New Normal Temp

[BrisketRN]

Just for fun:

https://www.kqed.org/science/1954750/youre-cooler-than-you-think-98-6-temperature-no-longer-the-norm

The "new normal" temp is 97.9F. With all the temps I take I have to say that is my most common reading. What about you guys?

[bluebonnetrn, BSN, RN]

I hate this BS! I actually have a mom rushing to school to pick up her son with a temp of 98.6 because "that's a fever for him"

nope ?

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

There is no such thing as "that's a fever for my _____". Fevers, we have forgotten in these days of antibiotics, are therapeutic. That 101 degree reading is what it takes to kill pathogens, therefore, if you don't go that high, you are not febrile, or you are immunosuppressed.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

34 minutes ago, bluebonnetrn said:

I hate this BS! I actually have a mom rushing to school to pick up her son with a temp of 98.6 because "that's a fever for him"

nope ?

Wow! I usually have to beg parents to pick their kids up at my school. I get a lot of "I filled out the medication form. Can't you just give them Tylenol and send them back to class?" or "They only threw up 3 times? Can you keep them in your office and give them crackers and send them back to class?" Then I wait 2 hours with the vomit-encrusted child.

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

So I think I am on the opposite end of the spectrum. If a student is symptomatic (chills, sore throat, body aches, etc..), but afebrile, I am sending them home these days. More often than not, those afebrile kids end up with high temps and a flu Dx later that day.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

8 minutes ago, SchoolNurseK said:

So I think I am on the opposite end of the spectrum. If a student is symptomatic (chills, sore throat, body aches, etc..), but afebrile, I am sending them home these days. More often than not, those afebrile kids end up with high temps and a flu Dx later that day.

If a student looks peaked, I will send them home, but just going from a temperature and a vague complaint, no. Especially the frequent fliers.

[tining, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, MrNurse(x2) said:

There is no such thing as "that's a fever for my _____". Fevers, we have forgotten in these days of antibiotics, are therapeutic. That 101 degree reading is what it takes to kill pathogens, therefore, if you don't go that high, you are not febrile, or you are immunosuppressed.

That is exactly what I say!

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

17 minutes ago, tining said:

That is exactly what I say!

My poor children rarely receive antipyretics or bandaids. They are told that fevers serve a purpose and a few hours of yuck are worth the days of feeling better faster than their medicated friends, and OTA is the preferred healing method.