PIKI Study

The PIKI Study is an Aotearoa New Zealand research initiative investigating whether paracetamol or ibuprofen is more effective for easing pain and discomfort associated with fever in children under two years old. Its name stands for the Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in Kids Intervention Study; “piki,” gifted by a Māori emergency medicine clinician, means “to support” or “to climb” in Te Reo Māori. The study is led by Kidz First Emergency Department at Middlemore Hospital and the University of Auckland, and is being conducted across six major emergency departments in New Zealand.

Its goal is to enrol 1,086 tamariki nationwide. The study’s website provides information about the research for whānau and clinicians, alongside guidance about fevers and study updates. It also shares a video introducing the project, with subtitles available in Te Reo Māori, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Hindi, Samoan and Tongan.

Through its research and accessible information, PIKI supports families and healthcare professionals in understanding the study’s purpose and progress