How should I manage fever in geriatric patients?

Question

Hi doctor,

My mother is an 82-year-old female. Her BP is normal. She had a fever in the last four days, not at present, and not taking food for the past two days. She is fragile, bedridden, and not taking pills. She only take four to five spoons of juice. The COVID test has not been done yet.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

As for your history is concerned, if her vitals are stable, you can encourage oral fluids. We need to see her general condition, whether conscious or oriented to time, place, or person. If she is conscious and able to talk, you can encourage her orally and ask her to eat. If she is drowsy, cannot take orally, irritable, you need to start IV fluids.

Does she have any comorbidities like DM (diabetes mellitus), hypertension, and asthma?

I hope you get my point that she needs to be accessed directly. If she is too week and not taking anything, she needs admission.

She needs blood investigations to be done. If she had a fever, which is not subsiding and not on any medication, then I would suggest: Tablet Azithromycin 500 mg daily once for five days, tablet Paracetamol 650 mg three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening), and multivitamin tablets daily once for 10 days.

Consult a nearby doctor for any further assistance.

I hope it helps.

Thank you.