Memo to parents. When is an urgent need to call a doctor?
Children get sick and get sick often, according to statistics – 5-10 times more often than adults, and this is a proven fact. Of course, experienced parents are aware of the symptoms of the majority of children’s “ills” and ailments. However, it is not always enough that the own knowledge, experience of grandparents or friends is enough to correctly assess the situation. With certain complaints and symptoms, you should immediately call a doctor. Indeed, one of the features of a child’s body is the possibility of a severe deterioration in a short time. Therefore, sometimes not only the child’s health, but also his life depends on the efficiency of the actions of the parents. And only a professional doctor can accurately assess the condition of the baby and make the correct diagnosis.
“Rule of traffic lights” or urgently call a doctor if …
When assessing the condition of the child, experienced pediatricians pay more attention to the “general condition of the child”, rather than to the thermometer indicators. A fever (fever) is a symptom, of course, alarming, but within certain limits it is only the “normal and healthy response” of the child’s body to infection. Child can not be comforted? Is he lethargic and indifferent? He can not drink? – these are the main signals, talking about something really serious that can happen to it. Attention should be paid first of all to those signs which, according to the “rule of the traffic light,” indicate “red light”, i.e., the serious condition of the baby.
20 symptoms that require increased attention and prompt response of parents.
Body temperature below 35.5 ° C or above 39 ° C.
Body temperature does not drop after taking antipyretic drugs and / or lasts more than 3 days.
Unusually fast breathing; shortness of breath (for babies – more than 60 breaths per minute, for older children – more than 40 per minute).
Difficult breathing (heavy inhalation or exhalation), wheezing or buzzing breathing, with wheezing and / or moans.
Weak high or continuous crying.
Moderate or pronounced contraction of the chest.
Fever, accompanied by significant loss of fluids (with vomiting, diarrhea) and, as a result, dehydration – “sunken” eyes, reduced urination or dry diapers, sunken spring in children up to a year, no tears when crying, dry tongue.
Pallor of the skin with prolonged chills.
Blue or puffy tongue, face, especially around the lips.
Pulse higher than 140 beats / min.
There are convulsions, involuntary muscle twitching.
The child loses consciousness (fainting), children’s eyes roll up and / or sideways, and their movement resembles a “floating”.
Confusion, unusual lethargy, lack of response to social signals (does not respond to words / questions, does not recognize others, is not well oriented in time and / or in space.
Unusual drowsiness and lethargy (difficult to wake, after waking up instantly falls asleep again).
Difficult head tilt forward; Strong headache
Blood in stool, urine or vomiting.
Repeated vomiting, unusual odor from the mouth (for example, the smell of acetone is a sign of poisoning or diabetes, when the help of a doctor is needed immediately).
Diarrhea lasting more than a day.
Abdominal pain that does not stop for more than 3 hours, and if the child does not even allow him to gently press on the stomach.
Pain and swelling in the groin and scrotum.
All of these symptoms (one or more), as well as any significant increase in body temperature in a child should be taken very seriously. And the most important advice here – do not hesitate to disturb the doctor or call an ambulance (telephone 103). Forget about the feeling of embarrassment, do not be afraid to disturb once again. Be sure and urgently call the doctor also in those cases when you feel that you are losing control over the situation and do not understand what is happening with the child. Even if in doubt, call the ambulance better, tell in detail about the condition of the baby. The doctor on duty will make a decision: do you need urgent hospitalization or is it enough to contact the clinic in the near future.
A little bit about SARS, or What to do in 80% of cases
According to statistics, one of the most common reasons for referring to pediatricians is acute respiratory viral infections, or ARVI. This group of diseases is characterized by a common clinical picture (similar symptoms), although there are more than 200 different viruses in its arsenal.
It is important to remember that flu and SARS are easier to prevent than to cure. And the best way to protect – in advance, in September-October, get the baby a flu shot. Also during the epidemic, try to avoid contact with patients, enrich the diet with foods rich in vitamin C, start taking multivitamins, as well as pediatric drugs for preventing ARVI, supporting the child’s immunity and increasing the body’s resistance to viruses.
Infection and incubation period of ARVI most often occur without noticeable symptoms and last from 2 hours to 3 days depending on how much the child has “trained” immunity. Once in the body of the child, the virus settles on the mucous membranes and begins to actively multiply.