Paediatric Fever Management Practices and Antipyretic Use Among Doctors and Nurses in Australian Emergency Departments.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To examine variation in practice and adherence to international clinical guidelines for the management of fever among Australian Emergency Department (ED) clinicians.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey across 22 Australian EDs. Clinical vignettes were used to determine compliance with international best practice guidelines (use of antipyretic monotherapy to alleviate fever-associated child distress) for paediatric fever treatment. Comparisons were made between specialist paediatric EDs and general (non-specialist paediatric) EDs, and between medical and nursing staff.

Results

Of 539 survey respondents (300 doctors, 239 nurses; overall response rate 65.9%), only 9.3% (50/539, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.1%-12.0%) adhered to evidence-based practice guidelines.

SUBMITTER: Mutic A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12580986 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature