Publication:

Effectiveness of warm water sponging versus tepid sponging in stabilization of vital signs and facilitating comfort among children with pyrexia admitted to selected hospitals of Lucknow

Background Fever is most common phenomena in all age group as it is associated with various infectious and non- infectious processes interact with the host’s defense mechanism. Sponging the child with tepid have been routinely used in treatment of fever for a long period of time. But it has been seen that tepid sponging develops additional discomfort. The present study aimed to find the relative effectiveness in terms of additional comfort, longer duration of maintaining vital signs and achieving in physiological hemodynamics.

Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 80 children in selected hospital, Lucknow by using non-probability total enumerative sampling technique. Children’s comfort daisies and visual analogue fatigue scale was used to assess the level of comfort and fatigue.

Results The comparison between warm water and tepid sponging group in respect of vital signs shows that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between them at any stage of study. But warm water sponging was more significant (p<0.05) in facilitating comfort than tepid sponging among children with pyrexia.

Conclusions This study suggests that both warm water sponging and tepid sponging were effective in reduction of vital signs but warm water sponging was more effective in facilitating comfort among children with pyrexia. Whereas in the level of fatigue there was no average changes were obtained.