J Korean Med Sci.  2013 Nov;28(11):1639-1644. 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.11.1639.

Fever Phobia in Korean Caregivers and Its Clinical Implications

• Kwak YH
• Kim DK
• Jang HY
• Kim JJ
• Ryu JM
• Oh SB
• Lee EJ
• Lee JS
• Lee JH
• Jung JH
• Han SB

• KMID: 1777662
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2013.28.11.1639

Abstract

Fever is the most common complaint among children brought into the emergency department (ED). 'Fever phobia' is a descriptive term for an unrealistic concern about the consequences of fever. 'Fever phobia' is prevalent among parents and even healthcare providers, worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the implications of fever-phobic ideas in Korean caregivers. A prospective, multi-center survey was conducted on Korean caregivers who visited the EDs with febrile children. In total, 746 caregivers were enrolled. The mean age of the subjects was 34.7 yr (SD+/-5.0). Three hundred sixty respondents (48.3%) believed that the body temperature of febrile children can reach higher than 42.0degrees C. Unrealistic concerns about the improbable complications of fever, such as brain damage, unconsciousness, and loss of hearing/vision were believed by 295 (39.5%), 66 (8.8%), and 58 (7.8%) caregivers, respectively. Four hundred ninety-four (66.2%) guardians woke children to give antipyretics. These findings suggest that fever phobia is a substantial burden for Korean caregivers.

Keyword

Fever; Caregivers; Attitudes; Practice Variation

MeSH Terms

Adult
Antipyretics/*therapeutic use
Attitude to Health
Body Temperature
Caregivers/*psychology
Female
Fever/*diagnosis
*Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Male
Phobic Disorders/*epidemiology/*psychology
Prospective Studies
Questionnaires
Republic of Korea
Antipyretics

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Interval of body temperature measurement time for febrile child in Korean caregivers. The numbers above the bars represent the number of respondents who answered the corresponding time interval.

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