Fever Overview

Man with a fever

Fever

Fever is a common sign and symptom observed in a variety of clinical settings.1

The normal body temperature is about 36.5°C to 38°C, with the typical temperature at 37°C. In a healthy afebrile person, the hypothalamic thermoregulatory centre of the brain regulates body temperature by balancing the heat produced during metabolism and that released through respiration and evaporation.1 However, when this balance is offset due to different reasons, fever sets in.

One common symptom in a variety of conditions2

  

  • Doctor taking a case history

    Fever is considered a natural reaction when the body is ill and is one of the oldest indications of disease. It often occurs due to infection, inflammation and trauma to the body. As it is a response of the body involving multi-systemic mechanisms that occur when the body is ill, fever is considered a significant contributor to the pathogenesis, clinical presentation and outcome of many illnesses and disease.

  • Fevers can be classified into acute, subacute and chronic.

    Fever
    		 Duration

    Acute

    		 < 7 days and characteristic of most infectious diseases.
    Subacute Not more than 2 weeks and seen in certain infections such as typhoid fever.
    Chronic Also known as persistent fever lasting for > 2 weeks and typical in chronic bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, cancers and viral infections like HIV.

  • Fevers can also have specific patterns depending on its cause and this together with other signs and symptoms are used to diagnose the underlying disease, infection or condition.

Meet Ollie

Baby smiling

Ollie’s got a fever

Ollie’s 1 years old and has been having a fever for the past two days. His mum is worried because he’s been fussy and not eating well. She’s been doing tepid sponging but the fever isn’t going down too much. She wants something to help him get rid of the fever and at the same time, something that is safe for him.

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Understanding fever

Child with fever

What causes fever?

Learn more about the causes of fever.

Causes

Icon of a doctor

How do they present?

Refresh your knowledge on the signs and symptoms of fever and learn about “red flag” symptoms that indicate a referral to the doctor.

Signs and symptoms

Medicines

What can you recommend to your patients for fever?

Find out more about both non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments for fever in both adults and children.

Management

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Calpol paediatric suspension pack shot

Releases paracetamol 2X faster3*

Calpol paediatric suspension contains paracetamol, which is recommended as first-line treatment for fever and mild-to-moderate pain in children.2-4 It starts to relieve fever within 15 minutes of dosing.1,5-7

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Pharmacist smiling

Learning module for pharmacy assistants

A useful tool specifically tailored for pharmacy assistants to treat children’s fever and pain using appropriate over-the-counter products.

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Calpol Paediatrics dosing chart

Dose your child correctly with Calpol

Infants under three months: NOT RECOMMENDED May be given three to four times daily but with an interval of 4-6 hours between each dose. Consult your doctor if no relief is obtained with the recommended dosage.17 DO NOT USE CONTINUOUSLY FOR LONGER THAN TEN DAYS WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR.

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