Fever literacy and fever phobia.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the percentage of parents who define the threshold for fever between 38.0°C and 38.3°C, which has not been reported previously, and to describe parental attitudes toward fever and antipyretic use.


METHODS
Thirteen-question survey study of caregivers.


RESULTS
Overall, 81% of participants defined the threshold for fever as <38.0°C, 0% correctly defined fever between 38.0°C and 38.3°C, and 19% defined fever as >38.3°C. Twenty percent of children brought to clinic for a chief complaint of fever were never truly febrile. Ninety-three percent of participants believed that high fever can cause brain damage. For a comfortable-appearing child with fever, 89% of caregivers reported that they would give antipyretics and 86% would schedule a clinic visit.


CONCLUSIONS
Our finding that 0% of parents correctly defined fever is both surprising and unsettling, and it should inform future discussions of fever between parents and clinicians.
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. matthew.ben.wallenstein@gmail.com
Matthew B
MB
Wallenstein
Alan R
AR
Schroeder
Michael K
MK
Hole
Christina
C
Ryan
Natalia
N
Fijalkowski
Elysia
E
Alvarez
Suzan L
SL
Carmichael
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D058633:Antipyretics