Sponge bath for a child's fever
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Sponge bath for a child's fever
A sponge bath may be given if:
- Your child's fever is
or higher and - Acetaminophen has not lowered the temperature and
- Your child is very uncomfortable.
Give your child an appropriate dose of acetaminophen before giving him or her a sponge bath. Wait 30 minutes to see whether the medication brings the child's fever below
Give a sponge bath as follows:
- Use lukewarm water [
to ]. Do not use cold water, ice, or rubbing alcohol, which will lower the child's body temperature too quickly. - Sponge for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stop if the child starts to shiver.
If your child doesn't like the sponge bath or doesn't feel better after the bath, there is no need to give another one.
Credits
| Author | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Editor | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
| Last Updated | April 24, 2007 |
| Last updated: | April 24, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
| Editors: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Tracy Landauer |
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