At what temperature should you call an ambulance for a baby? At what temperature should you call an ambulance for children and adults?

It is not customary for us to call an ambulance when a person has an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold. However, there are cases when this is simply necessary. In this article, you will learn what symptoms may be a signal that it is time to call a doctor before he arrives.

Sometimes an ambulance is needed

The off-season is considered the hottest and busiest time for healthcare workers regarding influenza. It is during the period from November to March that the greatest number complaints related to ARVI and influenza.

An ambulance for the flu is called by citizens on the basis of poor health and a sharp rise in body temperature. However, doctors say that this does not always indicate the severity and danger of the disease.

Strong headache- This serious symptom

A much more compelling symptom, in their opinion, is severe and continuous headache, which cannot be relieved with painkillers available in the house. In case of such pain and severe vomiting medical workers must be called to your home immediately.

Headache and vomiting are signs of meningitis. In this case, the person should be immediately hospitalized and treatment should begin. The second, serious reason to call an ambulance if you have the flu can be shortness of breath and breathing problems. All this may be accompanied by coughing up “rusty” sputum mixed with blood. These symptoms indicate the presence of pneumonia, which develops within five days of contracting the flu.

Danger of high temperature

When the flu comes, one of the obvious indicators is an increase in temperature, which causes concern among the relatives of the sick person and causes an ambulance to be called. This can be called a protective reaction of the body, which manifests itself after the destructive activity of the virus. At this time it is activated protective function human liver, and leukocytes destroy antibodies.

High temperature is dangerous

However, an increase in temperature is dangerous; many systems in the body are affected, including the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

It is important to note that an elevated temperature can indicate not only colds, but also for intestinal infection or different types intoxication, inflammation in the body.

In this case, you need to seek help from a doctor who can diagnose accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

First aid

Before the ambulance arrives, household members will be able to provide first aid to the patient. emergency assistance. The main problem may be an extremely high temperature, for example above 38 degrees. The danger in this case is that upon crossing the 40-degree barrier, the blood inside the person coagulates and he dies.

To reduce fever, you need to use antipyretic drugs. Eliminate aspirin from your first aid kit, in this situation it will only have a negative effect. A good option There will be paracetamol. The patient should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Methods can also be applied external influence to reduce fever:

  • Rubbing with a solution of vodka;
  • Application of cooling compresses;
  • Rubbing with cold water;

You should also remove it from under the blanket to prevent overheating. In such a state, a person cannot put cups, mustard plasters, or do various inhalations. The consequences can be dire, including pulmonary edema.

Calling an ambulance home

Many people do not know what symptoms of flu to call an ambulance. Let us clarify that by calling a medical team, you are asking for urgent emergency care and your life is in danger.

Sometimes calling an ambulance is necessary

The main indications for calling an ambulance may be:

  • Stable, high and not decreasing body temperature;
  • Difficulty in breathing;
  • Dehydration of the body;
  • Presence of blood impurities in stool, urine, vomit, coughing up sputum;
  • Headache not relieved by medication;
  • Abdominal pain;

It is worth understanding that the flu is unpredictable and dangerous disease, so when the slightest symptoms indicating complications or causing danger to life, you should call a doctor home.

It is worth recalling that the mortality statistics from influenza around the world are staggering. According to data, young children and the elderly are becoming victims of the virus.

What to tell the ambulance operator?

If you think that the symptoms observed in a person are life-threatening and urgent medical attention is needed, then you need to call “103” and inform the operator about your situation. On the other side of the tube you will be asked standard questions:

  • Address;
  • Gender and age of the patient;
  • Symptoms;
  • How long have they lasted;
  • Is there a reaction of the body to antipyretics;
  • The severity of the patient's condition;
  • Availability additional symptoms(dehydration, rash, nausea, breathing problems);
  • Contact number;

After this, the operator must inform how long it will take to wait for the medical team. Please note that if there is the following symptoms patient, you must notify the operator about this by phone:

  • Fainting;
  • Temperature more than 39 degrees;
  • Sharp pain in the chest area;
  • Difficulty in breathing;
  • Diarrhea;
  • Vomiting or gagging;
  • Sweat on forehead;
  • Excessive pallor.

All this may indicate that a person has developing complications and the need to immediately transfer him to a hospital, where treatment can continue. To avoid similar condition, it is recommended to spend a lot of time outdoors, take precautions in case of epidemics, get vaccinated and maintain good hygiene.

Exercising - strengthening the immune system

Additional factors that will be beneficial include hardening, intake contrast shower, taking vitamins, playing sports, healthy eating and as stress-free as possible. Do not visit crowded places during an epidemic and protect sick family members from healthy ones by organizing a kind of quarantine for them. By following these recommendations, you can protect yourself from negative impact viruses and strengthen your own immune system.

” №11/2010 04.08.11

Call for a child ambulance necessary in several cases: if the child has a very high body temperature, convulsions, sharp pain in the abdomen, swelling with a rash and difficulty breathing. Keep in mind that in some cases you simply cannot hesitate! After all, what faster for the child will provide qualified medical care, the greater his chances of a full recovery.

If the health of your child depends on the speed of your reaction, you must act decisively. And don't be afraid to play it safe!

If the ambulance team is not there for half an hour, do not waste time and take the child to the nearest hospital yourself, he must be examined there! Call a taxi or hail a car on the street.

At what temperature should you call an ambulance in a child?

If the child common cold, the local pediatrician will prescribe treatment and the illness will soon go away. However, high fever in children often accompanies other illnesses. And in some cases you need to immediately call an ambulance.

Due to the high temperature, the child begins to vomit. Theoretically, this can be said to be normal food poisoning, and about the reaction nervous system child for fever (spasm of the esophageal sphincter occurs). Nevertheless, urgent help he definitely needs it! After all, vomiting sometimes indicates serious meningitis or a serious intestinal infection, in which dehydration quickly develops.

The child developed a rash of any nature. Purple spots or a rash in the form of bruises that appear right before your eyes should be especially alarming. These are signs of meningococcemia - the most dangerous infection. The child urgently needs antibiotics!

Headache, lethargy, lethargy, drowsiness in a child with a temperature above 38.5 C is a very serious symptom, indicating a severe infection. Doctors from the ambulance team will provide first aid and take the child to the hospital.

Fever in children can be reduced with ibuprofen or paracetamol. age dosage, but if you notice that the drugs do not work and the child’s temperature does not go down, call an ambulance.

The child is dehydrated

Children under 3 years of age become dehydrated much faster than adults. It is enough for them not to drink for several hours required quantity fluids for high fever or vomiting. It is important to prevent dehydration in a child and know its signs so that at the slightest threat you can call an ambulance.

How to give water to a child who is dehydrated

Loss of fluid and mineral salts occurs at high temperatures, as well as with any other diseases accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. It could be like intestinal infection, and acetonemic crisis. That's why drinking plenty of fluids- a mandatory condition for treating a child. Offer him clean water, compote, Herb tea, for example, from chamomile. If your child refuses to drink, add a little sugar to the drink. It is important that he drinks as much as possible during his illness. A special situation is uncontrollable vomiting. Then the child should be given water according to the following scheme: 5 ml of liquid every 5-10 minutes. This algorithm will ensure that at least some liquid is absorbed by the body. If the child categorically refuses to drink, call the emergency room!

Symptoms of dehydration in a child

A well-hydrated child should urinate every 4 hours with light-colored urine. If this occurs less frequently, it is possible that the child’s body is dehydrated. If dehydrated, he may develop bad smell from the mouth, mucous membranes and tongue will be dry. Pronounced drowsiness or, conversely, unnatural agitation are also symptoms of dehydration in children. In children under one year old, when dehydrated, the fontanel collapses, and when crying there are no tears.

A child with dehydration must be hospitalized immediately. In the hospital, fluid loss will be replaced intravenously using a drip. However, it is in your power to prevent this from happening! Remember: it all depends on how much the child drinks when he is sick. So keep a close eye on this.

The child has seizures

Most often, convulsions in a child are a consequence of a sharp rise in temperature. Such seizures are called febrile and occur in 2-5% of children under 6-7 years of age. However, there is a risk of more serious illnesses, such as meningitis or another infection that affects the nervous system.

If a child has seizures before the ambulance arrives:

  • Place the child on a flat surface away from sharp, heavy objects. The most safe posture like this: the child lies on his side, his head is turned down. This position prevents saliva from entering the Airways. But you don’t need to put anything into your child’s mouth yourself.
  • try to remember the duration of the attack and its external manifestations. This information will be useful for the doctor to diagnose correct diagnosis and will help determine the tactics of further examination and treatment. Pay attention to the following points: the presence of consciousness (whether the child reacts to anything during seizures), posture, position of the torso and limbs. The main thing is don’t panic!

The child has an immediate allergy

Allergies in a child can manifest themselves in the form of skin rashes. Or more menacingly - in the form anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema. An extreme allergic reaction can be triggered either by contact with a medicinal allergen (most often antibiotics) or by an insect bite. It is important not to get confused and quickly call an ambulance for your child.

Anaphylactic shock in children

The first symptoms of incipient anaphylactic shock are a feeling of fear in the child, throbbing headache, numbness of the lips and face, dizziness, tinnitus, vomiting, cold sweat, urticaria. Before the doctors arrive, place the child on a flat surface. Keep his head turned to the side and make sure that no vomit enters the airways. Keep your child warm and accessible fresh air.

Quincke's edema in children

The child's face (eyelids, nose, ears, tongue) suddenly swells and turns red. Swelling can also be localized on the genitals, hands, and feet. Before the ambulance arrives, give the child antihistamine in age dosage. To quickly remove the allergen from the body (usually insect venom), give the child water and some sorbent (smecta, enterosgel). And keep calm! The doctors know what to do and they will definitely help the child.

Child has abdominal pain

Children complain of abdominal pain various reasons. Most often, the child ate something wrong. But sharp pain can't be confused with anything. The child is holding his stomach and crying a lot. You can't give in to emotions now. You need to call an ambulance. First of all, doctors are obliged to exclude surgical pathology - appendicitis or volvulus.

Appendicitis in children

Inflammation of the appendix is ​​a fairly rare occurrence in children under 3 years of age. However, you should still play it safe and agree to be examined by a surgeon in the hospital. After all, in this case there is only one treatment - surgery, which needs to be done as quickly as possible. Never give your child antispasmodics or painkillers before the doctor makes a diagnosis. The antispasmodic will alleviate the child’s condition, but it will be difficult for the doctor to determine what happened to the child. But the sorbent - smecta or enterosgel - will not harm, but, on the contrary, will help get rid of toxins if abdominal pain is caused by an intestinal infection.

Volvulus in children

Intussusception (volvulus) - the penetration of one part of the intestine into the lumen of another - occurs in 90% of cases in children under one year of age. The child screams loudly, cries, draws in his legs, turns pale, and refuses to eat. The attack of anxiety ends as suddenly as it begins, but after 5-10 minutes it repeats. It is typical that during the “light period” the child feels absolutely normal, smiles and plays. But a few hours after the onset of the disease, the child begins to vomit profusely with an admixture of bile. There is a lot of mucus and blood in the baby's stool. Call an ambulance urgently! Qualified assistance the child can only be provided with surgical hospital. Don't worry, surgery is not always indicated. There are many chances that doctors will cope with intussusception in a conservative way.

Acute pyelonephritis in children

Infection urinary tract- - may begin with a high temperature (more than 38.5 0 C) without other signs of illness. However, this is not yet a reason to be nervous. You need to call a pediatrician. But if a child has difficulty writing against the background of a fever, or has pain in the abdomen or lower back, immediately call an ambulance.

Symptoms of pyelonephritis in children

At pyelonephritis It is almost always difficult for a child to write. Moreover, this can manifest itself in different ways. There are delays in urination, and, on the contrary, frequent urges. Urine is usually very dark and cloudy. Sometimes it hurts for a child to go to the toilet; he cries even at the sight of a potty. All this is a reason to suspect inflammation of the kidney tissue due to a bacterial infection.

  • It is advisable to prepare the child’s urine for analysis before the ambulance arrives. Wash it well with soap and collect the urine from a medium stream into a sterile glass container (it is best to boil the container first). For appointment precise treatment and doctors will need to monitor its progress bacteriological culture urine. And it must be done before taking antibiotics, which the baby will be prescribed in the hospital, because antibacterial drugs they will blur the picture. So you will undoubtedly help the doctors and the child if you take care of the test in advance.
  • Before the ambulance arrives, ibuprofen in an age-appropriate dosage will help alleviate the child’s condition. It has not only an antipyretic, but also an analgesic effect.

The child has difficulty breathing

Shortness of breath almost always accompanies high fever in children. However, the mother needs to know in which cases, if the child has breathing problems, urgent help is required.

Respiratory failure in children.

This condition can develop both with pneumonia and
and in case of severe obstructive bronchitis. The nasolabial triangle on the baby’s face turns blue, it feels like he is fighting for every breath. Breathing may become very loud and rapid. Don't waste time, call the emergency room!

Foreign body in a child.

A child may choke on a piece of food or accidentally inhale a small object. A foreign body in a child’s respiratory tract is manifested by an annoying cough that does not stop even at night. It feels like the child is trying to clear his throat. Call an ambulance if this continues for more than two to three hours. In the hospital, the child will have a chest x-ray.

False croup in children

Some viral colds can cause croup, which is inflammation and swelling of the larynx. Children with allergies are at risk. Croup, or stenosing laryngotracheitis, develops more often due to a combination of causes: penetration of a virus and an allergen into the respiratory tract.

Symptoms of false croup in children

The child begins to have a frequent, barking, dry cough; when inhaling air, a loud whistling sound is heard. The child is afraid, and this further aggravates his condition. Before the doctors arrive, your first priority is to calm the baby. Sit him on your lap, hug him tightly, try not to be nervous, because your emotions are transmitted to the child.

Provide a flow of fresh air into the room. Open all the windows wide or even go outside with your son or daughter. The main thing is to make it easier for the child to breathe.

Laryngeal spasm in children can be relieved by inhalation soda solution. While you are calming your child, ask your husband to dissolve a pack of soda in a warm bath. Let the child breathe this moist air until paramedics arrive. By the way, if you do everything right, the attack false croup will end in 20-30 minutes. And then the ambulance will arrive.

Remember: if a child has a spasm of the larynx, mustard plasters, warming ointments on the chest and back, aroma oils. And also excessive parental nervousness. Before the doctor arrives, an inhaler-nebulizer will help with an attack of false croup in a child. Check with your doctor which model is preferable in your case and which medicinal solutions must be used. But in any case, call an ambulance at the first sign of difficulty breathing in children.

At what temperature should you call an ambulance for teenagers/adults?

  • If we're talking about about an increase in body temperature, an ambulance should be called only when the thermometer is above 39°C, and it is not possible to reduce the fever at home for a long time;
  • when body temperature rises sharply and is a consequence of injuries (burns, frostbite, head bruises, and other similar conditions).

Ambulance saves lives!

You must understand that calling a team if the body temperature rises to 39°C (for children up to 38°C) without any aggravating circumstances can be postponed or canceled altogether. Specialists work around the clock, without breaks, weekends and holidays, only to save lives, and not to come to patients for consultations. Before you get ready to call them, try to cope with the disease yourself and take available antipyretics.

Children can be given children's Panadol, Eferalgan, Nurofen, and Viburkol or Tsefekon suppositories. For teenagers and adults, well-known tablet drugs are more suitable: Paracetamol, Aspirin, Nurofen (or its Russian analogue Ibuprofen), Nemulex (Russian Nimesulide), etc.

First aid

While the team of specialists is on the way to the call, the patient needs to be treated first aid. If the patient is shivering, rubbing his limbs will help him. alcohol solutions(ordinary vodka or medical alcohol will do) or simply with your hands, vigorously rubbing the surface of the skin.

Refrain from using aromatic tinctures, as this can cause a person to develop a severe allergic reaction even to the usual drug.

If t does not exceed acceptable limits, but does not subside within 2-3 days, you need to seek help from a doctor from the local clinic. Most likely, the cause of this condition is a bacterial infection, which requires special treatment and can lead to complications of varying severity. In this case, it is not advisable to call an ambulance.

Ambulance is an emergency service, it deals with saving lives and removing dangerous conditions, as well as hospitalization if necessary. This service does not provide routine care, prescribe medications or prescribe sick leave. If a child gets sick, but there is no threat to life and health, it is necessary to call a doctor from the assigned clinic. If a child suddenly falls ill on a non-working day or time, you can call an “ambulance” - this is the doctor on duty who is located at the district clinic.

To call an ambulance, no documents are required, neither the child’s or parent’s passport, nor the child’s birth certificate or insurance policy. An ambulance can be called to a home or public premises, such as a store, as well as to any specific place on the street. For example, to a bus stop or to the beach, ice skating rink in the park.

This emergency phone number medical service everyone knows this phone by heart - 03 . You can dial it for free from a pay phone or mobile phone, even if there are no funds or SIM card in your account.

By dialing this phone, you will immediately hear the voice of the operator “Ambulance, I’m listening.” And this is where you need to not get confused and, without wasting precious time, answer the operator’s questions. The speed and quality of the assistance provided will often depend on how and what you say.

After dialing the number, prepare for the conversation, it’s a trifle, but before starting the conversation, do not forget to exhale, draw air into your lungs, and calm down as much as possible. Try to speak briefly, clearly and slowly.

IMPORTANT: No matter how terrible the situation may seem, do not panic. Twist fear and hysteria within yourself. By quickly and clearly explaining the situation to the dispatcher, you will achieve more than if you sob into the phone or convince you to give the order to the brigade to leave immediately.

First of all, say hello - it won't take long.

Then briefly describe the situation, for example, “A 5-year-old child fell from a tree on his back, cannot get up, is suffocating.”

The dispatcher will ask further questions. Answer them briefly and specifically; no explanation is needed. If the doctor needs them, he will definitely clarify everything; in any case, all the details are not needed to call an ambulance. If you call an ambulance not for your child, but for neighbors, relatives, or witnessed an accident, find out what actually happened and caused the ambulance to be called. If this is an injury, then the answer is obvious; if it is an exacerbation of the disease, specify what kind of disease it is, how long ago the deterioration began and what exactly has changed.

During the existence of the ambulance, the interview procedure and the questions asked by the operator have been worked out to the smallest detail, so there are no meaningless questions among them, even if it seems so to you. Each of them is aimed at clarifying the problem and how to provide assistance.

Sometimes parents, believing that these or similar symptoms such as: sharp abdominal pain, swelling, high temperature or foreign body in the ear or nose are not convincing enough to call an ambulance, they begin to dramatize the picture. And then something else is added to the real symptoms, which, again, in the opinion of the parents, must necessarily lead to a decision to leave the team or speed up its arrival. However, the harm from such actions is significantly greater than the benefit. Firstly, preparation for providing assistance begins even before the team leaves with its selection and instruction. A team with better specialization in a different area than the one required by the child may be sent to a call with fantasy symptoms; a machine with good, but different equipment may be used. An emergency doctor, having incorrect information, prepares to work with a case that is different from the one in fact. All this leads to irritation of the doctor when he examines the child and mistrust of the parents. Secondly, and this is worse, the doctor may consider that the symptoms have passed or are obscured by shock, etc. and begin the wrong treatment!

After asking questions about the child’s condition and symptoms, you need to answer who calls the doctor and to whom: last name, first name, patronymic, age, gender of the sick person; who is calling - a relative, a colleague, a passer-by . Then indicate the exact address, entrance number and floor. After that, you can clarify the options for driving the car - indicate where it is most convenient to call. What does the entrance look like and is there an intercom or a code on the entrance doors.

Be sure to provide your home phone number and, if possible, your mobile phone number.

It's best if someone can meet the ambulance. Inform: where and who will meet the car and mobile phone greeter As soon as the car appears in sight, give a signal with a handkerchief, hand, voice, and then dark time days with a flashlight or lighter. If it is not possible to meet the car, open the vestibule doors, check whether there is light in the entrance and on the landing, and whether the apartment number is visible. Now, sometimes, on the doors of a whole landing It is impossible to find apartment numbers.

After answering the dispatcher’s questions, if the situation is critical ask what you can do yourself before the ambulance arrives .

And lastly. No matter how skilled the emergency doctors are, sometimes everything can be decided in minutes. Severe bruises, epilepsy attacks, burns, poisoning can lead to serious consequences, if you do not provide first aid immediately on your own. In life, especially with children, unexpected situations happen in which you need to be able to provide first aid. You need to clearly know: what not to do, how to ensure fixation of the limbs and a safe position of the body, how to save from suffocation when food or small toys get into the windpipe. What to do in case of chemical and thermal burn, frostbite, drug and food poisoning. A child is a creature with a relatively small body mass and more intense metabolic processes, which means everything happens faster and any delay can lead to more serious consequences.

Read first aid books, keep the manual in a visible place, and take it with you along with your first aid kit on your vacation. We hope you won't need them.

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Most people who get sick are very good at managing fever. However, if it is observed in a baby, parents often begin to panic. At what temperature should a child call an ambulance? And when can you do it on your own?

You should know that hyperthermia in children almost always accompanies viral and bacterial infections and is often their first a clear symptom. Autoimmune diseases, inflammatory processes in the joints, severe blood diseases, and malignant lesions can also be manifested by fever. However, they are quite rare, especially in childhood.

Any parent should know when and how to reduce the child’s body temperature, and be able to apply this knowledge in practice. Hyperthermia is defensive reaction body. If you normalize the temperature to early stages illness, the body stops fighting infection on its own due to inhibition of interferon synthesis. This leads to a protracted course of ARVI.

However, in some cases there is no need to hesitate. Moreover, sometimes the situation requires immediate contact with a doctor - calling an ambulance.

Calling an ambulance

When should you call an ambulance if your child has a fever? You should know that in most cases the determining factor is not the thermometer readings, but the child’s age and accompanying symptoms.

With a normal response to antipyretic therapy, even hyperthermia of 39.0–39.5°C does not pose a threat to the baby, although it may negatively affect his well-being. The need for urgent medical care occurs if the child has:

  1. Temperature rise above 39.8°–40.3°C.
  2. Hyperthermia 39.5°–40° with no effect on antipyretic therapy.
  3. The appearance of seizures against the background of any elevated temperature.
  4. A combination of fever with a rash that quickly appears and spreads.
  5. Severe headache, especially when combined with nausea and vomiting.
  6. Pallor or cyanosis skin, severe chills, cold extremities.
  7. Signs of dehydration.

Heat

An excessively high temperature is a medical emergency. In this case, the child may experience symptoms of intoxication - headache and vomiting, bad feeling. The child becomes lethargic and indifferent, his pulse and breathing quicken, and shortness of breath may be noticeable.

As a rule, hyperthermia increases quite quickly. Often there is a poor response to antipyretic therapy, especially when it comes to syrups and tablets. Bye active substance absorbed into digestive tract, the temperature can reach critical levels.

Emergency doctors usually use emergency therapy more strong drugs or special lytic mixtures.

Ineffectiveness of antipyretics

Typically, ibuprofen or paracetamol are used to relieve fever at home. However, sometimes it happens that within 30–40 minutes after taking the syrup or tablet there is no decrease in temperature or, on the contrary, hyperthermia increases.

This condition is dangerous for a child, especially if we are talking about a baby under one year old. When to call emergency help in such a situation?

If the thermometer shows 39° or higher, and its readings do not change 30–40 minutes after taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, you should immediately call a doctor.

Uncontrolled hyperthermia threatens the development of serious complications and, first of all, sharp deterioration the child’s well-being, increased intoxication.

Convulsions

Convulsions that appear against the background of any hyperthermia are called febrile. The first episode usually develops with high fever– for example, at a temperature of 39° or more. But sometimes this complication occurs even at lower thermometer readings.

Most often, the seizures stop on their own, but in some cases emergency medical attention may be required.

Typically, febrile convulsions can recur periodically against the background of fever, and disappear completely after 4–5 years. In some children, this complication occurs even at an older age.

Previously, with a confirmed diagnosis febrile seizures, pediatricians adhered to certain tactics. Specific or preventive treatment This pathology does not exist. However, doctors recommended that if you have a cold or acute respiratory viral infection, you should not allow high levels of hyperthermia, so as not to provoke a repeated attack of convulsions.

This approach is currently considered impractical. It has been proven that a second attack can occur against the background of any elevated temperature, and the thermometer readings are not particularly important.

That is why the tactics of parents’ behavior in the case of this pathology in a child do not change. However, if convulsions occur, you must call an ambulance.

Rash

Not every rash requires calling an ambulance and emergency treatment. It is often a consequence of the following diseases:

  • Corey.
  • Rubella.
  • Infectious mononucleosis.
  • Roseola.
  • Scarlet fever.

In addition, the rash accompanies almost everything allergic reactions. In this case, a doctor’s examination is mandatory, but a routine call to the local pediatrician’s home is quite sufficient.

Urgent help is required in the following situations:

  1. The rash appears suddenly, quickly spreads throughout the body, the elements merge.
  2. Skin changes are associated with fever, headache, nausea or vomiting.
  3. The elements are localized on the child’s buttocks and hips, in the lumbar region.
  4. The rash is hemorrhagic in nature - it looks like bruises, bruises and subcutaneous hemorrhages.

The appearance of hemorrhages on the buttocks, thighs and lumbar region is an extremely dangerous symptom. It is a sign of meningococcemia, a rapidly developing and dangerous disease.

In most cases it ends in death. That is why, if even small bruises appear on the child’s body in combination with an elevated temperature, you should call an ambulance as soon as possible or, if it is impossible to call, take the baby to the hospital.

Meningococcemia

Meningococcemia is sepsis, a condition in which bacteria spread freely throughout the body, encountering virtually no resistance. Most often, with this form of the disease, the patient dies. Recovery is possible only if adequate antibacterial therapy started in the first hours of the disease, when symptoms first appeared.

The course of meningococcemia is almost always fulminant. Within a few hours after the apparent onset of the disease, death can occur.

Typically, with this form, the temperature appears suddenly and can quickly reach 39–40°C. Parents can often indicate exact time the onset of the disease, it develops so sharply.

Extremely characteristic symptom is the appearance of a rash. Her favorite localization:

  • buttocks;
  • hips;
  • shins;
  • feet;
  • brushes

The elements of the rash are red-blue, dense, slightly raised above the skin. They have a characteristic star shape. Subsequently, the rash merges and takes on the appearance of large bruises.

In babies, the appearance of a rash may initially go unnoticed, since this area is covered by a diaper. Therefore, in case of high fever or severe intoxication, you should always examine the child’s body completely.

If your baby develops spots on his skin in combination with high temperature, you need to immediately call the ambulance dispatcher. Despite all the achievements modern medicine, every year meningococcemia continues to claim the lives of children.

Headache, nausea and vomiting

Headache, nausea and vomiting often accompany fever. They are a consequence of intoxication and worsen the already serious condition child. Very often these symptoms are observed with such viral infections like the flu.

However, sometimes such manifestations indicate damage to the dura mater of the brain - meningitis.

Meningitis is inflammatory disease viral or bacterial etiology, in which the meningeal meninges are affected. Very often the culprit of the disease is meningococcus, although Haemophilus influenzae and other bacteria can also cause the development of this pathology.

If the causative agent is a virus, the disease is usually milder and the prognosis is more favorable.

If treatment is not started in a timely manner, meningitis threatens to develop serious complications, including fatal outcome in severe form. Therefore, it is very important to call an ambulance in time if the fever occurs with symptoms suspicious for meningitis.

These may be the following manifestations:

  1. Severe and persistent headache.
  2. Pain in the neck muscles.
  3. Inability to bring the chin to the chest, muscle rigidity and pain in this area with passive flexion.
  4. Nausea and vomiting, after which there is no relief.
  5. Sometimes photophobia, various visual impairments.
  6. Dizziness and loss of consciousness are possible.

Although headaches with nausea and vomiting are often the result of general intoxication of the body, a doctor’s examination is required to rule out inflammatory process in solid meninges. For this purpose, he checks the so-called “meningeal signs” in a small patient - symptoms that are observed mainly with meningitis.

Change in skin color

Changes in the color of the skin - their excessive pallor or even a bluish tint (cyanosis) - is observed during spasm blood vessels. This vascular reaction Helps the body retain heat. However, under conditions of elevated temperature, this mechanism ceases to be protective and, on the contrary, aggravates the course of the disease, contributing to overheating.

As a rule, in such a situation, antipyretic drugs do not work effectively enough, since heat transfer is impaired.

Hyperthermia can be eliminated only by normalizing vascular tone. For this purpose, antispasmodics are used - for example, No-shpa.

However, parents should be aware that home methods of fighting fever in this situation are rarely effective, and it is very easy to harm the child. If you have symptoms of vascular spasm, you must call an ambulance for quick and effective drug treatment.

Signs of dehydration

If signs of dehydration are observed at a high temperature, help should be provided to the child as soon as possible. Lack of fluid slows down recovery and contributes to the development of complications.

You should be aware that dehydration occurs very quickly in young children. The following factors aggravate this process:

  • high fever;
  • vomit;
  • diarrhea;
  • lack of drinking.

How to suspect dehydration in a baby? Typically, this is indicated by the following symptoms:

  1. Dry skin.
  2. Retraction of the fontanel in infants.
  3. Lack of tears when crying.
  4. Drying of mucous membranes and tongue.
  5. No urination for the last 6 hours.

In such a situation, the child must be soldered. These may be special ready-made solutions for oral rehydration, which are sold in pharmacies. But if necessary you can use plain water, compote or sweetened tea.

Usually drinks are given in small portions - a few teaspoons, but every 10-15 minutes. Thus, the volume of lost fluid is effectively replenished and vomiting is not provoked.

If the child refuses to drink or has a fever and signs of dehydration persist, you must call an ambulance.

Although throughout their life the child and his parents will repeatedly encounter high fever and in most cases it can be dealt with with ordinary Nurofen or Efferalgan, sometimes urgent help cannot be avoided. In such cases, a quick call to a doctor can save the child's life.