Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Studies that reported sufficient statistics to allow the calculation of effect size were eligible. The included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including double-blind RCTs, and controlled trials in which it was unclear whether they were randomised or not.
Specific interventions included in the review
Comparisons of oral paracetamol and ibuprofen were eligible for inclusion. In the included studies, the paracetamol doses ranged from 8 to 15 mg/kg and the ibuprofen doses ranged from 0.5 mg/kg (tabulated figure; minimum dose of 5 mg/kg reported in the text) to 10 mg/kg.
Participants included in the review
Children with fever were eligible for inclusion. All of the included children had a high temperature because of one of a variety of conditions. These included infections of the urinary tract, upper and lower respiratory tract and unclassified viral infections. Most of the children were otherwise well, but one study included children who had had a febrile convulsion. The age of the children ranged from 4 months to 13 years. Most of the studies were conducted in accident and emergency departments, children on in-patient wards, or groups of both. One study used paid volunteers.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies that assessed temperature at either zero, 1, 2, 4 or 6 hours, or at all of these time-points, were eligible. Side-effects were also assessed. The included studies recorded temperature in different ways, such as rectal and axillary thermometers.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author does not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the reviewers performed the selection.