Postextraction pain relief in children: a clinical trial of liquid analgesics

Our objective was to evaluate the relative efficacies of four liquid analgesics in children, five to twelve years of age, following dental extractions. The analgesics, acetaminophen elixir (240 or 360 mg), acetaminophen with codeine elixir (240 mg and 24 mg, respectively), aluminum ibuprofen suspension (200 mg), and placebo liquid were administered at home, as a single dose, in a randomized double-blind study design. Of the 154 patients enrolled, 45 were evaluated, 39 patients never required medication, 12 were lost to follow-up, and 8 were excluded for other reasons. Aluminum ibuprofen provided significant relief in one-half hour compared with placebo. At one hour, both aluminum ibuprofen and acetaminophen with codeine provided significant relief compared with placebo. All three active agents were effective at two hours. The global rating of drug efficacy was statistically superior for aluminum ibuprofen. The majority of patients in all four groups were pain-free after four hours. No adverse reactions were reported during the study.