Related Experiment Videos
The effect of naproxen on fever in children with malignancies
Insights
Naproxen effectively reduced fever in pediatric cancer patients with active disease. This antipyretic may help distinguish cancer-related fever from infection in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Febrile episodes are common in pediatric cancer patients.
- Differentiating fever due to active malignancy from infection is clinically challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate naproxen's efficacy as an antipyretic in febrile pediatric cancer patients with active malignant disease.
- To assess naproxen's potential role in differentiating fever sources.
Main Methods:
- A study involving sixteen pediatric patients (16 months to 17 years) with leukemia or lymphoma and persistent fever (>72 hours).
- Patients received naproxen for fever control, while on triple antibiotics, with no clinical or laboratory evidence of infection.
- Leukocyte counts and absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were monitored.
Main Results:
- Fourteen out of sixteen patients experienced complete fever resolution within 6 hours of naproxen administration.
- Two non-responsive patients were subsequently diagnosed with culture-positive infections.
- No adverse side effects were reported during naproxen treatment.
Conclusions:
- Naproxen demonstrated significant efficacy as an antipyretic agent in febrile pediatric cancer patients with active malignancy.
- Naproxen may serve as a valuable tool in distinguishing fever caused by active cancer from infectious fever in this population.
Abstract:
Naproxen was used as an antipyretic agent in febrile pediatric cancer patients with evidence of active malignant disease. Sixteen children with leukemia and lymphoma who had fever for more than 72 hours were given naproxen to control fever. Their ages ranged from 16 months to 17 years. There were ten female and six male patients. Their temperature was greater than 38.3 degrees C and the leukocyte count ranged from 400/microliters to 33.3 X 10(3)/microliters, with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) from 0 to 4514/microliters. The children had no evidence of infection by clinical or laboratory evaluations. All patients were receiving triple antibiotics when naproxen was started. Fourteen patients responded to naproxen with complete lysis of fever within 6 hours of initiation of treatment. Two patients did not respond to naproxen, but proved to have culture-positive infections. There were no side effects from the drug. Naproxen is an effective antipyretic in patients with cancer. It may be useful as a means of differentiating fever secondary to active malignant disease from that due to infection.