For mothers and fathers confronted with a child's sudden ache or fever, a new online tool from Sansum Clinic could help them decide if the symptom requires a doctor's visit right away or could be handled at home.
Sansum's Symptom Checker is available for free online, and it walks a parent through some key instructions on first identifying the part of the body involved, and then various symptoms common to the area. By clicking on the most likely symptom, parents are guided to narrow down on the problem and its potential severity. The responses lead to recommendations for care in the home, to get help if certain other conditions appear, or to call for help immediately.
Much of the information is common sense to experienced parents, but the Symptom Checker gives helpful details, such as what to do if a symptom doesn't go away in a certain number of days and dosage charts for over-the-counter medications by the child's weight.
