Fever phobia: a comparison survey between caregivers in the inpatient ward and caregivers at the outpatient department in a children's hospital in China

Background: Fever in children is one of the most common clinical symptoms and a chief complaint and a main reason that caregivers took the children to the outpatient service or admitted to hospital. Studies have found that the majority of parents surveyed at a hospital pediatric clinic held unrealistic and unwarranted concerns about fevers, first termed as 'fever phobia' by Schmitt in 1980. In the present study, we explore whether 'fever phobia' exists in Chinese caregivers and investigate whether such phobia is alleviated when admitted to hospital after propaganda of fever related knowledge by doctors and nurses. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to caregivers of children who visited the pediatric outpatient department and those with caregivers in the wards between June 2012 and Feb 2013 in Wenzhou, China. Results: Data were obtained from 621 caregivers, 305(49 %) from the OPD and 316(51 %) from the ward. Most caregivers of the two groups (OPD vs. ward group, 75.1 vs. 74.4 %) believed fever could cause brain damage. 77.7 % (76.0 vs. 81.3 %) caregivers were very worried when their children had fever and 12.8 % (14.1 vs. 11.4 %) caregivers would check the temperature within 30 min. Moreover, 68.0 % (63.0 vs. 72.8 %, P < 0.05) caregivers would give their children antipyretics during sleep and 39.9 % (40.3 vs. 39.6 %) would administrate antipyretics when temperature was above 38 degrees C. After admitted to hospital, 83.9 % caregivers stated to have received education about fever and 96.5 % felt relieved. Less caregivers (ward group vs. OPD, 42.4 vs. 46.9 %, P < 0.05) from ward group would give antipyretics with a temperature under 38.5 degrees C and less (0.6 vs. 4.9 %, P < 0.05) preferred cold sponging as physical cooling method compared to the OPD caregivers. Alarmingly, more caregivers (42.7 vs. 34.3 %, P < 0.05) in the ward group believed fever could lead to death or/and deafness (17.4 vs. 10.5 %, P < 0.05) and even 0.6 % caregivers in the ward group chose aspirin when the children had fever. Conclusion: 'Fever phobia' also exists in Chinese caregivers. Fever related knowledge propaganda after admitted to hospital did not work effectively to improve the caregivers' understanding and management of fever and an effective way to alleviate 'Fever phobia'.