The Effectiveness Of A Combination Of Red Onion Compresses And Paracetamol In Reducing Fever Following Dpt Vaccination In Infants Aged 2–4 Months

Siska Nila Sari; Suparmi Suparmi

doi:10.55227/ijhet.v5i3.1208

Authors

Siska Nila Sari Midwifery Programme and Midwifery Professional Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, ‘Aisyiyah University of Surakarta, Indonesia
Suparmi Suparmi Midwifery Programme and Midwifery Professional Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, ‘Aisyiyah University of Surakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhet.v5i3.1208

Keywords:

Knowledge, Anemia, Health Education, Adolescent Girls.

Abstract

This study was prompted by findings that approximately 40–50 per cent of infants experience fever as an immune response following DPT immunisation at the Pakuan Ratu Community Health Centre, Lampung Province. Postimmunisation fever is generally managed with paracetamol, whilst red onion compresses have begun to be utilised as a non-pharmacological therapy due to their antipyretic effects. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a combination of red onion compresses and paracetamol in reducing post-DPT immunisation fever in infants aged 2–4 months at the Pakuan Ratu Community Health Centre in Lampung. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. The design used was a pre-test–post-test control group design. In this design, the participants were divided into two groups: the intervention (experimental) group and the control group. Body temperature was measured before (pre-test) and after (post-test) in both groups to assess the effectiveness of red onion compresses in reducing fever in infants. Results: The findings from the Independent Samples t-test showed that both the control group, which was given paracetamol, and the experimental group, which was given a combination of red onion compresses and paracetamol, experienced a significant reduction in fever (p = 0.000 < 0.05). However, the experimental group showed better results with an average temperature reduction of 1.06°C, compared to 0.56°C in the control group. This difference indicates that the administration of red onion compresses as a complementary therapy to paracetamol is more effective in reducing fever following DPT immunisation in infants aged 2–4 months than the administration of paracetamol alone; therefore, the research hypothesis is accepted (H₀ is rejected). Conclusion: It is concluded that red onion compresses are effective as a complementary therapy in helping to reduce post-DPT immunisation fever in infants aged 2–4 months at the Pakuan Ratu Community Health Centre in Lampung. This therapy can be used as an alternative to pharmacological treatment in the management of post-immunisation fever, whilst ensuring that correct procedures are followed and under the supervision of healthcare professionals.

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