Oral Antipyretic Therapy: Evaluation of Ibuprofen

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.