Guideline for managing fever in the context of pharmaceutical care

Resumo

Objective: To systematize, through evidence-based practice, the management of self-li-miting cases of fever in the context of Pharmaceutical Care. Methods: To prepare the guideline, the ADAPTE method was adopted as a structured process for reviewing the literature and cons-tructing the document. The AGREE II and GRADE tools were also used to analyze the practice guidelines selected during the process and to categorize the evidence, respectively. Results: After elaboration, it was observed that the pharmaceutical anamnesis is an important step in confirming whether the fever is just an episode or whether it is associated with a state of disorientation in the patient; persistent tachycardia; tachypnea, hypertension and/or postu-ral hypotension, as well as its duration for referral purposes. Among the non-pharmacological measures, fluid intake is the most recommended in order to avoid the risk of dehydration, as well as health education actions to avoid external methods of lowering the temperature, such as cold baths or baths with alcohol, as well as recommending cool environments, correct temperature measurement and the disposal of thermometers. Pharmacological treat-ment should be carefully evaluated, as it is only indicated for relieving signs of discomfort, giving preference to Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. Conclusion: Despite being a beneficial physio-logical process, caution is needed in vulnerable populations, such as the first three months of a child’s life, pregnant women, puerperal women and patients taking medications such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants or polypharmacy and the elderly.