Evaluation of Knowledge About Fever After Consultation in the Pediatric Emergency Department

NCT04925401 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: APHP2105782021-A00643-38
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 220
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an information brochure on parent / legal guardians' knowledge of what to do about their child's febrile episode after a pediatric emergency department visit. Single-center randomized controlled trial.

Conditions

Febrile Illness; Fever; Stress

Keywords

Febrile episode; pediatric; pediatric emergency department; therapeutic education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Number of participants with correct answer to question about management of a paediatric febrile episode.

  Number of correct answers to question n°7 (what to do during a febrile episode) of the questionnaire

  1 day

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Number of participants with correct answer to question n°1 about knowledge about paediatric febrile episode

  1 day

• Number of participants with correct answer to question n°2 about knowledge's about paediatric febrile episode

  1 day

• Number of participants with correct answer to question n°3 about knowledge's about paediatric febrile episode

  1 day

• Number of participants with correct answer to question n°4 about knowledge's about paediatric febrile episode

  1 day

• Number of participants with correct answer to question n°5 about knowledge's about paediatric febrile episode

  1 day

Study Arms (2)

Information brochure Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group will receive an information brochure on fever in children and how to deal with a febrile episode and usual medical management.

Behavioral: The Information brochure will be created on the basis of information given by the French pediatric network Courlygone and the French National Authority for Health.

Habitual care

NO INTERVENTION

The control group will receive the usual medical management

Interventions

The Information brochure will be created on the basis of information given by the French pediatric network Courlygone and the French National Authority for Health. BEHAVIORAL

An information brochure on fever in children and how to deal with a paediatric febrile episode and usual medical management.

Information brochure Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Be of legal age
• Be the parent/legal guardian of a child aged between 3 months and 15 years,
• A child with a fever \> 38°celsus on arrival at the emergency room (measured by electronic thermometer rectally for children under 2 years of age or axillary/oral for children over 2 years of age),
• Severity of care rating by the IOA grade 4 (non-emergency care)
• Parent affiliated to a social security system or entitled to it
• Parent under "AME" French social security system
• Parent informed and having signed the consent

You may not qualify if:

• Parent/legal guardian who does not speak or read French,
• Child with a pathology that does not allow for rectal temperature taking
• Parent/legal guardian with a visual impairment that prevents reading the information note and/or the information brochure.
• Parent / legal guardian under guardianship

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris: lead
• URC-CIC Paris Descartes Necker Cochin: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

APHP Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris

Paris, 75015, France

Location

Related Publications (14)

• Schmitt BD. Fever phobia: misconceptions of parents about fevers. Am J Dis Child. 1980 Feb;134(2):176-81.

  PMID: 7352443 BACKGROUND

• Poirier MP, Davis PH, Gonzalez-del Rey JA, Monroe KW. Pediatric emergency department nurses' perspectives on fever in children. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2000 Feb;16(1):9-12. doi: 10.1097/00006565-200002000-00003.

  PMID: 10698135 BACKGROUND

• Burokiene S, Kairiene I, Stricka M, Labanauskas L, Cerkauskiene R, Raistenskis J, Burokaite E, Usonis V. Unscheduled return visits to a pediatric emergency department. Medicina (Kaunas). 2017;53(1):66-71. doi: 10.1016/j.medici.2017.01.003. Epub 2017 Jan 31.

  PMID: 28233682 BACKGROUND

• Bereznicki BJ, Tucker MG, Beggs SA, Zosky GR, Bereznicki LR. Emergency department presentations of febrile children to an Australian public hospital. J Paediatr Child Health. 2018 Dec;54(12):1308-1313. doi: 10.1111/jpc.14071. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

  PMID: 29874409 BACKGROUND

• Enarson MC, Ali S, Vandermeer B, Wright RB, Klassen TP, Spiers JA. Beliefs and expectations of Canadian parents who bring febrile children for medical care. Pediatrics. 2012 Oct;130(4):e905-12. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2140. Epub 2012 Sep 10.

  PMID: 22966028 BACKGROUND

• Betz MG, Grunfeld AF. 'Fever phobia' in the emergency department: a survey of children's caregivers. Eur J Emerg Med. 2006 Jun;13(3):129-33. doi: 10.1097/01.mej.0000194401.15335.c7.

  PMID: 16679875 BACKGROUND

• Morrison AK, Chanmugathas R, Schapira MM, Gorelick MH, Hoffmann RG, Brousseau DC. Caregiver low health literacy and nonurgent use of the pediatric emergency department for febrile illness. Acad Pediatr. 2014 Sep-Oct;14(5):505-9. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 Jun 16.

  PMID: 24942934 BACKGROUND

• Walsh A, Edwards H. Management of childhood fever by parents: literature review. J Adv Nurs. 2006 Apr;54(2):217-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03802.x.

  PMID: 16553708 BACKGROUND

• Walsh A, Edwards H, Fraser J. Parents' childhood fever management: community survey and instrument development. J Adv Nurs. 2008 Aug;63(4):376-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04721.x.

  PMID: 18727765 BACKGROUND

• Peetoom KK, Smits JJ, Ploum LJ, Verbakel JY, Dinant GJ, Cals JW. Does well-child care education improve consultations and medication management for childhood fever and common infections? A systematic review. Arch Dis Child. 2017 Mar;102(3):261-267. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311042. Epub 2016 Jul 18.

  PMID: 27432451 BACKGROUND

• Considine J, Brennan D. Effect of an evidence-based education programme on ED discharge advice for febrile children. J Clin Nurs. 2007 Sep;16(9):1687-94. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01716.x.

  PMID: 17727587 BACKGROUND

• Monsma J, Richerson J, Sloand E. Empowering parents for evidence-based fever management: An integrative review. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2015 Apr;27(4):222-9. doi: 10.1002/2327-6924.12152. Epub 2014 Jul 25.

  PMID: 25066313 BACKGROUND

• Broome ME, Dokken DL, Broome CD, Woodring B, Stegelman MF. A study of parent/grandparent education for managing a febrile illness using the CALM approach. J Pediatr Health Care. 2003 Jul-Aug;17(4):176-83. doi: 10.1067/mph.2003.4.

  PMID: 12847427 BACKGROUND

• Baker MD, Monroe KW, King WD, Sorrentino A, Glaeser PW. Effectiveness of fever education in a pediatric emergency department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2009 Sep;25(9):565-8. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e3181b4f64e.

  PMID: 19755888 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fever

Interventions

Health

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Body Temperature Changes; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Population Characteristics

Study Officials

• Hélène CHAPPUY, MD, PhD

  Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: CARE PROVIDER
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 27, 2021
• First Posted: June 14, 2021
• Study Start: November 2, 2021
• Primary Completion: October 21, 2022
• Study Completion: October 21, 2022
• Last Updated: November 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FR (1)