La febbre è un sintomo o una malattia?

Fever is one of the main causes of paediatric consultation and a frequent source of parental anxiety. Between April and May 2024, 362 parents attending clinics of 21 family paediatricians in Rome filled in a questionnaire on the subject. Among respondents, 41.1% of parents considered fever to be “dangerous”. Additionally, 52.8% believed that fever should be reduced to avoid febrile seizure and 35.6% believed it should be reduced to avoid dehydration. 97% of parents reported administering antipyretic medications to lower fever and nearly 40% reported alternating between paracetamol and ibuprofen. Parental knowledge and behaviour about fever should be improved to reduce inappropriate use of medications and health services.