The Flu or a Cold? When to call the Doctor?

From the Sprague School Nurse

	Flu	Cold
Onset of illness	Sudden	Gradual
Fever	High	Rare
Fatigue	Severe	Mild
Cough	Severe, Dry	Common, Mucus-producing
Sore throat	Yes	Sometimes
Headache	Yes	Sometimes
Sneezing	Sometimes	Yes
Stuffy Nose	Sometimes	Common
Appetite	Decreased	May be decreased
Muscles	Ache	Fine, slight aches
Chills	Yes	No
Chest Discomfort	Often severe	Mild

Seasonal flu Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly and are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and congestion of a cold. The main symptoms of the flu are a cough, fever, sore throat and runny nose.

My child is experiencing symptoms, when do I call my doctor?

If your child is experiencing influenza symptoms, it’s not always necessary to see or call the doctor. Below are some guidelines to help with deciding when to call your physician.

Call your child's doctor now (night or day) if:

• Your child looks or acts very sick
• Breathing becomes difficult or fast
• Dehydration occurs (no urine in 12 hours, dry mouth, no tears)
• Your child has bluish skin color
• Your child is not waking up or not interacting
• Your child is being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash occurs

Call your child's doctor during the day if:

• Your think your child needs to be seen
• Your child is considered high risk and has flu symptoms
• Earache or sinus pain occurs
• Fever lasts more than 3 days
• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
• Your child becomes worse

Avoid the spread of the flu -

Influenza spreads easily. If you suspect your child has the flu, keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after the fever has ceased without the use of fever-reducing medications. A fever is defined as 100ºF. 

It is important to teach children how to reduce their risk of getting influenza and protect others from infections by teaching them to frequently wash their hands and to cover their coughs and sneezes. Please be assured that we encourage these practices here at Sprague.

Much of this information is from The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado and may be accessed at http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/topics/index.aspx

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Sharon Kahn RN

Sprague School Nurse

sharon_kahn@wellesley.k12.ma.us

781-263-1969 x 502