* Children tend to run higher fevers...

* Children tend to run higher fevers than adults. This is probably because the adult immune system is more developed and recognizes and attacks an infection more quickly.

* It is true that certain people seem to be more vulnerable to running a fever than other people. This is most likely due to differences in individual metabolism.

* Some research suggests that the presence of a fever can help an antibiotic work better to attack an infection. However, bringing fever down to a lower level will not prevent the antibiotic from working.

* The rate at which a fever returns after taking fever-reducing medication probably has more to do with how fast an individual metabolizes the medication than with the strength of the underlying illness.

* If fever-reducing medications don’t work to lower a fever, it could be a sign that the underlying infection is a more serious bacterial infection.

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Source: Assn. for the Care of Children’s Health; Dr. Mark Stegelman, pediatrician, Eagleston Children’s Healthcare System, Atlanta.