We intend to point-out and emphasize some current recommendations for managing common clinical scenarios.

Fever uncontrolled by paracetamol is a common and disturbing issue to many parents. Current evidence does not show any significant benefit from sponging which on the contrary may cause discomfort to the child [1]. Similarly, simple febrile convulsions do not require routine administration of anticonvulsants. Cough remedies in the form of variously concocted antitussives and mucolytics are no better than placebo in children with acute cough, let alone the risk of adverse effects [2]. With reference to childhood asthma, multiple lineages of evidence suggest that oral salbutamol is ineffective in its treatment and use of the same is associated with increased risk of adverse effects compared to the inhaled dosage forms [3]. Probiotics are now a debatable modality of treatment of acute infectious diarrhea of childhood. Efficacy studies showing evidence regarding strain-related benefit is mostly from the developed countries, and extrapolation of these results to our settings where normal gut-colonization patterns are different, is bound to be faulty [4].

As for neonatal resuscitation, there is currently no role of routine oro-nasal suctioning of the newborn. It has now become mandatory to assess oxygenation during resuscitation by pulse oximetry instead of color. Persistent cyanosis in spite of a heart rate above 100 and/or labored breathing should always prompt delivery room continuous positive airway pressure. Further, in case of preterm infants, accumulating evidence suggests that there is no increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis with early enteral feeding. Moreover, early feeding prevents cholestasis and sepsis and also shortens duration of hospital stay apart from bypassing the ill effects of parenteral nutrition [5].

These are examples of some of the scenarios which are often improperly managed or addressed in clinical practice. Whimsical implementation of diverse theoretical therapeutic alternatives that too with anecdotal or at times no evidence can only compromise the quality of care offered. We must not falter to deliver the most appropriate treatment to our patients at any cost.