A half doubling dose change in bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a population represents an important difference.

Background: The prevalence of asthma has increased over recent decades and the reasons for this are poorly understood. A sensitive tool that can evaluate potential risk factors for asthma is bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), a key physiological characteristic of asthma. However, although the minimum clinically important difference in BHR for an individual is accepted to be around one doubling dose, the minimum important change in a population is not defined.

Proposed MHRA changes to UK children's paracetamol dosing recommendations: modelling study.

Objectives: Paracetamol is the most commonly administered medicine to children. A recent study highlighted the risk of overdose of paracetamol using British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) age-based dosing guidelines. This current study assesses the safety of changes to the UK paracetamol product dosing system proposed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) which include a larger number of narrower age bands and a single dose per age band.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of antipyretic medications on mortality in Streptococcus pneumoniae infections.

Aim: To determine whether the use of antipyretic medications in the treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection affects mortality in humans or animal models.

Design: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials was undertaken to identify in vivo animal experiments or randomised, controlled trials in humans of antipyretic medication in S pneumoniae infection which reported mortality data. Meta-analysis was by inverse variance weighted method for odds ratios.

British National Formulary for Children: the risk of inappropriate paracetamol prescribing.

Background: Paracetamol is the most commonly prescribed medicine for children. Age-based dosing guidelines can lead to inappropriate dosing.

Methods: A review of age-based guidelines for paracetamol in the British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) 2011-2012 was undertaken.

The effect of antipyretic medications on mortality in critically ill patients with infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Antipyretic medications are widely used in critically ill patients with infection despite evidence supporting a protective, adaptive role of fever.

Objective: To assess the mortality risk of antipyretic medications among critically ill patients with infection.

Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PubMed was undertaken to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of antipyretic use among critically ill patients with suspected or confirmed infection that reported mortality.

The effect on mortality of antipyretics in the treatment of influenza infection: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine whether antipyretic treatment for influenza infection influences the risk of mortality in animal models and humans.

Design: A systematic search of Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials was undertaken to identify randomized placebo-controlled trials of antipyretic use in influenza infection in animal models or humans that reported mortality. A quantitative meta-analysis of the risk of death using Peto's one step odds ratio with calculation of the pooled risk of death and standard evaluation of heterogeneity was undertaken.