{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T20:00:52Z","timestamp":1791489652409,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["DTB"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2008,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Fever in a child is usually due to a self-limiting viral infection, with recovery occurring quickly without intervention. However, fever may also be the presenting feature of severe illnesses such as meningitis, septicaemia, urinary tract infections and pneumonia, and trying to exclude such causes is a key part of management.1 In a review 17 years ago,2 we concluded that there was no evidence that reducing fever improved the outcome of childhood infections, but that it probably alleviated distress and discomfort caused by fever. We also advised that parents should give paracetamol only if the child seemed uncomfortable or had previously had a febrile convulsion, and said that tepid sponging may further comfort the child, while recognising evidence that it added little to the effect of paracetamol alone.2 Does this advice still hold?<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2008.03.0005","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,3,12]],"date-time":"2008-03-12T13:41:31Z","timestamp":1205329291000},"page":"17-21","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["When the child has a fever"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"46","member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,3,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.1","unstructured":"National Collaborating Centre for Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Health, . Feverish illness in children: assessment and initial management in children younger than 5 years London: RCOG press [online] Available: http:\/\/www.nice.org.uk\/nicemedia\/pdf\/CG47Guidance.pdf. [Accessed 28 February 2008] 2007."},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.29.18.71","volume":"29","author":"Cooling the feverish child","year":"1991","journal-title":"DTB"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.29.18.71"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/15.6.513","article-title":"What parents think of fever.","volume":"15","author":"Blumenthal","year":"1998","journal-title":"Family Practice"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/15.6.513"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.107.6.1241"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1542\/pir.17.9.330","article-title":"Fever and host responses.","volume":"17","author":"Adam","year":"1996","journal-title":"Ped Rev"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/S0079-6123(06)62001-3","article-title":"The onset of fever: new insights into its mechanism.","volume":"162","author":"Blatteis","year":"2007","journal-title":"Prog Brain Res"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0079-6123(06)62001-3"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/clinids\/13.3.462"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.11","unstructured":"Paediatric Formulary Committee. BNF for children London: BMJ Publishing Group, RPS Publishing and RCPCH Publications Ltd 2007."},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.39087.691817.AE","article-title":"Febrile seizures.","volume":"334","author":"Sadleir","year":"2007","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.39087.691817.AE"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.102.5.e51"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.15","unstructured":"Mewasingh LD . Febrile seizures. Clincial Evidence [online]. Available http:\/\/clinicalevidence.bmj.com\/ceweb\/conditions\/chd\/0324\/0324.jsp. [Accessed 28 February 2008] 2007."},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.80.3.315","article-title":"Childhood fever: correlation of diagnosis with temperature response to acetaminophen.","volume":"80","author":"Baker","year":"1987","journal-title":"Paediatrics"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.17","first-page":"1091","article-title":"Fever response to acetaminophen in viral vs. bacterial infections.","volume-title":"Pediatr Infect Dis J","volume":"6","author":"Weisse","year":"1987"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.333.7557.4","article-title":"Antipyretic drugs for children.","volume":"333","author":"Hay","year":"2006","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.333.7557.4"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Simmons DL . Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, cyclooxygenase 2, and fever. Clin Inf Dis 2000 (suppl 5): S211\u20138.","DOI":"10.1086\/317517"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1345\/aph.1C391","article-title":"Antipyretic efficacy and safety of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in children","volume":"38","author":"Goldman","year":"2004","journal-title":"Ann Pharmacother"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1345\/aph.1C391"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archpedi.158.6.521"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"414","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.2005.087874","article-title":"Randomised controlled trial of combined paracetamol and ibuprofen for fever.","volume":"91","author":"Erlewyn-Lajeunesse","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch Dis Child"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.2005.087874"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archpedi.160.2.197"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.27","unstructured":"Current Controlled Trials. ISRCTN26362730. Ibuprofen and paracetamol in combination and separately for fever in pre-school children presenting to primary care: a randomised controlled trial London: Current Controlled Trials Ltd [online] Available: http:\/\/www.controlled-trials.com\/isrctn\/pf\/26362730. [Accessed 28 February 2008] 2004."},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.28","first-page":"293","article-title":"Care in the use of ibuprofen as an antipyretic in children.","volume":"49","author":"Moghal","year":"1998","journal-title":"Clin Nephrol"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"524","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.2006.103564","article-title":"Using NSAID in volume depleted children can precipitate acute renal failure.","volume":"92","author":"John","year":"2007","journal-title":"Arch Dis Child"},{"key":"2025082701414327000_46.3.17.30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.2006.103564"}],"container-title":["Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/dtb.2008.03.0005","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T08:41:55Z","timestamp":1756284115000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dtb.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/dtb.2008.03.0005"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2008,3]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,3,12]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2008,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/dtb.2008.03.0005"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/dtb.2008.03.0005","relation":{},"ISSN":["0012-6543","1755-5248"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0012-6543","type":"print"},{"value":"1755-5248","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2008,3]]}}}