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Is 104 temp dangerous: How high a fever is too high?

Fever Instructions – Pediatric Associates of Madison

DEFINITION Your child has a fever if any of the following apply:

  • Rectal temperature is over 100.4° F (38.0° C).
  • Oral temperature is over 100.4° F (38.0° C).
  • Axillary (armpit) temperature is over 99.4° F (37.5° C)
  • Ear (tympanic) and temporal temperatures are not as accurate and should not be used in children less than 6 months.

The body’s average temperature when it is measured orally is 98.6° F (37.0° C), but it normally fluctuates during the day. Mild elevation (100.4° to 101.3° F or 38° to 38.5° C) can be caused by exercise, excessive clothing, a hot bath, or hot weather. Warm food or drink can also raise the oral temperature. If you suspect such an effect on the temperature of your child, take his or her temperature again in one-half hour.


Causes


Fever is a symptom, not a disease. Fever is the body’s normal response to infections and plays a role in fighting them. Fever turns on the body’s immune system. The usual fevers (100° to 104° F [37.8° to 40° C]) that all children get are not harmful. Most are caused by viral illnesses; some are caused by bacterial illnesses. Teething does not cause fever.


Expected Course


Most fevers with viral illnesses range between 101° and 104° F (38.3° to 40° C) and last for 2 to 3 days. In general, the height of the fever does not relate to the seriousness of the illness. How sick your child acts is what counts. Fever causes no permanent harm until it reaches 107° F (41.7° C). Fortunately, the brain’s thermostat keeps untreated fevers below this level.


HOME CARE:

Treat All Fevers with Extra Fluids and Less Clothing

. Encourage your child to drink extra fluids, but do not force him or her to drink. Popsicles and iced drinks are helpful. Body fluids are lost during fevers because of sweating.

Clothing should be kept to a minimum because most heat is lost through the skin. Do not bundle up your child; it will cause a higher fever. During the time your child feels cold or is shivering (the chills), give him or her a light blanket.


Acetaminophen Products for Reducing Fever.

Children older than 2 months of age can be given any one of the acetaminophen products. Remember that fever is helping your child fight the infection. Use drugs only if the fever is over 102° F (39° C) and preferably only if your child is also uncomfortable. Give the correct dosage for your child’s age every 4 to 6 hours, but no more often.

Two hours after they are given, these drugs will reduce the fever 2° to 3° F (1° to 1. 5° C). Medicines do not bring the temperature down to normal unless the temperature was not very elevated before the medicine was given. Repeated dosages of the drugs will be necessary because the fever will go up and down until the illness runs its course. If your child is sleeping, don’t awaken him for medicines.

Caution: The dropper that comes with one product should not be used with other brands. Dosages of Acetaminophen.


Avoid Aspirin


The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children (through 21 years of age) not take aspirin if they have chickenpox or influenza (any cold, cough or sore throat symptoms). This recommendation is based on several studies that have linked aspirin to Reye’s syndrome, a severe encephalitis-like illness. Most pediatricians have stopped using aspirin for fevers associated with any illness.


Alternating Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen


If you are instructed by your physician to alternate both products, do it as follows:

  • Use both if the fever is over 104° F (40° C) and unresponsive to one medicine alone.
  • Give a fever medicine every 4 hours (acetaminophen every 8 hours and ibuprofen every 8 hours).
  • Only alternate medicines for 24 hours or less, than return to a single product.

Beware of dosage errors and poisoning (especially if you give one or both products too frequently).


Sponging


Sponging is usually not necessary to reduce fever. Never sponge your child without giving him/her acetaminophen or ibuprofen first. Sponge immediately only in emergencies such as heatstroke, delirium, a seizure from fever, or any fever over 106° F (41.1° C). In other cases, sponge your child only if the fever is over 104° F (40° C), the fever stays that high when you take the temperature again 30 minutes after your child has taken acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and your child is uncomfortable. Until the acetaminophen or ibuprofen has taken effect (by resetting the body’s thermostat to a lower level), sponging will just cause shivering, which is the body’s attempt to raise the temperature.

If you do sponge your child, sponge him/her in lukewarm water (85° to 90° F [29° to 32° C]). Sponging works much faster than immersion, so sit your child in 2 inches of water and keep wetting the skin surface. Cooling comes from evaporation of the water. If your child shivers, raise the water temperature or wait for the acetaminophen or ibuprofen to take effect. Do not expect to get the temperature below 101° F (38.3° C). Do not add rubbing alcohol to the water; it can be breathed in and cause a coma.


Call our office immediately if:

  • Your child is less than 3 months old and has a fever.
  • The fever is over 105° F (40. 6° C).
  • Your child looks or acts very sick.


Call our office within 24 Hours if:

  • Your child is 3 to 6 months old.
  • The fever is between 104° and 105° F (40° to 40.6° C), especially if your child is less than 2 years old.
  • Your child has had a fever more than 24 hours without an obvious cause of location of infection.
  • Your child has had a fever more than 3 days.
  • The fever went away for more than 24 hours and then returned.
  • You have other concerns or questions.

Fevers – Toddlers and Teens (2-18 years)

You’re not alone – we all fear the dreaded fever. It’s typically the first sign that something is going on with our kiddo and we rush around, grabbing all the medicine, preparing for the worst. Let’s start instead by congratulating our love’s immune system for doing its job and see how this plays out.

Fevers are caused by:

  • Illnesses (viral or bacterial)
  • Vaccinations
  • Overheating
  • Certain medications

What is a normal temperature for kids?

As a whole, our body temperature can range quite a bit throughout the day. It is lowest in the morning and highest in the late afternoon. A normal rectal temperature reading can range from 96.8℉ to 100.3℉ (average of 98.6℉). A normal oral temperature reading can range from 95.8℉ to 99.9℉ (average of 97.6℉).

When is a fever too high for a child?

For our kids who are 2-18 years old, we can let their fever hit 104℉ before we start to worry. You don’t even need to medicate them before they hit the 102-103℉ mark! If they are uncomfortable, you may give them Tylenol or ibuprofen, but otherwise it’s okay to let that fever get rid of the virus for them. No aspirin for any children under the age of 18. Keep your kiddo hydrated and make sure she’s not overdressed or lying in a pile of blankets.

It is a common misconception that we must rotate Tylenol and ibuprofen, but choosing just one is actually preferred. If the one you chose does not bring the fever down 2-3 ℉ within an hour, you may switch to the other medication. Our biggest concern is accidentally overdosing our kids – the less we give, the less we need to worry!

How to take temperature?

Two to four year olds: Temporal artery temperature, armpit (axillary) temperature, ear (tympanic) temperature, or rectal. If you’re ever questioning the results, rectal is the most accurate when in doubt. Axillary is the least accurate and not recommended.

Four years and beyond: All of the above will work for this age but hopefully by now, they can hold a thermometer under their tongue for an oral reading. Again, axillary is the least accurate. Rectal readings should be a distant memory for them now (and you, Mom and Dad!), thank the heavens.

Call your pediatrician if:

  • Temperature goes higher than 104℉
  • Any fever present more than 3 days
  • Your kiddo is lethargic
  • You notice signs of dehydration (dry mouth, no tears, no urinating >8 hrs)
  • Burning or pain with urination
  • Fever is accompanied by other symptoms that concern you (ear pain, vomiting, diarrhea)

When to go to the ER with fever?

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Disoriented/confused
  • Seizures
  • Stiff neck

When is a fever dangerous?

A truly dangerous fever is >108℉ and is extremely rare, only seen in situations such as a heat wave. However, all fevers >105℉ should be investigated with a doctor. That said, less than 1% of fevers go higher than 105℉.

How to break a fever?

Rest, drink lots of fluids, and stay cool! Remember: that fever is on our side, fighting off our infections. So unless our child’s fever hits 103℉ as discussed, there is no ‘breaking’ necessary.

Are fevers contagious?

Not necessarily. If a virus is the reason your child has a fever, then yes, they are considered contagious. But as discussed in the beginning here, vaccines or overdressing can also cause a fever – not contagious. And there are plenty of illnesses that may NOT cause a fever, so in general, don’t use fever as your guide on whether or not it can be spread to others.

Keep in mind that how your kiddo is behaving is always more important than the actual number on your Kinsa thermometer. Follow your gut if you feel like something is wrong, but otherwise don’t be afraid to let your kiddo’s immune system be the champion!

Is temperature up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit dangerous?

According to All Children’s Hospital, a temperature of 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit is normal when someone is fighting an infection. When the temperature rises above 102 F, it is usually recommended to take antipyretic drugs to ease comfort.

According to All Children’s Hospital, fever should be reduced by 2 to 3 degrees when medication is used to treat fever. Once body temperature reaches 108 F, brain damage can occur. However, this temperature is never reached due to infection or fever. The high body temperature needed to cause permanent damage only comes from extreme environmental conditions, such as a child locked in a closed car in hot weather.

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Temperature minimums and maximums – temakashin — LiveJournal

What’s the weather like? And in +50°C and -50°C, and even in a larger range, you can live, in principle. Air conditioners, fans and jackets will help us with this. Well, someone, of course, will die and nothing can be done about it, because we do not live in a terrarium.

What is the lowest air temperature ever recorded on Earth?

The lowest air temperature on Earth was recorded at the Soviet Antarctic station “Vostok” on July 21, 1983, when the platinum thermometer at the meteorological site showed -89.2°С. This is the lowest temperature in the history of meteorological observations.

The lowest temperature recorded in our country is -78°С. Incredible frost took place in the upper reaches of the Indigirka River.

The lowest air temperature in the habitable regions of the planet was recorded on 1964 in Yakutia in the village of Oymyakon – -71.1 ° С. The entire interfluve of the upper reaches of the Yana and Indigirka rivers is considered to be the region of the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere.

What is the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth?

The highest temperature on Earth recorded in Libya in 1922 is +57. 8°С.

The highest soil temperature was recorded at Shurchi station in Uzbekistan. The temperature of irrigated light gray soils here reaches 79°C. At the Repetek station in Turkmenistan, the sand is heated to 77°C.

What is the maximum outdoor temperature a person can withstand?

For a short time, a person can be in dry air at very high temperatures. A person can tolerate a temperature of 160°C. This was proved by the English physicists Blagden and Chantry, who conducted an experiment on themselves. A person can tolerate a temperature of 104°C for 26 minutes, 93°C for 33 minutes, 82°C for 49 minutes, and 71°C for 1 hour; This was established in the course of experiments with healthy human volunteers.

What is the minimum outdoor temperature a person can withstand?

It depends on the state of his health and clothing, but most importantly – on the speed of the wind. In Yakutia in winter, people spend hours in the cold, with air temperatures below -50 ° C, but they are appropriately dressed, and in the conditions of the central part of the Siberian anticyclone, wind is usually observed.