Question

Tina is caring for an infant who is running a very high fever and vomiting whenever Tina tries to feed him some water to keep him hydrated. If she continues to give him water to try to lower his body temperature and increase hydration and, as a result, he vomits more fluid than he is drinking, then he will only get more dehydrated, and his body temperature will rise. What do you think Tina should do to reduce the child’s fever, make him more comfortable, and enhance his ability to drink liquids?

Answer 1

Answer: Tina should worry about the fever first and get a ice pack or a cool rag to get him to his normal temperature. Doing that will make him comfortable...well at least a little. The child has pyrexia so medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen may help ease discomfort. Since this is a child, avoid giving him aspirin because this may cause a rare, serious condition.