Fever education: Does it reduce parent fever anxiety?

Objective: The aims of the study were to determine the following: 1) if a f ever education program (interactive or written) reduces parent fever anxiet y; 2) if an interactive fever program was more effective as a teaching styl e than standard written material alone; and 3) if a fever program increases parent fever home management and reduces return emergency department (ED) visits. Method: A quasiexperimental, pretest and post-test pilot study examining pa rental fever anxiety was conducted at The Children's Hospital of Philadelph ia. Eligible participants consisted of 87 parents and their children, aged 3 months to 5 years presenting with fever >38.4 degreesC, and without coexi sting serious illness. Results: Both the interactive fever education program and the standard writ ten fever pamphlet were equally effective as teaching methods. Data reveale d a 30% reduction in fever anxiety rated as moderate-severe on arrival to n one-low post-fever education, increased parent fever home management skills with correct use of thermometer and antipyretics, and reduced unnecessary return ED visits. Conclusion: Parents in the acute and nonacute care setting may benefit from an interactive fever education program that includes the definition and be nefit of fever, the correct use of a thermometer, fever home management ski lls, and appropriate fever telephone follow-up.