Fever: field decision tree, when to treat, and when to evacuate

Fever is a sign, not a disease. The number on the thermometer tells you the body is fighting something — it does not tell you what. This page routes you through the fork: Which organ system is involved? Which Survipedia page should you read next? When does this cross into a sepsis emergency, and when can you safely manage at home with antipyretics and watchful waiting?

Educational use only

This page provides general educational information for emergency preparedness scenarios when professional medical care is unavailable. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider. Use this information at your own risk.

Before you start - Skills: Measure and record temperature accurately (rectal, oral, tympanic, or temporal artery). Count respiratory rate for a full 60 seconds. Assess mental status using AVPU (Alert / Verbal / Pain / Unresponsive). Measure blood pressure if equipment is available. - Materials: Digital thermometer (rectal preferred for children under 3 years). Pulse oximeter. Watch with second hand for RR. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) and ibuprofen. Blood pressure cuff if available. Stockpiled antibiotics appropriate to suspected source — see medical stockpiling. - Antipyretic dosing: Acetaminophen 10–15 mg/kg per dose q4–6 hr in children (max 5 doses/24 hr); 650–1000 mg per dose q4–6 hr in adults (max 4 g/day; 3 g/day if hepatic concern or chronic alcohol use) per AAP/USP labeling. - NSAID pregnancy restriction: Ibuprofen and all NSAIDs are contraindicated at ≥20 weeks gestation per FDA Drug Safety Communication issued October 2020 (risk of fetal renal dysfunction and oligohydramnios). - Neonatal fever: Any fever ≥100.4°F (38°C) rectal in a neonate under 28 days of age = emergency with no exceptions per AAP. Do not proceed with home management; evacuate.

Action block

Do this first: Measure temperature rectally, orally, or via temporal artery — then look for accompanying symptoms that point to an organ system (active time: 3 minutes). Time required: Active: 5–10 minutes for initial assessment; 4–6 hours per reassessment interval during active illness. Cost range: Inexpensive for a digital thermometer and OTC antipyretics; affordable to include a pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff. Skill level: Beginner for temperature measurement and symptom classification; intermediate for meningitis sign assessment and qSOFA application; advanced for empiric antibiotic selection by syndrome. Tools and supplies: Tools: digital thermometer (rectal tip for infants), pulse oximeter, watch with second hand or phone timer. Supplies: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, clear fluids for hydration; stockpiled antibiotics per stockpiling. Safety warnings: See Meningitis: the can't-miss diagnosis below — fever + stiff neck + altered mental status = emergency requiring immediate action regardless of other circumstances.

What counts as fever

Fever is defined as a core body temperature of ≥100.4°F (38°C) measured rectally, orally, or via temporal artery, per AAP and IDSA clinical guidance.

Measurement routes — accuracy comparison:

Method Threshold Notes
Rectal ≥100.4°F (38°C) Gold standard; required for children under 3 years
Oral ≥100.4°F (38°C) Accurate in cooperative patients over 5 years; affected by recent food/drink
Temporal artery ≥100.4°F (38°C) Validated and convenient in older children and adults
Tympanic (ear) ≥100.4°F (38°C) Acceptable but placement-sensitive; less reliable in infants
Axillary (armpit) ≥99.4°F (37.4°C) Least accurate; add 1°F / 0.5°C to estimate core temperature

Hyperpyrexia is a temperature of ≥106°F (41.1°C). This is a separate emergency — the risk profile shifts from immune response to direct tissue damage and central nervous system involvement. Causes include heat stroke (see heatstroke), severe CNS infection, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Do not treat hyperpyrexia as simply "a high fever." Aggressive cooling, not just antipyretics, is required.

If someone reports feeling feverish but you cannot measure a temperature, treat as possible fever until confirmed otherwise. Subjective fever in a patient who also has a stiff neck, altered mental status, or a petechial rash is an emergency — do not wait for a thermometer reading.

The decision tree: route by what else is present

Fever alone is almost never the answer. The accompanying symptoms — not the temperature — tell you what is wrong and what to do. Work through this table systematically before reaching for an antibiotic.

Fever + this symptom cluster Most likely problem Route to
Wound redness, swelling, warmth, pus, or spreading redness Wound infection / cellulitis infection.md — use STONES assessment and qSOFA
Diarrhea or vomiting GI infection — viral, bacterial, or parasitic diarrhea.md — ORS first, IDSA antibiotic thresholds
Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or difficulty breathing Respiratory infection — URI, bronchitis, pneumonia respiratory-infections.md — CRB-65, viral-first
Burning urination, frequency, urgency, or flank / back pain Urinary tract infection — cystitis, pyelonephritis, or urosepsis urinary-infections.md — suspect pyelonephritis if flank pain present
Headache + stiff neck + altered mental status ± non-blanching rash Meningitis See meningitis section below — DO NOT DELAY
Rash — petechial, non-blanching Meningococcemia / RMSF / Lyme / viral Emergency — see meningitis section and tick-bites.md
Rash — maculopapular (flat red spots) Viral exanthem / scarlet fever / drug reaction Observe; if scarlet fever suspected (sandpaper rash + sore throat), consider group A Strep
Rash — vesicular (blisters) Chickenpox / shingles (zoster) / herpes simplex Isolate; zoster in immunocompromised = escalate
Rash — localized, scaly, ring-shaped Fungal dermatomycosis fungal-skin-infections.md — topical antifungal, not antibiotic
Rash — expanding ring after tick exposure Lyme disease erythema migrans tick-bites.md — prophylactic doxycycline criteria
Tick exposure within 72 hours Rocky Mountain spotted fever / Lyme / anaplasmosis tick-bites.md — RMSF is a 24-hour emergency
Recent heat exposure, high ambient temperature, no sweating Heat stroke / hyperthermia (NOT infection) heatstroke.md — external cooling, not antipyretics alone
Jaundice or right upper-quadrant abdominal pain Hepatitis / cholangitis Escalate immediately — beyond scope of austere home management
Focal bone pain, focal spine pain Osteomyelitis / discitis Escalate — requires imaging and IV antibiotics
No localizing source after careful exam Unknown origin — 48–72 hour watch period See fever without source section below

Rash sub-classification

A rash changes everything. Non-blanching petechiae — small purple or red spots that do not fade when pressed with a glass or finger — are a meningococcal emergency until proven otherwise. Do the glass test on any rash: press a clear glass firmly to the skin. If the spots remain visible through the glass, they are non-blanching. This test takes 5 seconds and could save a life.

Blanching rashes (spots that fade under pressure) are much more likely to be viral exanthems, drug reactions, or inflammation — concerning but not the same emergency. Blanching + fever + sore throat with a sandpaper-like texture to the rash = suspect scarlet fever; empiric penicillin or amoxicillin is appropriate.

Age-specific red flags

Throughout this page, six age and population tiers structure the escalation guidance:

  • Neonate (0–28 days) — Hospital-dependent; no home fever management under any circumstances
  • Young infant (1–3 months) — Same-day clinical evaluation required for any fever
  • Older infant/child (3 months–12 years) — Most fevers are viral and self-limiting; escalate on red flags
  • Adult — Escalation driven by sepsis features and sustained high temperature
  • Elder (≥65 years) — Blunted fever response; lower threshold for serious infection
  • Immunocompromised / pregnant — Separate protocols apply

Neonate (<28 days): Any fever ≥100.4°F (38°C) rectal in a neonate is a medical emergency with no exceptions, per AAP clinical guidance. Neonates have immature immune systems, cannot localize infection, and have high rates of serious bacterial infection (urinary, blood, meningeal) even without localizing signs. Do not attempt home management. Evacuate. Cross-link: infant-care.

Young infant (1–3 months): Fever ≥100.4°F (38°C) requires same-day clinical evaluation per AAP. In an austere setting with no access to care, watch closely for meningitis signs, respiratory distress, poor feeding, or lethargy — any of these triggers emergency evacuation. Cross-link: infant-care.

Older infant and child (3 months–12 years): Most fevers in this group are viral and self-limited. Escalate immediately for: - Temperature ≥102°F (38.9°C) with significant lethargy, dehydration, or inability to keep fluids down - Fever persisting beyond 72 hours without a clear source - Meningitis signs (stiff neck, bulging fontanelle in infants, paradoxical irritability) - Non-blanching rash - Febrile seizure (complex type — see section below)

Adult: Fever above 103°F (39.4°C) sustained for more than 24 hours without a clear source warrants close monitoring and a systematic exam. Any fever with qSOFA score ≥2 is a sepsis emergency regardless of absolute temperature. A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) in a patient with stiff neck, confusion, or a petechial rash is an emergency whether the number looks alarming or not.

Elder (≥65 years): Fever is blunted in older adults — the hypothalamic response to infection diminishes with age. A temperature of 99.5°F (37.5°C) in an elder with confusion, falls, or urinary symptoms may represent the same degree of systemic infection that would produce 103°F (39.4°C) in a younger patient. Apply qSOFA with a lower threshold for concern. Cross-link: elder-care.

Immunocompromised: Fever in any patient with cancer, immunosuppressive medications, HIV, functional asplenia, or recent chemotherapy is an emergency per IDSA guidance. Bacterial causes dominate; empiric broadspectrum antibiotics and evacuation if at all possible.

Pregnancy: Any fever >100.4°F (38°C) warrants maternal-fetal monitoring per ACOG. Maternal fever can cause fetal tachycardia and in high-grade fever may affect neural development in early pregnancy. Treat fever promptly with acetaminophen — it is the only antipyretic safe throughout pregnancy. Ibuprofen and all other NSAIDs are contraindicated at ≥20 weeks gestation per FDA 2020. Cross-link: childbirth.

Sepsis screen: every febrile patient gets qSOFA

Apply qSOFA at initial presentation in every febrile patient before deciding whether this is a "watch and wait" situation. The screen takes under 60 seconds and catches the most dangerous cases.

qSOFA criteria (score 1 point each):

  1. Altered mental status — Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15, or any new confusion, agitation, excessive drowsiness, or lethargy not explained by sleep deprivation or medication.
  2. Respiratory rate ≥22 breaths per minute — Count for a full 60 seconds with a watch. Normal adult range is 12–20 breaths per minute.
  3. Systolic blood pressure ≤100 mm Hg — Measure with a cuff and stethoscope or automatic device.

Score ≥2 of 3 criteria in any febrile patient = probable sepsis. This is an emergency.

In an austere setting with no evacuation:

  1. Start the broadest available antibiotic appropriate to the suspected source — see the relevant syndrome page.
  2. Push oral fluids aggressively; see dehydration.md for ORS protocol and fluid targets.
  3. Control fever with acetaminophen to reduce metabolic demand.
  4. Reassess qSOFA every 4–6 hours. Deterioration = escalate every effort to evacuate.

Even a score of 1 with a febrile patient who looks sick — pale, weak, not tracking normally — should prompt a full syndrome-directed exam and close monitoring. qSOFA is a screen, not a ceiling. Cross-link: infection.md for the full sepsis and SIRS criteria protocol.

Meningitis: the can't-miss diagnosis

Fever + stiff neck + altered mental status = bacterial meningitis until proven otherwise.

Bacterial meningitis kills in hours and leaves permanent neurological damage in survivors who receive delayed treatment. Do not wait for confirmatory signs. If the triad is present, treat empirically and evacuate.

Recognize the triad: - Fever (any temperature above normal) - Stiff neck (nuchal rigidity) — the patient resists or cannot touch chin to chest - Altered mental status — confusion, excessive drowsiness, combativeness, or marked lethargy

Petechial or non-blanching rash — purple or red spots that do not fade when pressed — indicates meningococcemia. This is a minutes-matter emergency.

Kernig sign: With the patient lying flat, flex the hip to 90°, then attempt to extend the knee. Pain or resistance to extension = positive. (Low sensitivity ~5% in adults, but high specificity ~95% per Thomas et al., CID 2002 — a positive finding strongly suggests meningeal irritation, but a negative finding does NOT rule out meningitis.)

Brudzinski sign: With the patient lying flat, flex the neck toward the chest. Involuntary flexion of the hips and knees = positive.

Infant signs: Bulging fontanelle, high-pitched cry, paradoxical irritability (more upset when held than when lying still), refusal to feed, photophobia. Classical triad is often absent in infants.

Empiric treatment per IDSA: - Ceftriaxone 2 g IV q12 hr (adult, IDSA preferred route); 50 mg/kg IV q12 hr (child, max 2 g per dose). IM administration is a field substitute when IV access is not available — give the same single dose IM and continue q12 hr until evacuation. Per IDSA Practice Guidelines for the Management of Bacterial Meningitis (Tunkel et al., CID 2004;39:1267) - Add vancomycin 15–20 mg/kg IV if penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae is a risk (all adults in most settings) - Dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg IV q6 hr for 2–4 days, first dose ideally 15–20 minutes BEFORE or with first antibiotic dose, to reduce inflammation-mediated hearing loss and brain injury

Evacuate immediately. If no evacuation is possible, continue empiric antibiotics, control fever with acetaminophen, keep the patient lying in a darkened room, and prepare for rapid deterioration.

Bacterial meningitis is not a "monitor at home and see" situation. Once the diagnosis is considered, the treatment sequence starts.

Antipyretics: when to treat, when to leave alone

The primary goal of treating fever is the patient's comfort and prevention of dehydration — not normalizing the temperature reading. Modest fever (≤102°F / 38.9°C) in a comfortable, well-hydrated patient who is not at risk for febrile seizures may not require treatment at all. Fever supports the immune response; suppressing it prematurely during a viral illness may slightly prolong symptoms in some studies.

Treat aggressively when: the patient is uncomfortable, unable to drink fluids, has sepsis features, is pregnant, has a cardiac condition, has a history of febrile seizures, or has hyperpyrexia (≥106°F / 41.1°C).

Acetaminophen (paracetamol)

  • Adults: 650–1000 mg orally every 4–6 hours. Maximum 4 g (4,000 mg) per day per FDA labeling. Reduce to 3 g per day if there is hepatic concern, chronic heavy alcohol use (3 or more drinks daily), malnutrition, or low body weight.
  • Children: 10–15 mg/kg per dose every 4–6 hours orally, maximum 5 doses per 24-hour period per AAP.
  • Contraindications: Severe hepatic disease. Caution with any concurrent acetaminophen-containing product — combination cold medicines, narcotic combinations, and sleep aids often contain acetaminophen; double-dosing causes liver failure.
  • Safe in pregnancy: throughout all trimesters.

Ibuprofen

  • Adults: 400–600 mg orally every 6 hours with food. Maximum 2,400 mg per day (OTC labeling). Higher prescription doses (3,200 mg/day) require clinical supervision.
  • Children: 10 mg/kg per dose every 6–8 hours orally per AAP. Not for infants under 6 months.
  • AVOID at ≥20 weeks gestation — oligohydramnios and fetal renal dysfunction risk per FDA 2020.
  • Avoid with: Active GI bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, severe asthma (aspirin-sensitive subtype), significant renal impairment, dehydration (NSAIDs reduce renal blood flow).

Aspirin: do not give to children

Aspirin is contraindicated in anyone under 19 years of age with a viral illness. The association between aspirin and Reye syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal encephalopathy with liver failure — led to mandatory FDA warning labels in 1986. Reye syndrome cases have fallen from hundreds per year to fewer than 2 annually since the warning, demonstrating the effectiveness of this avoidance. If a febrile child needs an antipyretic, use acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Never aspirin.

Alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen

Alternating these two drugs is not routinely recommended by AAP. The practice offers modest temperature advantage but increases the risk of dosing errors — a parent giving "one of each" on overlapping schedules can inadvertently cause acetaminophen overdose or ibuprofen overdose. If using both, designate a single drug for each dosing window and write the schedule down.

External cooling

Tepid sponging (with lukewarm water, approximately 85–90°F / 29–32°C) can be used as an adjunct for hyperpyrexia or while antipyretics take effect. Do not use cold water or ice — shivering raises core body temperature and defeats the purpose. Do not use alcohol rubs — toxic vapor absorption risk, especially in children. External cooling is not first-line for routine fever.

Febrile seizures: parents' single biggest fear

Febrile seizures affect 2–5% of children aged 6 months to 5 years and are the most common seizure disorder in childhood. Most are benign and leave no neurological damage.

Simple febrile seizure: Generalized (whole body, not one-sided), lasts fewer than 15 minutes, does not repeat within 24 hours, and resolves without residual neurological deficit. This is the common form.

Complex febrile seizure: Focal onset (one side of the body), lasts more than 15 minutes, repeats more than once within 24 hours, or leaves a residual neurological deficit. Complex febrile seizures require evaluation.

Acute management (numbered procedure):

  1. Place the child on their side (recovery position) on a flat surface with nothing nearby they can strike.
  2. Do not restrain the child's movements. Do not put anything in the child's mouth — not fingers, not a spoon, not a cloth. The child cannot swallow their tongue.
  3. Start timing the seizure at the moment it begins.
  4. Clear the immediate area of hard or sharp objects.
  5. Stay with the child through the entire seizure. Call out for a second person to help.
  6. Most simple febrile seizures stop within 1–5 minutes. Watch for breathing to resume normally after the seizure ends.
  7. After the seizure stops, place the child in recovery position and check breathing. Expect a post-seizure drowsiness period of minutes to hours — this is normal.
  8. Check temperature and administer an antipyretic if the child can swallow safely and is conscious.

Important: Giving antipyretics during a seizure does nothing — the drug cannot absorb and act in that timeframe. Antipyretics given before fever spikes do not reliably prevent febrile seizures. Do not attempt rectal antipyretics during active seizure.

Evacuate for: Complex febrile seizure, first febrile seizure in a child under 12 months, any febrile seizure with signs of meningitis (stiff neck, altered consciousness beyond the expected post-ictal period), or seizure lasting more than 5 minutes. Cross-link: infant-care.

Fever without source: the 48–72 hour window

Fever for 1–3 days without a clear anatomical cause is extremely common and usually viral. "Fever without source" is a clinical description, not a diagnosis — it means the cause is not yet apparent, not that one does not exist.

Management during the 48–72 hour window:

  • Record temperature every 4–6 hours and track the curve. Is it trending up, stable, or down? A fever that peaks at day 2–3 and then resolves is typical of a viral syndrome. A fever that rises at day 3 after appearing to improve is a red flag.
  • Apply qSOFA at each assessment. A stable patient who passes qSOFA at hour 0 and hour 12 is reassuring. A qSOFA that turns positive at hour 24 is an emergency.
  • Recheck the full physical exam at 24 hours. Examine:
  • Abdomen (tenderness, rigidity, guarding)
  • Ears (redness of tympanic membrane in children)
  • Throat (exudates, redness)
  • Lymph nodes (tender swollen nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin)
  • Skin (every square inch — petechiae develop rapidly and are easily missed in poor light)
  • Urine (smell, color, burning on urination, frequency)
  • Any wound history from the past 7 days
  • Monitor hydration: urine output, skin turgor, mental alertness, and fluid intake. Fever increases insensible water loss; offer oral fluids continuously.

At 48–72 hours without improvement: - If female: rule out urinary tract infection — see urinary-infections.md. - If recent wound or any skin break: rule out occult abscess or spreading cellulitis — see infection.md. - If any respiratory hint (mild cough, nasal congestion): rule out early pneumonia — see respiratory-infections.md.

At 5–7 days without a source: This is serious. Fever of unknown origin at this duration raises the differential to include endocarditis, deep abscess, tuberculosis, malignancy, and autoimmune disease — none of which can be managed at home without diagnostics. If evacuation is accessible, it should happen now.

Common mistakes that get people killed

Treating the number instead of the patient. A temperature of 104°F (40°C) in a laughing, drinking, neurologically intact child is very different from 101°F (38.3°C) in an adult with neck stiffness and confusion. The number is a data point, not a danger level in isolation.

Missing meningitis because stiff neck was attributed to "muscle tension." Neck stiffness from meningitis is true nuchal rigidity — the patient cannot or will not flex the neck forward. It is not the same as posterior neck muscle tightness from poor sleeping position. If there is any doubt in a febrile patient, apply the Kernig and Brudzinski tests.

Skipping qSOFA on a "routine" fever. qSOFA takes 60 seconds. There is no scenario in which applying it is not worth the time. Sepsis at early qSOFA-positive stage is still rescuable. Sepsis at late stage with multi-organ failure often is not.

Giving aspirin to a child with any viral illness. Influenza, chickenpox, and even nonspecific upper respiratory infections are all potential Reye syndrome triggers. The child's age does not matter — the CDC and AAP recommend avoiding aspirin in anyone under 19 years with a viral illness.

Giving ibuprofen to a pregnant patient at or after 20 weeks. This is not a theoretical risk — the FDA issued a formal drug safety communication in 2020 specifically on this hazard. Acetaminophen is safe; all NSAIDs are not after 20 weeks.

Alternating antipyretics without writing the schedule down. In a household under stress, at 3 AM, a caregiver who cannot remember whether acetaminophen or ibuprofen was given, and when, will make dosing errors. Write it down. Every dose, every time.

Tepid bath for routine fever. Shivering from cold-water contact raises core body temperature, increases metabolic demand, and causes the patient significant discomfort — the opposite of the goal. For routine fever, give an oral antipyretic first. Reserve tepid water for hyperpyrexia.

Dismissing a neonatal fever as teething, a mild cold, or "normal baby stuff." There is no such thing as a safe neonatal fever at home. Every neonate with a temperature of ≥100.4°F (38°C) has bacterial sepsis, meningitis, or urinary infection until proven otherwise by a full workup including blood cultures, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid.

Using random antibiotics from the stockpile without applying the decision tree first. Antibiotics have specific targets. Giving amoxicillin for a viral fever does nothing except deplete your supply and risk antibiotic resistance. Giving an antibiotic without identifying the likely source may suppress a fever for 24–48 hours while a septic focus worsens silently. Apply the decision tree. Route to the correct syndrome page. Then choose the antibiotic for that syndrome.

Teach your family

Post these rules where caregivers can find them without searching.

  1. Measure the temperature. Do not guess. Feeling warm or looking flushed is not enough. A number is a number.
  2. The fever is not the danger — look for what comes with it. Fever plus something else (stiff neck, rash, fast breathing, can't keep fluids down, unusual drowsiness) is a different problem than fever alone.
  3. Wake an adult immediately for any of these: stiff neck with fever or headache; a rash that does not fade when pressed; breathing fast or hard; cannot swallow fluids; infant under 3 months with any fever; unusual drowsiness or inability to wake normally; blood in urine, stool, or vomit.
  4. Acetaminophen for fever in kids, not aspirin. Aspirin in children with any viral illness can cause Reye syndrome — a rare, potentially fatal brain and liver disease. Ibuprofen is acceptable for children over 6 months but not pregnant women at or after 20 weeks.
  5. Do not alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen without a written schedule. Dosing errors from "I think they had the other one" cause liver damage and kidney damage. Choose one and track it.
  6. Drink fluids. Offer cool drinks — they help. Fever increases fluid loss. A febrile child who stops drinking is a dehydrating child. See dehydration for oral rehydration solution.
  7. Treat the patient, not the number. A comfortable, alert, drinking child with a temperature of 103°F (39.4°C) and a runny nose is very different from a lethargic, glassy-eyed child with a temperature of 100.8°F (38.2°C) and a stiff neck. The number alone does not tell you which situation you are in.

Sources and next steps

Last reviewed: 2026-05-22

Source hierarchy:

  1. AAP Clinical Report — Fever and Antipyretic Use in Children, Pediatrics 2011;127:580-587 (Tier 1, American Academy of Pediatrics)
  2. AAP — Evaluation and Management of Well-Appearing Febrile Infants 8 to 60 Days Old, Pediatrics 2021;148:e2021052228 (Tier 1, American Academy of Pediatrics)
  3. Singer M et al. — Sepsis-3, JAMA 2016;315:801-810 (Tier 1, JAMA / PMC4968574)
  4. IDSA — Practice Guidelines for the Management of Bacterial Meningitis, CID 2004;39:1267 (Tier 1, Infectious Diseases Society of America)
  5. FDA Drug Safety Communication 2020 — Avoid Use of NSAIDs in Pregnancy at 20 Weeks or Later (Tier 1, US Food and Drug Administration)
  6. AAP — Febrile Seizures Clinical Practice Guideline, Pediatrics 2008;121:1281-1286 (Tier 1, American Academy of Pediatrics)

Legal/regional caveats: This page covers general triage principles that apply across most jurisdictions. Specific antibiotic prescribing, dosing, and field treatment decisions fall within the scope of medical practice and should be performed by or under the guidance of a licensed healthcare provider where one is accessible. Medical protocols evolve; verify against current clinical guidelines when possible.

Safety stakes: life-safety topic — verify against current local/professional guidance before acting.

Next 3 links:

  • → infection.md — wound infection with fever: STONES assessment, sepsis protocol, antibiotic selection
  • → infant-care.md — pediatric fever management by age tier, febrile seizure response
  • → stockpiling.md — build the antipyretic and antibiotic supply that makes this decision tree actionable