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A practical approach to the treatment of low-risk childhood fever

Dipak Kanabar1

  • 1Evelina London Children's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK, dkanabar@doctors.org.uk.

Drugs in R&D
|June 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

For feverish children, ibuprofen may be more effective than paracetamol at reducing distress, according to recent data. Both medications have similar safety profiles for treating childhood fevers when a child is distressed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fever is a common childhood infection symptom, often not requiring treatment.
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend antipyretics for distressed, low-risk children.
  • Ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) are equally recommended, necessitating a choice by caregivers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent data comparing ibuprofen and paracetamol in feverish children.
  • To identify clinically significant differences between these antipyretic agents.
  • To inform healthcare professionals, parents, and caregivers on antipyretic selection.

Main Methods:

  • Narrative literature review of recent data.
  • Focus on ibuprofen and paracetamol use in febrile children.
  • Analysis of safety profiles and efficacy in reducing distress.

Main Results:

  • Ibuprofen and paracetamol demonstrate similar safety profiles in febrile children.
  • Ibuprofen appears more effective than paracetamol in reducing 'distress' as defined by NICE.
  • Efficacy was assessed via discomfort levels, symptom relief, and general behavior.

Conclusions:

  • In the absence of underlying health issues, ibuprofen may offer superior efficacy for reducing distress in feverish children.
  • Both ibuprofen and paracetamol are safe options for managing fever-induced distress in children.
  • Further research may clarify optimal antipyretic selection based on specific symptom profiles.

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