Taking care of children with dengue fever: Not having a fever is cured

In the first 5 months of 2022, Ho Chi Minh City recorded 10,052 cases of the disease dengue an increase of 46.4% over the same period in 2021 with 6,867 cases. The number of severe dengue fever cases was 194 cases, an increase of nearly 5 times compared to the same period in 2021. Of which, there were 7 deaths due to dengue fever.

MSc Le Phan Kim Thoa – Head of Pediatrics Department of Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by Dengue virus cause, can cause epidemics. Dengue virus enters from an infected person to a person through a mosquito bite from a mosquito that transmits diseases scientifically known as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, of which mainly Aedes aegypti.

The disease occurs in countries located in tropical climates. In Vietnam, the disease is common in the North, Central, South and Central Highlands, including in urban and rural areas. The disease occurs all year round but often breaks out into epidemics in the rainy season, especially in July, August, September and October.

Children are treated for dengue fever at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City LC

Do not be subjective when the child has a fever

Doctor Kim Thoa said that the Pediatrics Department of Tam Anh General Hospital received many cases of dengue fever, due to its subjectivity, the treatment process was difficult, causing unnecessary complications.

“There are cases of children with high fever, relatives suspected of having Covid-19 should self-isolate at home, or there are children with fever after being vaccinated against Covid-19 who thought it was a fever due to vaccination but did not go to the hospital soon. There were cases of confusion between dengue fever and typhus, so they self-treated in the wrong way,” said Doctor Thoa.

According to Dr. Kim Thoa, when a child has a high fever, parents should take the child to a doctor because there are many causes of fever in children. Dengue fever children often have high fever continuously and do not have respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose; while infected covid-19-o-viet-nam-chiem-0-4-post1464833.html” title=”Covid-19 mortality rate in Vietnam accounts for 0.4%”>Covid-19, children may have high fever or mild fever, accompanied by symptoms of cough, runny nose, stuffy nose… Although there are differences between diseases such as dengue fever and Covid-19 infection, both diseases are caused by viruses, so early stages of the disease may have symptoms. are quite similar.

“To know exactly if the child has dengue fever, the child needs to be examined and tested. Therefore, when a child has a high fever that is difficult to lower, or after 48 hours, the child still has a fever, they should be taken to the doctor immediately,” the doctor shared.

Critical phase, usually on 3-7 days of illness

After the virus enters the body through a mosquito bite, the child will experience an incubation period lasting from 3-13 days, depending on the child’s condition and resistance. During the incubation period, there are almost no symptoms or, if there are symptoms, they are not obvious.

At the onset stage, children will have a sudden, continuous high fever with headache, muscle pain, joint pain, eye pain, some children have anorexia, nausea.

According to Dr. Kim Thoa, not every child has a fever that is cured of dengue fever. Usually when the child’s fever subsides on the 3-7 day of the illness, the disease will turn into a dangerous stage.

The critical stage, usually on the 3-7 day of illness, the child may still have a fever or have reduced fever. Complications that often occur in this period are children with severe and continuous abdominal pain or increased pain sensation, especially in the liver area.

At this stage, children are prone to bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, vomiting blood, bloody stools, etc. Children have a feeling of nausea or vomiting. vomiting, heavier than children with signs of struggling, lethargy, lethargy. If the dangerous stage is overcome, the child will enter the recovery phase, get better, start eating and urinating more.

Parents need to closely monitor the child’s fever, not be subjective shutterstock

When a child has dengue fever, it is very important to follow the doctor’s prescription. There are cases when the child needs to be seen several times a day to assess the progress of the disease and monitor the tests. Families should not be subjective that if they go to the doctor in the morning, then they don’t need to be examined in the afternoon, this will be very dangerous because the child cannot be intervened in time when it gets worse.

Especially if the child is not examined to diagnose dengue fever, parents will not know when to go for a follow-up visit, the signs that need to be followed up so that the child can be re-examined immediately, so it is not possible to monitor closely. children’s situation and not taking timely countermeasures.

“Therefore, during the epidemic season, parents need to learn about dengue fever to know how to properly care for their children and avoid dangerous complications,” said Dr.