E O Asekun-Olarinmoye1, B E Egbewale, F O Olajide. 1. Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. estoaskol@yahoo.com
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of tactile examination by mothers as a method of fever determination in their children and thus determine the reliability of mothers' history about the presence or absence of fever in their children. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers randomly selected in Osogbo metropolis. Three hundred mothers were studied, a semi-structured questionnaire was utilized. RESULTS: The study found the sensitivity and specificity of tactile examination for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children to be 82.3% and 54.1% respectively. Mother's socio-demographic characteristics and the age of child did not affect mother's subjective assessment of childhood fever (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mothers are able to provide accurate information about the presence or absence of fever in their children by palpation without the use of a thermometer. Tactile examination was found to be adequate for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children. Physicians should accept as reliable mothers' history of fever and give prompt management.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of tactile examination by mothers as a method of fever determination in their children and thus determine the reliability of mothers' history about the presence or absence of fever in their children. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers randomly selected in Osogbo metropolis. Three hundred mothers were studied, a semi-structured questionnaire was utilized. RESULTS: The study found the sensitivity and specificity of tactile examination for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children to be 82.3% and 54.1% respectively. Mother's socio-demographic characteristics and the age of child did not affect mother's subjective assessment of childhood fever (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mothers are able to provide accurate information about the presence or absence of fever in their children by palpation without the use of a thermometer. Tactile examination was found to be adequate for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children. Physicians should accept as reliable mothers' history of fever and give prompt management.
Authors: Nona M Jiang; Fahmida Tofail; Shannon N Moonah; Rebecca J Scharf; Mami Taniuchi; Jennie Z Ma; Jena D Hamadani; Emily S Gurley; Eric R Houpt; Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner; Rashidul Haque; William A Petri Journal: BMC Pediatr Date: 2014-02-18 Impact factor: 2.125