Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25628209›Full record

SynthesisEinstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Should we treat fever in critically ill patients? A summary of the current evidence from three randomized controlled trials.

Ary Serpa Neto, Victor Galvão Moura Pereira, Giancarlo Colombo, Farah Christina de la Cruz Scarin, Camila Menezes Souza Pessoa, Leonardo Lima Rocha

Open access · diamondAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ary Serpa NetoFaculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brasil.
Victor Galvão Moura PereiraFaculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brasil.
Giancarlo ColomboHospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Farah Christina de la Cruz ScarinHospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Camila Menezes Souza PessoaHospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Leonardo Lima RochaHospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein · BRFaculdade de Medicina do ABC · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fever is a nonspecific response to various types of infectious or non-infectious insult and its significance in disease remains an enigma. Our aim was to summarize the current evidence for the use of antipyretic therapy in critically ill patients. We performed systematic review and meta-analysis of publications from 1966 to 2013. The MEDLINE and CENTRAL databases were searched for studies on antipyresis in critically ill patients. The meta-analysis was limited to: randomized controlled trials; adult human critically ill patients; treatment with antipyretics in one arm versus placebo or non-treatment in another arm; and report of mortality data. The outcomes assessed were overall intensive care unit mortality, changes in temperature, intensive care unit length of stay, and hospital length of stay. Three randomized controlled trials, covering 320 participants, were included. Patients treated with antipyretic agents showed similar intensive care unit mortality (risk ratio 0.91, with 95% confidence interval 0.65-1.28) when compared with controls. The only difference observed was a greater decrease in temperature after 24 hours in patients treated with antipyretics (-1.70±0.40 versus - 0.56±0.25ºC; p=0.014). There is no difference in treating or not the fever in critically ill patients.

Indexed as

Critical IllnessAdultAgedAntipyreticsFeverHumansIntensive Care UnitsMiddle AgedRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeAntipyretics

Identifiers

PMID25628209
PMCPMC4879924
OpenAlexW1995437345

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.