The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7407 p8
1 July 2006

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Use minimum treatment for childhood fever

Parents should be advised to use the minimum medication necessary to treat fever in their children because of the lack of evidence to support one pharmacological regimen over another, the authors of an editorial in this week’s BMJ argue (2006;333:4).

The authors looked at studies comparing the effectiveness of para-cetamol, ibuprofen and combinations of the two but say that inconsistent doses and thermometry methods make it difficult to collate the information.

“Given the desire among parents and clinicians to do something when faced with febrile children, it seems churlish to conclude that combined treatment should be withheld from all children. But parents should be advised to use the minimum treatment necessary,” they say.

Using two drugs always has some disadvantages, they add, including increased risks of overdosing, underdosing, adverse effects and the associated risk of exacerbating parental fever phobia.