Antipyretic effect of ibuprofen and dipyrone in febrile children.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate temperature changes in febrile children that received a single oral dose of ibuprofen (10 mg/kg), the dose recommended for high fever, or dipyrone (15 mg/kg), the dose recommended by the manufacturer, at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 hours after administration.

METHODS:

This open-label randomized (1:1) controlled clinical tried enrolled 80 febrile boys and girls aged 6 months to 8 years with baseline axillary temperatures of 38.0 to 40.3 °C. The children were divided into two groups: high fever (> 39.1 °C) and low-grade fever (38.0 to 39.1 °C). The antipyretic effect was analyzed according to discontinuity, safety, response to treatment, tolerability and therapeutic efficacy.

RESULTS:

Of the 80 children, 31 remained febrile during the 8 hours (38.8%), but 100% had a temperature decrease in the first 2 hours after the administration of either medication. In the high fever group, the temperature fell in 11 children treated with ibuprofen up to the 5th hour (100.00%) and in the 11 that received dipyrone, up to the third hour (100.00%). The difference in antipyretic efficacy of ibuprofen in the high fever group was statistically significant in the 3rd and 4th hours, and in the low-grade fever group, in the 3rd hour after medication.

CONCLUSIONS:

A single oral dose of ibuprofen has a greater antipyretic efficacy than dipyrone, particularly when the fever is high. Both drugs were well tolerated and safe in the short term.

• Authors: Ana Maria Magni, Daniel Kashiwamura Scheffer, Paula Bruniera
• Journal: Jornal de pediatria (J Pediatr (Rio J)) 2011 Jan-Feb Vol. 87 Issue 1 Pg. 36-42 ISSN: 1678-4782 [Electronic] Brazil
• PMID: 21225104 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antipyretics
• Dipyrone
• Ibuprofen

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Antipyretics (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Body Mass Index
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Dipyrone (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Female
• Fever (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Ibuprofen (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Infant
• Male
• Treatment Outcome