Ibuprofen and skin and soft tissue superinfections in children with varicella

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Published on: July 9, 2014

P W Choo1, J G Donahue, R Platt

  • 1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Annals of Epidemiology
|November 14, 1997
PubMed

Insights

This study found no definitive link between ibuprofen use and skin infections in children with chickenpox (varicella). Further research is needed to confirm any potential association with ibuprofen and varicella complications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Varicella (chickenpox) is a common childhood viral infection.
  • Dermatologic superinfections can be a complication of varicella.
  • The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen during varicella has been questioned.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a potential association between ibuprofen use and the occurrence of dermatologic superinfections in children diagnosed with varicella.
  • To analyze the risk of superinfections following varicella in relation to ibuprofen exposure.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study was conducted using health maintenance organization data.
  • Exposure was defined as dispensing of ibuprofen prior to varicella diagnosis to mitigate confounding by indication.
  • Outcomes and exposures were identified from automated medical and pharmacy records.

Main Results:

  • Among 7,013 varicella cases, 89 superinfections occurred.
  • Children with ibuprofen dispensed in the month before varicella showed a trend toward increased superinfection risk (OR 3.1, P=0.31).
  • When restricted to superinfections treated with antibiotics, the odds ratio was 5.1 (P=0.22), but not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

  • The study results are inconclusive and do not establish a clear association between ibuprofen use and dermatologic superinfections in children with varicella.
  • The findings are consistent with a wide range of effects, including no association.
  • Further research is warranted to definitively assess the relationship.
Abstract

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