From my doctor's website:
Fever is a means for the body to respond to illness or injury. It is commonly seen in bacterial or viral infections, some allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases or serious illness.
Practically speaking a child or adult is said to have a fever when temperature is > 100 degrees oral or > 101 degrees rectal. When it is elevated, the body calls "out the troops" to fight the "invader." When suppressing a fever with an antipyretic, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen, you may be working against the body’s natural defenses.
Some people fear fever will cause brain or other organ damage. Studies have found such anxiety to be irrational except in the critically ill or metabolically fragile. Fever is a self limited sign or symptom that rarely causes harm and seems to be part of the body’s adaptive response to infection.
It is important to remember that normalization of temperature may not be an important or necessarily desirable objective of fever therapy. Bringing a fever down 1 or 2 degrees may help the child or adult feel more comfortable and able to "fight the invader."
Treatment needs to be based on the whole picture of the child or adult with fever. A lower temperature does not necessarily mean that the person is better. Conversely, a higher evening temperature does not mean the person is worse.
When to Call about Fever
Since fever can be a common sign of illness, people need to understand when to call. Some guidelines are listed below:
Immediate calls for Fever:
A child less than three months of age.
Severe headache, stiff neck, swelling of the throat or mental confusion with the fever.
Nausea, vomiting, irritability, listlessness or sensitivity to light with fever.
Less immediate calls: (using your judgment, may wait until daytime.)
Fever of 103 degrees F or higher.
Fever lasting longer than 36-48 hours.
Fever accompanied by recurrent shaking or chills.
Exposure to a highly contagious disease, like strep throat or influenza.
No apparent symptoms except temp of 101 degrees F lasting more than 3 days or a fever of 99 degrees F to 100 degrees F for several weeks.
Rash with a fever.
Fever not responding to treatment.
Treatment
Since temperature elevation, seen as a fever, is not generally harmful and may be beneficial, use of antipyretic therapy (i.e. Tylenol, Ibuprofen) should be determined by the child or adult’s discomfort with the fever. Some basic measures, that may be helpful, include: 1.) Taking care to dress the child or adult lightly, avoiding overdressing or over bundling, 2.) Offer lukewarm baths, not colder for twenty minutes as needed, 3.) drinking plenty of fluids 4.) Use antipyretic medication.
The first choice for antipyretic medication is Tylenol, acetaminophen which helps reduce temperature elevation and discomfort. (Bold mine)
Age 11 (listed wt 72-95 lbs) can have up to 480 mg acetominophen.
Age 12 (listed wt 96 & up) can have up to 640 mg acetominophen.
Hope this helps, and he feels better soon!
