Oral Antipyretic Therapy: Evaluation of Ibuprofen

Abstract

The capacity of ibuprofen to reduce fever in children was compared with that of aspirin, paracetamol, aminophenazone and indomethacin. The series of cases studied consisted of 79 patients in the age range 3 months to 13 years and with a rectal temperature above 38.5 degrees C. Temperatures were recorded at 15 and 30 minutes, and 1,2,4 and 6 hours after challenge with the drug. The antipyretic effect of ibuprofen with a dose of 6 mg/kg was optimal and twice that of aspirin or paracetamol and similar to that of aminophenazone. The antipyretic effect of indomethacin was about 12 times that of ibuprofen. This ratio is almost the same as what is said to occur between the antirheumatic effects between these drugs. Ibuprofen with a dose of 6 mg/kg would thus appear to be a useful antipyretic drug when both antipyretic and antirheumatic effects are needed.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition by rofecoxib reverses naturally occurring fever in humans

“…The higher 25 mg dose of rofecoxib revealed a trend to a greater maximum decrease in temperature and longer duration of antipyretic activity than the 12.5 mg dose of rofecoxib (Figure 2). The observed decrease in temperature with rofecoxib and ibuprofen was consistent with the decrease typically observed with ibuprofen or acetaminophen in other clinical trials 34 , 35 . In our study, ibuprofen was associated with a greater temperature decrease compared with the low dose of rofecoxib from the 1 ½‐ through the 6‐hour time point ( P < .05).…”

“…In this clinical trial, the antipyretic activity of rofecoxib was evaluated and compared with ibuprofen. Ibuprofen was used as the comparator nonselective (COX‐1 and COX‐2) inhibitor in the clinical trial because of its established antipyretic efficacy 34 , 35 and its wide availability (available over the counter in many countries). Febrile patients were diagnosed with primarily viral‐type upper respiratory tract infections.…”