TABLE 1.
Effect of fever suppression by paracetamol on medically attended virus infections.
| Author | Disease | Number of participants | Intervention | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doran et al. (1989) | Chickenpox | 72 | Placebo vs. paracetamol at 80 mg/kg/day | Time to total scabbing was better in the placebo group: 5.6 days (SD: 2.5) vs. 6.7 days (SD: 2.3) (p = 0.05) |
| Graham et al. (1990) | Rhinovirus infection | 60 | Paracetamol vs. ibuprofen vs. paracetamol vs. placebo | Use of aspirin or acetaminophen was associated with suppression of serum neutralizing antibody response and with increased turbinate oedema and nasal obstruction (p < 0.05) |
| Plaisance et al. (2000) | Influenza A | 54 | Paracetamol vs. nothing | A correlation was found between paracetamol therapy and duration of illness: 8.8 days on antipyretics vs. 5.3 days without antipyretics (p < 0.001) |
| Mikaeloff et al. (2008) | Chickenpox | 386 | Paracetamol vs. nothing | The adjusted rate ratio of severe skin or soft tissue complication associated with exposure to paracetamol was 1.5 (95% CI 1.0, 2.2) |
| Ip et al. (2016) | Influenza | 78 | Paracetamol vs. placebo | The mean duration of viral shedding in the treatment group was 7.8 days compared to 6.1 days in the placebo group (p = 0.02) |
CI, confidence interval; SD, standard deviation.