to eat, this can further aggravate the situation.
  3. If the baby still wants to eat, you should exclude everything fatty, salty, sour, and fried from his diet.
  4. When eating, give preference to light broths, mashed potatoes or porridge (without oil).
  5. Regularly give children warm drinks (tea, uzvar, compote, jelly); the liquid should enter the body in small portions, regularly, to replenish its loss through sweat or urine.
  6. At high temperatures, you should not bathe children, even in warm water; you can only wipe them with a towel soaked in warm water.
  7. If the temperature is high, you should monitor the temperature in the room in which sick children are located; for infants, 25-27 degrees is considered optimal, for older children 22-24 degrees.

You can reduce the fever with warm compresses or rubbing the whole body, but only slightly and not for long. It is strictly forbidden to apply cold compresses or ice; they can cause vascular spasms in a child or an adult.

The well-known rubbing with vinegar or alcohol can have a negative effect on the body. Such substances, penetrating through the skin into the child’s body, can cause severe poisoning.

It is worth taking antipyretic drugs only when the body temperature begins to rise rapidly, the thermometer shows above 38 degrees and the child’s general well-being deteriorates greatly, he is chilly, his skin turns pale.=

Not all parents know what is the best medication to give their baby for fever, so you should first consult with your pediatrician about this.

Doctors have refused to prescribe antipyretic drugs, which include aspirin and analgin, to children of different ages. They prefer syrups, suspensions, tablets, which contain ibuprofen and paracetamol.

When taking the drug, you should adhere to the dosage according to the child’s age or body weight. If the fever does not subside, the baby remains pale, and convulsions occur, then parents should immediately call an ambulance.

How it manifests itself

Symptomatic manifestations of white fever in a child can be different, occurring individually or in combination. It depends on the cause of the fever.

The symptoms are:

  • shortness of breath, as after running;
  • high body temperature, intense fever;
  • apathetic state, constant drowsiness, weakness and lethargy;
  • reluctance to eat food or drink water;
  • arrhythmia;
  • loss of fluid in the body;
  • change in skin tone, becomes pale, and lips begin to turn blue;
  • arms and legs go numb;
  • young children become restless, capricious, and cry regularly.

Doctors identify the main stages of white fever in children:

  1. First stage. Body temperature rises sharply.
  2. Second stage. Severe fever lasts for a long time (several days); antipyretic drugs do not help.
  3. Third stage. Body temperature begins to drop sharply and rapidly.

High temperature prevents the proliferation of viral cells and harmful microorganisms located in the baby’s body. Due to this, after some time, the symptoms caused by the inflammatory process spontaneously subside.

White and red uniforms

Each parent is concerned with the question of what is the difference between red and white fever. We have analyzed white fever; it is characterized by high body temperature and a light shade of the skin.

Red fever manifests itself in the opposite way - a red tint to the skin. The child’s cheeks, whole face and even body turn red. It feels hot to the touch. A warm body indicates good heat exchange in the child.

Parents should not wrap the baby up and cover him; his skin needs fresh air for natural thermoregulation; excessive wrapping increases sweating. During red fever, your child's body temperature should be measured every half hour. If the readings exceed 38.5 degrees, then you should take a fever-reducing medicine.

Why does it occur

Doctors consider infection of the body to be the most common cause of white fever. Occurs due to fungal or viral infections entering the body. White fever indicates the progression of ARVI, bronchitis, rhinitis, otitis or an inflammatory process in the lungs or respiratory diseases in the child’s body.

In tropical countries, the cause of fever is often intestinal infections and poisoning. Pathogens enter the body through food, as well as by airborne droplets.

White fever often develops against the background of vaccination (flu, measles, rubella vaccination). Fever is not uncommon in case of poisoning of the body, allergic reactions, as well as malignant tumors or diseases of a rheumatic nature.

In adults

In an adult, hyperthermia manifests itself in the same way as in a child. Only the readings on the thermometer can be much higher.

Hyperthermia is a protective reaction of the body to the introduction of various viruses. When pathogenic microorganisms enter the body, protective cells - leukocytes - are sent to their location.

Pathogenic microorganisms release endogenous pyrogens into the blood - these are substances that are stimulants of leukocytes and macrophages, which provide the body’s protective function.

Pathogens provoke an increase in temperature, and their presence increases the activity of the immune response. If in children the fever during hyperthermia increases to 38-39 degrees, then in adults such indicators can be 40-41 degrees.

If the temperature stays at 40 degrees for a long time, then you should:

  • immediately call an ambulance;
  • if you have antipyretics in your home medicine cabinet, you can try to reduce the fever with medications;
  • In extreme heat, you should drink plenty of fluids;
  • do not force food;
  • observe bed rest.

Elevated temperature for a long time causes convulsions, not only in children, but also in adults. Therefore, you should not hesitate; you can reduce your fever at home in several ways, including alternative medicine, if there are no antipyretic drugs in your medicine cabinet.

How to help

To treat hyperthermia, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs should be prescribed. But often they turn out to be ineffective. Phenothiazines are often prescribed to children of different ages; their principle of action is aimed at dilating blood vessels, thinning the blood, and normalizing the functioning of the sweat glands. Such drugs have a sedative effect.

Pediatricians for white fever prescribe vasodilators (nicotinic acid 1 mg per 10 kg of baby’s weight). Vitamin PP is recommended for use with medications containing paracetamol. Nurofen is considered an effective antipyretic drug; it is available in the form of suppositories, syrup or tablets.


When treating hyperthermia, you should not focus your attention and direct all treatment to lowering the temperature and take strong medications. Do not forget that the faster a high fever is brought down by a medical drug for a child, the stronger the negative effect it has on his body.

First aid for spasms is antispasmodic drugs that affect blood vessels (Papaverine, Dibazol). But No-shpa, considered the most famous antispasmodic, will be useless, its action is aimed at internal organs.

Fever-reducing medications will begin to act only after the spasms are eliminated. If the blood vessels are narrowed, you should thoroughly rub the arms and legs of the baby, this will improve blood circulation.

Children need to stay in bed and move less. Parents can dry him with a warm towel, but not a cold one. And do not forget that white fever is a symptom, not a disease.

For sore throat

Sore throat is an infectious disease, which in 9 out of 10 cases is accompanied by elevated body temperature.

Doctors distinguish the following types of fever:

  • 37-38 degrees – low-grade fever;
  • 38-39 degrees – febrile fever;
  • 39-40 degrees – pyretic fever;
  • 40-41 degrees – hyperperetic fever, there is a threat to the patient’s life.

With angina, the first two types of fever occur. They do not last long and disappear completely after 3-4 days. The fever persists during a sore throat as long as purulent follicles are observed on the tonsils. As soon as the pus disappears, the body temperature returns to normal, and with it the patient’s general well-being.

If a sore throat is not diagnosed in time, the body temperature will last up to 10 days, which will subsequently cause serious complications in human health.

Consequences and complications

If the parents reacted in time and managed to bring down the temperature, then the prognosis will be favorable. Complications do occur, but rarely; this occurs as a result of ignoring characteristic symptoms and slowness in providing first aid.

With white fever, antipyretics can help, no earlier than after 2-3 hours. If the temperature has dropped even by half a degree, this is a good indicator. If it drops from 39 degrees to 38, you should not give the child medicine again; it is better to wait a while.

To prevent hyperthermia, doctors recommend adhering to the following rules:

  • maintain personal hygiene; the baby should be taught this from early childhood;
  • avoid hypothermia and overheating of the body;
  • during epidemic periods, avoid places with large crowds of people;
  • temper the child from childhood, but gradually;
  • At home, ventilate rooms daily, do wet cleaning at least 2-3 times a week.

You should also not dress your children inappropriately for the weather; you should dress the same as yourself. When a baby has a fever, you should not expect everything to go away on its own or “sin” your teeth. Call an ambulance or call your local doctor, who will help you understand the cause and prescribe the correct treatment.

Almost any illness in a child is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. This is a specific reaction of the body to changes in the internal environment under the influence of various factors, which include infectious agents. Hyperthermia can also be caused by a number of non-communicable diseases.

Even a slight increase in a child’s body temperature should alert parents. At this moment, you need to listen carefully to the body in order to understand where it malfunctioned and which organ needs help.

White fever is difficult to respond to antipyretics

The concept of fever and its danger to the child’s body

A child’s body is a complex system where every organ and organ system (circulatory, lymphatic, nervous) works together, thereby supporting the life of the little person. Together they respond to various noxious stimuli. Fever is one of these specific reactions. Hyperthermia is characterized by a restructuring of the thermoregulation system, which leads to an increase in temperature. In this way, the body reacts to pathogenic factors of both external and internal origin.

Fever stimulates the immune response and helps fight pathogens. Elevated temperature can be a consequence of infectious, somatic ailments, and blood diseases. Fever can also often be caused by psychological disorders. Hyperthermia provokes the production of interferon, stimulates the phagocytosis of foreign material and the formation of specific antibodies.

Despite the benefits of elevated temperature, it can cause many complications, including life-threatening conditions, especially against the background of cardiac and respiratory problems.

Fever is especially dangerous for young children. It can cause seizures and brain swelling.

Dangerous complications of hyperthermia:

  • hypoxia is the result of an increase in respiratory rate by 2-3 times and a decrease in its depth;
  • disturbance in the functioning of the heart - manifests itself as a result of an increase in heart rate, an increase in oxygen consumption by cardiac muscle cells;
  • indigestion - the intestines cease to function normally, appetite decreases, and the secretion of the digestive glands decreases;
  • dehydration is a consequence of large losses of water from the body’s cells;
  • acidosis - the breakdown of protein with the formation of intermediate metabolic products, which are acids, they are carried throughout the body through the bloodstream;
  • violation of microcirculation - manifested by a marbled skin pattern, extremities become cold, convulsions are possible (we recommend reading:).

Varieties and symptoms

Fever in a child is divided into several types according to a number of symptoms. Classification by duration of flow:

  • acute – up to 2 weeks;
  • subacute – up to 6 weeks;
  • chronic – more than 6 weeks.

 Fever varies in severity depending on the temperature rise

According to the degree of increase in body temperature:

  • subfebrile – up to 38°C;
  • moderate – up to 39°C;
  • high – up to 41°C;
  • hyperthermic – above 41°C.

Types of fevers according to accompanying symptoms:

  • long-term (constant) – temperature fluctuates within 0.4°C per day;
  • remitting - temperature during the day can fluctuate within wide limits, but the minimum values ​​are above normal;
  • intermittent - a wide range of temperatures from standard to the highest value during the day;
  • hectic - the temperature drops to normal, but after a couple of hours it again reaches maximum values, accompanied by increased sweating;
  • wavy - characterized by a gradual decrease and increase in temperature;
  • return – the temperature alternately drops and rises at unequal intervals;
  • biphasic – the disease can be accompanied by different temperatures;
  • periodic – characterized by the recurrence of fever over a period of time.

 Temperature may be undulating

White

White fever in a child does not respond well to antipyretic drugs. This is a type of hypothermia in which there is an outflow of blood from the skin. Symptoms of this type of hyperthermia:

  • pale skin;
  • cold extremities;
  • respiratory dysfunction;
  • increased heart rate;
  • lethargy or agitation;
  • convulsions.

Red

In red fever, heat loss corresponds to heat production. Hyperthermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • limbs are warm, moderately red, skin is moist;
  • slight increase in heart rate and breathing;
  • no change in behavior.

 If your body temperature does not return to normal within three days, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of white and red fever

Body temperature can change for a number of reasons:

Non-infectious causes of hyperthermia include the following pathologies:

  • allergic reaction;
  • tumors of various origins;
  • head injuries and associated hemorrhages;
  • vascular thrombosis;
  • reaction to medications;
  • metabolic pathologies;
  • diseases of the endocrine glands.

First aid


 At elevated body temperatures, it is important to prevent dehydration, so the child should be offered warm teas and water

If a child has pink fever:

  • undress the baby and provide him with a flow of fresh air, but at the same time protect him from drafts;
  • give plenty of fluids;
  • provide local cooling by applying a damp, cool bandage to the forehead and the area of ​​large blood vessels;
  • give an antipyretic (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen), and if after 30-45 minutes the medicine does not work, then an antipyretic mixture can be administered intramuscularly;
  • if the temperature does not subside, inject again.

For white fever in children it is necessary:

  • give antipyretic medicine - Paracetamol, Ibuprofen;
  • take orally or inject intramuscularly a vasodilator drug - Papaverine, No-shpu;
  • Monitor your body temperature every hour once it reaches 37°C.

If after all the manipulations the symptoms of pale hyperthermia do not go away, then urgent hospitalization of the child is indicated. Further therapy depends on the severity of the child’s condition and the cause of white fever.

Indications for the use of antipyretics:

  • temperature above 39°C;
  • temperature above 38-38.5°C in children with cardiac dysfunction, past convulsive conditions, breathing problems, headaches and muscle pain, and metabolic disorders;
  • temperature 38°C – up to 3 months of age.

Features of treatment

In case of red fever, to increase heat transfer, it is recommended to expose the baby as much as possible, since warm clothes will only provoke an additional increase in temperature. In order to avoid dehydration, you should provide your child with plenty of fluids, and it is recommended to give your baby water often, but in small portions. To improve heat transfer, you can apply a damp, cool towel to your forehead and the area of ​​large blood vessels. It is not advisable to give your child an antipyretic if the temperature does not exceed 38.5-39°C.

The treatment mechanisms for pale fever are different from those for pink pyrexia because it is life-threatening and harder to bring down. It is necessary to warm the child's limbs by putting on socks and covering him with a sheet or a thin blanket. When taking antipyretic drugs, medications are simultaneously given or administered to dilate blood vessels and relieve their spasms. It is important to call a doctor for follow-up and treatment. In emergency cases, hospitalization is indicated.

There is no need to panic and bring down your child’s low fever. It is important to give the body the opportunity to cope with the infection on its own. However, at the same time, it is necessary to constantly monitor body temperature in order to prevent consequences. If attempts to reduce body temperature during white fever are unsuccessful, you should urgently call a doctor - perhaps the child is in danger and needs emergency help.

Dashevskaya N.D. State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Ural State Medical Academy" -,Department of Pediatrics FPC and PP, Roszdrav, Ekaterinburg

Definition: Fever (K ​​50.9) is a protective-adaptive reaction of the body that occurs in response to exposure to pathogenic stimuli and is characterized by a restructuring of thermoregulation processes, leading to an increase in body temperature, stimulating the natural reactivity of the body.

Fever continues to be one of the common reasons for seeking emergency care in pediatric practice. Fever worsens the child's condition and worries parents, and remains the main reason for the uncontrolled use of various medications. 95% of ARVI patients receive antipyretic drugs at temperatures below 38°C, although in most children moderate fever (up to 38.5°C) does not cause serious discomfort.

  1. Infectious origin - occurs frequently and develops due to exposure to pyrogens of a viral or bacterial nature
  2. Non-infectious origin (central, psychogenic, reflex, endocrine, resorption, medicinal origin.

Classification:

Depending on the degree of increase in axillary temperature:

Subfebrile 37.2-38.0 C.

  • Low febrile 38.1-39.0 C.
  • High febrile 39.1-40.1 C.
  • Excessive (hyperthermic) over 40.1 C.

Clinical options:

  • “Red” (“pink”) fever (accompanied by normal health and pink skin)
  • “White” (“pale”) fever (a disturbance in well-being and condition is noted, Chills, -a; m. A painful sensation of cold, often accompanied by muscle tremors of the body, caused by spasm of the blood vessels in a person, for example, during fever or any injury .

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  • Hyperthermic syndrome (an extremely serious condition caused by pale fever in combination with toxic damage to the central nervous system)

Reducing the temperature is necessary in the following cases:

  • in children under 6 months. at body temperature more than 38.0 C;
  • in children from 6 months to 6 years with a sudden increase in temperature over 39.0 ° C;
  • in children with heart and lung diseases, potentially dangerous for the development of acute cardiac and respiratory failure, in children with convulsive syndrome (of any etiology), as well as for diseases of the central nervous system, potentially dangerous for the development of this syndrome, at a temperature of 38.0 "C and above;
  • all cases of pale fever at a temperature of 38.0 C or more.

Temperature reduction tactics:

  1. Should not be used for any temperature reaction;
  2. It is not necessary to achieve normalization of temperature; in most cases, it is enough to lower body temperature by 1-1.5 ° C, which is accompanied by an improvement in the child’s well-being; The decrease in temperature should not be rapid;
  3. Antipyretics should not be prescribed for a regular course of use in children receiving Antibiotics - chemical substances produced by microorganisms or their structural analogues, which even in very small concentrations have a detrimental effect on other microorganisms or tumor cells.

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Choice of antipyretic agent:

It is recommended to use only the following as antipyretic drugs in children:

Paracetamol(panadol, calpol, efferalgan) in children after the 1st month of life in a single dose of 15 mg/kg, daily dose of 60 mg/kg.

Analgin(metamizole) is prescribed only in emergency cases parenterally (0.1-0.2 ml of 50% solution per 10 kg of body weight intramuscularly only).

Aspirin, analgin (orally), and nimesulide (Nise) should not be prescribed.

Emergency care for pink fever.

  • - paracetamol orally in a single dose of 10-15 mg/kg.
  • - physical methods of cooling: expose the child as much as possible, provide access to fresh air, wipe with a damp swab at a water temperature of at least 37.0 °C, let the child dry, repeat the procedure 2-3 times with an interval of 10-15 minutes, blow with a fan, use a cool wet bandage on the forehead, cold on the area of ​​large vessels;
  • - intramuscular administration of antipyretic drugs, if the desired result cannot be achieved within 30 minutes: 50% solution of metamizole sodium (analgin) 0.01 ml/kg for children of the first year of life, over one year of age - 0.1 ml/year. Antihistamines are prescribed only when indicated.
  • - continue physical cooling methods if necessary.

Emergency care for “pale” fever.

  • - paracetamol or ibuprofen orally in a single dose.
  • - papaverine dihydrochloride or rotaverine hydrochloride (no-spa) in an age-related dosage (papaverine dihydrochloride 2% - up to one year
  • - 0.1-0.2 ml, over 1 year - 0.2 ml/year of life, no-spa 0.05 ml/kg
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  • - Rubbing, -i; Wed 1. Movements (of palms, towels, etc.) on the surface of the skin, made with the aim of causing a rush of blood or forcing something. absorb into the skin; one AND massage techniques. Options: straight, zigzag, spiral and circular rubbing using fingertips; possible straight-line rubbing with the palm and the tubercle of the thumb; forceps (with a pinch or three fingers); comb-shaped with fingers clenched into a fist, etc. 2. A substance (ointment, gel, tincture) that is rubbed into the skin (usually for medicinal or cosmetic purposes).

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  • - if the desired result cannot be achieved within 30 minutes, intramuscular administration of antipyretic drugs: 50% solution of metamizole sodium (analgin) 0.01 ml/kg for children of the first year of life, over one year of age - 0.1 ml/year in combination with clemastine (suprastin) 2%
  • - 0.1-0.15 ml per 1 year of life, but not more than 1.0 ml and papaverine dihydrochloride 2% - up to one year - 0.1-0.2 ml, over 1 year - 0.2 ml/year life.
  • - if there is no effect within 30 minutes. - intravenous droperidol 0.25% - 0.1 ml/kg.