Patient's question:
I've had a fever for two days. On the first day, it was above 37 degrees in the morning, rose to above 38 degrees in the afternoon, and reached 39 degrees by night. Besides the fever, I haven't had any other symptoms. My mental state and appetite are the same as usual!Today is the second day, and the fever hasn't improved. I bought fever patches, took Tylenol and Cephalexin, but they didn't seem to work much. Even alcohol rubdowns didn't help. My temperature has been fluctuating around 38 degrees—when I sleep, it reaches around 39 degrees!
I went to the hospital, and they did a blood test, saying it was a viral cold and prescribed an antiviral medication. It doesn't seem to be working very well! What should I do? My child is burning up all over! What can I do?
Previous treatment and effectiveness: Viral cold, but only with a fever, no other symptoms.
Help needed: Just want my child to get better!
Doctor's answer:
A 13-month-old child has developed an upper respiratory infection, and the symptom of fever has reappeared. This is part of the natural course of the illness, and taking any medication cannot immediately restore the child to normal. You are all here. If conditions permit, hospital treatment should be considered. If at home, the child's condition should be closely monitored for changes. If the fever is below 35 degrees, physical cooling methods such as a warm bath or warm sponge bath should be used. When the temperature is below 39 degrees, appropriate fever-reducing medications can be administered. Additionally, the child should be given plenty of fluids. Promptly taking the medication prescribed by the doctor will allow the symptoms to gradually improve after a few days of treatment.