[Management of children's fever at home in a rural area of Boko (Congo-Brazzaville)].

: A cross-sectional study on the diagnostic and therapeutic practices of health staff and mothers with regards to carrying for children's fever was carried out from February 27 to March 16, 1995, in the rural district of Boko. The sample was comprised of 630 children aged less than 5 years old, having suffered from fever within the past 15 days and who were treated either at home or in a local health centre with a drug most presently used against malaria. The results compiled from the responses to the questionnaire have shown that the most frequently cited symptoms by mothers are fever (57.8%), asthenia (51.7%), vomiting (10.6%), chills (7.3%) and diarrhea (7.3%). Chloroquine is the most utilised drug at home (61%) and anti-malaria injections are the most frequently used drugs in health centres (51.7%). The medicine is mainly supplied by public drugstores and pharmacies (47.8%) and street vendors (43.2%). Proper management of a fever requires adequate training of health staff and a good level of communication between health workers and their target populations.