New “sick day” guidelines for children issued by US school nurses

‘Tis the season for coughs and colds and they certainly do the rounds in schools, which is why the National Association of School Nurses has issued some “Sick Day Guidelines” that offer advice on whether to send a child to school or not if they have some kind of cold.

These useful guidelines could be applied in most countries and while there are no absolute rules, they could help to reassure a worried parent that they’re doing the best for their child and the school.

Things to look out for that could mean it’s better to keep a child hope from school include:

• having a fever of 100.4˚F (38˚C) or greater
• vomiting
• excessive tiredness
• lack of appetite
• productive coughing/sneezing
• headache, body aches, earache
• sore throat

Flu (influenza) in children is serious, and any signs of a high fever, chills, aches, nausea, vomiting, or dry cough should be investigated by a GP straight away.

There’s also advice on minimising the risks of getting a cold in the first place.

The PDF document can be downloaded from the NASN website.