When Does a Fever Warrant a Trip to Urgent Care?

The process usually starts with a hand to the forehead when your child complains of not feeling well. A hot forehead may lead to a thermometer, and you find you’re the parent of a feverish child. 

What’s the next step? Usually, fever is part of a natural response to illness or pathogens, a stage through which your child’s body goes on the path to healing. Fevers can, however, be serious and require swift medical care. 

The First Response Urgent Care team in Brooklyn, New York, are specialists in pediatric urgent care. We’ve prepared this month’s blog to help you recognize when a fever becomes serious enough for a visit to the nearer of our two locations. 

As the temperature rises

A fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature, usually in response to an illness or infection. There's no single definition of what constitutes a fever, since body temperature varies by person, time of day, and measurement method.  

General fever guidelines

Most medical practitioners recognize fever when levels reach 100.4°F (38°C) or higher when measured with a thermometer that reads body temperature.  

Fever grades

A low-grade fever is higher than normal (97°F to 99°F) but lower than 100.4°F. This is a sign that the immune system is mildly activated and is generally not a cause for concern. 

A high-grade fever registers between 102.4°F and 105.8°F. Fever from infection doesn’t usually exceed 105°F, though illness-driven fevers typically won’t go higher than 104°F.   

When does a fever warrant a trip to urgent care? 

The answer depends on your child’s age and often whether they have accompanying symptoms. In general, your response to fever falls into three scenarios:  

Worth a call

Call our nearest location when your baby's fever lasts longer than a day and your child is between four months and two years old.

When your child is older than three months and has a fever up to 102°F but isn’t showing signs of irritability, lethargy, or coping with other symptoms, rest and plenty of fluids should be adequate for recovery. 

Visit urgent care 

Visit the closest urgent care facility to you immediately if your newborn (younger than three months old) has a fever of 100.4°F or higher. At this age, fever likely indicates a serious infection, requiring prompt medical care. Outside of our office hours, head to the nearest emergency department. 

When your child is between three and six months old with a fever above 102°F, we’d like to see them as soon as possible. 

Seek prompt care if your child is older than three months, has a fever, and exhibits one or more of these symptoms:

• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting
• Very fussy
• Low energy/lethargic
• Dehydrated
• Sore throat
• Abdominal pain
• Earache
• Pain with urination

Because you’re the parent, you know your child best, so you should trust your instincts if you suspect something is wrong. 

Proceed to the nearest emergency room

Your child needs medical care as soon as possible when their fever reaches 105°F or if a fever occurs along with signs of severe illness, such as intense abdominal pain, breathing difficulties, a severe headache, or neck stiffness. 

Take your baby to the ER when a fever accompanies:

• Blue lips, tongue, or nails, or has trouble breathing
• Extreme irritability or inconsolable crying
• Trouble waking up
• A spotty, bruise-like rash
• Lethargy or limpness 
• A soft spot on the head that’s bulging or sunken 

After emergency care, you can follow up with us, particularly if your child is our primary care patient. 

Contact First Response Urgent Care at our nearest Brooklyn location. Book your appointment online or call your choice of office to schedule your visit now.