Effectiveness of Head Mist versus Tepid Sponging Among Febrile Children: A Comparative Study

Fatimah Al Hammad; Mohamed El Ghamdi; Awatef El–Sayed; Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Naim; Adel Nasser Al Bargi; Sayed Ibrahim Ali

Volume : VI, Issue : V, May - 2017

Effectiveness of Head Mist versus Tepid Sponging Among Febrile Children: A Comparative Study

Fatimah Al Hammad, Mohamed El Ghamdi, Awatef El Sayed, Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Naim, Adel Nasser Al Bargi, Sayed Ibrahim Ali

Abstract :

This is a comparative study aimed to compare the effectiveness of head mist as a new modality of decreasing body temperature versus traditional method of tepid sponging among the feile children. The study was conducted on 50 children aged 1–12 years old with axillary temperature ≥ 38.0�C who came to the pediatric emergency department at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Al Khobar City for seeking medical help. They were divided into two groups on random basis, 25 children enrolled in each group. Group (1) received head mist which applied 15–20 cm distance from the child�s forehead while he/she on setting position by using Atom Soniclizer 305 machine producing mist, and group (2) received tepid sponging which was applied on the forehead ( by using a basin and two towels, the towels used alternatively during sponging) while the child on lying position. Body temperature of children in the two groups was measured axillary before the intervention, at 15 and 30 minutes of the intervention by using an electronic thermometer. As well as paracetamol, 15 mg/kg was given to all children in the groups orally directly before the intervention. Results of the present study revealed that before the intervention, no statistically significant difference was found between body temperatures of children in the two groups. At 15 and 30 minutes of the interventions, statistical significant differences were observed between body temperature of children in the head mist and the tepid sponging groups with more prevalent of decreasing body temperature among children in the head mist group than those in the tepid sponging group. Mean � SD of body temperature was 38.3 � 0.4�C and 38.6 � 0.55�C for the two groups respectively, P<0.05 at 15 minutes & 38 � 0 .45�C and 38.5 � 0.54 �C for the two groups respectively, P < 0 .001 at 30 minutes. The study concluded that head mist could be an effective and alternative way compared to tepid sponging to decrease body temperature of feile children. The present study recommended that head mist method can be integrated in the routine care of decreasing body temperature among feile children, educational training programs for medical and nursing staff should be conducted to teach them how to use the machine and apply the head mist method to decrease body temperature among the feile children.