Ardens has created a template to support practices with the assessment of children under 5 years of age who present with symptoms of feverish illness.
This template is aimed at guiding appropriate management of fever in under 5 year olds. The text within the template is colour coded as per NICE traffic light guidance with red, amber and green flags. Red flags should prompt consideration of immediate admission to hospital.
Access the template in one of the following ways:
- Click on the Run Template option within the consultation.
- Click on the Add > Data using Template option outside of a consultation.
Clicking on either of the options above will display the Template Picker screen.
Search for the 'Fever in child < 5 years’ template using the search box provided or via the navigation pane. Select the template and click on OK.
The template has been broken down by pages on the left-hand side. Navigate to the page required.
The Condition page sets out information about feverish illness in young children. Infection is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years and identifying the cause can be challenging at times. This page explains the traffic light guidance used in other pages of the template, as well as including links to relevant NICE guidance.
The History page is used to record the patient’s recent history of fever, symptoms, as well as any other additional risk factors such as recent foreign travel or missed immunisations.
The Observations page allows for the recording of respiratory rate, capillary refill time, temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Also included are the red and amber flags for these observations. Red flags should prompt consideration for immediate admission to hospital; amber flags suggest the child is at intermediate risk.
The Examination page is also red, amber and green colour coded. It enables the clinician to note relevant findings such as appearance, circulation and rash.
The Investigations page allows for the recording of urinalysis, and any further investigations that may be required.
The Management page enables the clinician to document the plan of action for the patient, as well as noting the advice given to the parent or carer.
The Resources page lists links to relevant resources for both patients and healthcare professionals. They include a link to the ‘When Should I Worry?’ booklet, which provides information for parents about the management of respiratory tract infections in children.
Complete the template using the required fields and ensure you save the information, using the Save option.
If using the template via the Run Template option within an open consultation, you will also need to click Save to save the consultation.
Ardens has also created a similar template that can be used when consulting remotely with a parent or carer of a child under the age of 18 presenting with fever or a high temperature. The Fever + Temperature in Child under 18 template allows for the documentation of symptoms, followed by recording the appropriate actions depending on the red, amber or green category status, as well as management plan. More details can be found here.
If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact Ardens support on: support-emis@ardens.org.uk