Paracetamol plus ibuprofen increased time without fever compared with paracetamol but did not differ from ibuprofen in children
A D Hay
Dr A D Hay, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; alastair.hay@bristol.ac.uk
QUESTION
How does paracetamol (PCM) plus ibuprofen (IBF) compare with either drug alone for treating fever in children?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial (Paracetamol plus Ibuprofen for the Treatment of fever in CHildren [PITCH]). Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN26362730.
Allocation:
concealed.
Blinding:
blinded (nurses, {patients, data collectors, outcome assessors, data analysts, and safety committee}*).
Follow-up period:
48 hours.
Setting:
35 primary care sites in Bristol, UK.
Patients:
156 children (mean age 2 y, age range 6 mo to 6 y, 56% boys) who had axillary temperatures of 37.8°C to 41°C. Exclusion criteria included need for hospital admission; dehydration; chronic disease; or contraindication to trial drugs. …
