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Table 3 Beliefs regarding harmful effects and possible highest degree of fever, intervals of fever monitoring, and resources of information reported by 388 parents

From: Parental and medical knowledge and management of fever in Italian pre-school children

Harmful effects of fever, reported by parents

n (%)

 ·Seizure

319 (82.2)*

 ·Brain damage

30 (7.7)

 ·Death

15 (3.8)

 ·Dehydration

174 (44.8)

 ·Really sick

21 (5.4)

 ·Coma

10 (2.5)

 ·Delirium

87 (22.4)

 ·Blindness

3 (0.7)

 ·Other

19 (4.9)

Belief that if left untreated fever can reach

 

 ·<40.6 °C

172 (44.3)

 ·40.7-43.2 °C

204 (52.6)

 ·> 43.3 °C

12 (3.1)

Time intervals of fever monitoring

 

 ·<16 minutes

19 (4.9)

 ·16-30 minutes

33 (8.5)

 ·31-60 minutes

82 (21.1)

 ·61-120 minutes

130 (33.5)

 ·>121 minutes

124 (32.0)

Declared source of information

 

 ·According to my paediatrician order

264 (67.8)*

 ·Reading the package leaflet of medicinal/advice line

188 (48.3)

 ·Consulting other persons

1 (0.2)

 ·According to information gathered by internet, TV, papers

0 (0.0)

 ·According to the dose that paediatricians had advised me previously

46 (11.8)

  1. *Total is more than 100% because parents may have given multiple answers.