A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 12 studies with a total of 1 509 subjects. There is insufficient evidence to show whether paracetamol influenced the risk of febrile convulsions. In a meta-analysis of two trials (n = 120), the proportion of children without fever by the second hour after treatment did not differ significantly between those given paracetamol and those sponged (RR 1.84, CI 0.94 to 3.61). No severe adverse events were reported.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (incomplete data in some studies), by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes), and by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison).
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