Rambam Maimonides medical journal
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Jan 2017
Fever Phobia as a Reason for Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Does the Primary Care Physician Make a Difference?
Fever is a source of considerable parental anxiety. Numerous studies have also confirmed similar anxiety among health care workers. This study analyzed caregiver knowledge of fever, and beliefs concerning children with a febrile illness, with an emphasis on the referring physician. ⋯ Caregivers in this study had limited knowledge of fever and its management in children, even if referred by their primary care physician. We suggest that there is a need for aggressive educational interventions to reduce parents' fever phobia, in clinics as well as in pediatric emergency departments, and that this need may extend to the education of medical personnel as well.