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[Analysis of prognostic factors for the antipyretic response to ibuprofen]

Martinón Sánchez F1, Antelo Cortizas J, Morales Redondo R

  • 1Servicios de Pediatría. Hospital Nuestra Señora del Cristal. Orense.

Insights

Ibuprofen effectively reduces fever in children. Factors like older age, smaller body surface, and lower initial temperature can influence its antipyretic response.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Fever is a common symptom in children, often managed with antipyretic medications.
  • Ibuprofen is a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for fever reduction in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the factors affecting the efficacy of ibuprofen as an antipyretic agent in children.
  • To identify patient characteristics and clinical parameters associated with ibuprofen's fever-reducing effects.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 384 children aged 1-10 years with temperatures over 38°C.
  • Administration of a single dose of ibuprofen (7 mg/kg) with temperature monitoring at various intervals post-administration.
  • Assessment of variables including age, sex, weight, body surface area, diagnosis, and prior antipyretic use.

Main Results:

  • Ibuprofen successfully reduced fever to 37.5°C or below in 93.5% of children, with 80.2% reaching this by 12 hours.
  • A decrease of at least 1°C was observed in 95% of participants.
  • Factors associated with a lesser antipyretic response (less than 1°C decrease) included older age, smaller body surface area, and lower baseline temperature.

Conclusions:

  • Ibuprofen demonstrates significant effectiveness in treating fever in pediatric patients.
  • The antipyretic effectiveness of ibuprofen is influenced by the child's age, the initial severity of the fever, and body surface area.
Abstract

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