What should I do in case of fever in a child with diarrhoea?
Fever in a child with diarrhoea may be caused by another infection (e.g. pneumonia or otitis media). Young children may also have fever on the basis of dehydration. The presence of fever should prompt a search for other infections. This is especially important when fever persists after a child is fully rehydrated. Children with fever (38C or above) or a history of fever in the past five days, and who live in a Plasmodium falciparum malarious area, should also be given an anti-malarial or treated according to the policy of the national malaria programme. Children with high fever (39C or greater) should be treated promptly to bring the temperature down. This is best done with an antipyretic (e.g. paracetamol). Reducing fever also improves appetite and diminishes irritability.
