title: Antipyretic Therapy in Critically Ill Septic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of antipyretic therapy on mortality in critically ill septic adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature searches were implemented in Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and ClinicalTrials.gov through February 2016.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criteria were observational or randomized studies of septic patients, evaluation of antipyretic treatment, mortality reported, and English-language version available. Studies were excluded if they enrolled pediatric patients, patients with neurologic injury, or healthy volunteers. Criteria were applied by two independent reviewers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated methodologic quality. Outcomes included mortality, frequency of shock reversal, acquisition of nosocomial infections, and changes in body temperature, heart rate, and minute ventilation. Randomized and observational studies were analyzed separately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight randomized studies (1,507 patients) and eight observational studies (17,432 patients) were analyzed. Antipyretic therapy did not reduce 28-day/hospital mortality in the randomized studies (relative risk, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.77-1.13; I = 0.0%) or observational studies (odds ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.54-1.51; I = 76.1%). Shock reversal (relative risk, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.68-1.90; I = 51.6%) and acquisition of nosocomial infections (relative risk, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.61-2.09; I = 61.0%) were also unchanged. Antipyretic therapy decreased body temperature (mean difference, -0.38°C; 95% CI, -0.63 to -0.13; I = 84.0%), but not heart rate or minute ventilation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antipyretic treatment does not significantly improve 28-day/hospital mortality in adult patients with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 2Departments of Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 3University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, Columbia, MO. 4Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 5Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drewry
authors.forename: Enyo A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ablordeppey
authors.forename: Ellen T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Carolyn R T
authors.initials: CRT
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.forename: Sonya R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Izadi
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hardi
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Colditz
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000072896:Morgue; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*