Editing Fever (section)

===Medications===
Medications that lower fevers are called ''[[antipyretic]]s''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=El-Radhi |first=A. S. |date=2000-10-01 |title=Physical treatment of fever |url=https://adc.bmj.com/content/83/4/369.4 |journal=Archives of Disease in Childhood |volume=83 |issue=4 |pages=369c–369 |doi=10.1136/adc.83.4.369c |pmid=11032580 |pmc=1718494 |issn=0003-9888}}</ref> The antipyretic [[ibuprofen]] is effective in reducing fevers in children.<ref name=Per2004>{{cite journal | vauthors = Perrott DA, Piira T, Goodenough B, Champion GD | title = Efficacy and safety of acetaminophen vs ibuprofen for treating children's pain or fever: a meta-analysis | journal = Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine | volume = 158 | issue = 6 | pages = 521–526 | date = June 2004 | pmid = 15184213 | doi = 10.1001/archpedi.158.6.521 | doi-access = free }}</ref> It is more effective than [[acetaminophen]] (paracetamol) in children.<ref name=Per2004/> Ibuprofen and acetaminophen may safely be used together in children with fevers.<ref name="pmid19454182">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hay AD, Redmond NM, Costelloe C, Montgomery AA, Fletcher M, Hollinghurst S, Peters TJ | title = Paracetamol and ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children: the PITCH randomised controlled trial | journal = Health Technology Assessment | volume = 13 | issue = 27 | pages = iii–iv, ix–x, 1–163 | date = May 2009 | pmid = 19454182 | doi = 10.3310/hta13270 | doi-access = free | hdl = 10044/1/57595 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref name="pmid19606950">{{cite journal | vauthors = Southey ER, Soares-Weiser K, Kleijnen J | s2cid = 31653539 | title = Systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical safety and tolerability of ibuprofen compared with paracetamol in paediatric pain and fever | journal = Current Medical Research and Opinion | volume = 25 | issue = 9 | pages = 2207–2222 | date = September 2009 | pmid = 19606950 | doi = 10.1185/03007990903116255 | url = https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/11815293 }}</ref> The efficacy of acetaminophen by itself in children with fevers has been questioned.<ref name="pmid12076499">{{cite journal | vauthors = Meremikwu M, Oyo-Ita A | title = Paracetamol for treating fever in children | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 2 | page = CD003676 | date = 2002 | volume = 2002 | pmid = 12076499 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD003676 | pmc = 6532671 }}</ref> Ibuprofen is also superior to [[aspirin]] in children with fevers.<ref name="pmid9049576">{{cite journal | vauthors = Autret E, Reboul-Marty J, Henry-Launois B, Laborde C, Courcier S, Goehrs JM, Languillat G, Launois R | s2cid = 27519225 | title = Evaluation of ibuprofen versus aspirin and paracetamol on efficacy and comfort in children with fever | journal = European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology | volume = 51 | issue = 5 | pages = 367–371 | date = 1997 | pmid = 9049576 | doi = 10.1007/s002280050215 }}</ref> Additionally, [[aspirin]] is not recommended in children and young adults (those under the age of 16 or 19 depending on the country) due to the risk of [[Reye's syndrome]].<ref>{{cite book |title=British National Formulary for Children |chapter=2.9 Antiplatelet drugs |year=2007 |page=151 |publisher=British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain|title-link=British National Formulary for Children }}</ref>

Using both paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time or alternating between the two is more effective at decreasing fever than using only paracetamol or ibuprofen.<ref name=Wong2013/> It is not clear if it increases child comfort.<ref name=Wong2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wong T, Stang AS, Ganshorn H, Hartling L, Maconochie IK, Thomsen AM, Johnson DW | title = Combined and alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen therapy for febrile children | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 10 | page = CD009572 | date = October 2013 | volume = 2013 | pmid = 24174375 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD009572.pub2 | pmc = 6532735 }}</ref> Response or nonresponse to medications does not predict whether or not a child has a serious illness.<ref name="pmid23846358">{{cite journal | vauthors = King D | s2cid = 32438262 | title = Question 2: does a failure to respond to antipyretics predict serious illness in children with a fever? | journal = Archives of Disease in Childhood | volume = 98 | issue = 8 | pages = 644–646 | date = August 2013 | pmid = 23846358 | doi = 10.1136/archdischild-2013-304497 }}</ref>

With respect to the effect of antipyretics on the risk of death in those with infection, studies have found mixed results, as of 2019.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ludwig J, McWhinnie H | title = Antipyretic drugs in patients with fever and infection: literature review | journal = British Journal of Nursing | volume = 28 | issue = 10 | pages = 610–618 | date = May 2019 | pmid = 31116598 | doi = 10.12968/bjon.2019.28.10.610 | s2cid = 162182092 }}</ref>