Can a persistent high fever of 103°F for three days be fatal in children?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a 7-month-old baby with a fever up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit for three days. He tested negative for COVID, flu, and RSV test. His only symptoms are fever and fatigue. What could be the possible causes? The fever goes down with Tylenol. He is very drained of energy. He may play for 20 minutes when his fever goes down but wants to lie down or sleep for most of the day.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Considering the very high temperature, I would suggest doing the following test.

1) Complete blood count (CBC).

2) C-reactive protein (CRP) tests.

3) SGPT.

4) PSMP (peripheral smear of malarial parasite).

5) Dengue and dengue virus antigen detection or NS1 test.

6) IgG and IgM test.

Conduct these tests after a detailed physical examination by a pediatrician. It may either be a viral or bacterial infection. Also, antibiotics like Augmentin may need to be started. However, that depends on the examination results and other physical findings.