Do antipyretics prevent febrile seizures?

Cochrane Database of systemic review
Meremikwa M et al 2002
The Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2002; 4

3 part question
�In children who have experienced a febrile seizure (patient): does prescribing antipyretics (intervention) reduce recurrence of febrile seizures (outcome)?�

Search terms
the Cochrane infectious Diseases Group specialised trials register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline (1966-2001), EMBASE (1988-2001), LILACS, Science Citation Index, reference lists of articles

Patients key clinical characteristics
12 trials, number of children=1509 (compared paracetamol to placebo and trials compared paracetamol to physical methods) of children with fever. The primary outcomes were fever clearance time and febrile convulsion.

Study features
All randomised and quasi-randomised trials

Evidence summary
systematic review looking for the number of recurrence of FS

Clinical bottom line
The trails failed to demonstrate any convincing evidence that paracetamol is effective in reducing fever or preventing FS

Citation
Meremikwu M, Oyo-Ita A. 
Paracetamol for treating fever in children
The Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2002; 4

Contact Details
Sahib El-Radhi, Consultant Paediatrician, Queen Mary�s Hospital, Sidcup
Email: sahib.el-radhi@qms.nhs.uk