Definition and assessment of fever-related discomfort in pediatric literature: a systematic review

Abstract

Guidelines advocate that the symptomatic management of fever should prioritize alleviating the child's discomfort. We investigated the definition and assessment of discomfort in febrile children within the scientific pediatric literature. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and preregistered on the Prospero database (CRD42023471590). Databases including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched. Studies addressing discomfort in febrile children were eligible. Out of 794 initially identified articles, 27 original studies and seven guidelines specifically used the term 'discomfort'. Only 14 original articles provided a definition of discomfort, revealing substantial heterogeneity and no clear-cut definition. Discomfort was often assessed subjectively, predominantly through parent or self-report, and only two studies used a scoring system for assessment. The definitions varied widely, with terms such as crying, irritability, shivering and chills, pain and distress, goosebumps commonly used and evaluation of observable modifications such as facial modifications. Overall, no consensus on a single, standardized definition was available.

Conclusions: This systematic review shows the absence of a standardized definition and assessment of discomfort in febrile children. The findings of the present analysis might be the basis for building a consensus and developing a new tool to evaluate discomfort.

What is known: • Discomfort is currently considered the main criterion to guide antipyretic administration in children with fever. • Despite this clear-cut recommendation, it has been questioned whether a commonly accepted understanding and assessment of this condition exists.

What is new: • This systematic review identifies a significant heterogeneity in definitions and assessment of discomfort in children with fever. • Both subjective parameters and observable modifications in physiological parameters should be included in a new and shared characterization of discomfort.

Keywords: Antipyretics; Comfort; Fever; Fever phobia; Management.