Acetaminophen
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Round-the-clock acetaminophen administration significantly lowers body temperature in first 72 hours after ischemic stroke, Mary Kalafut, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, Calif., et al., report in a poster at the conference. Fever is a frequent occurrence among stroke patients, and although large cohort studies have identified early fever as an independent risk factor for poor functional outcome, prophylactic antipyretic therapy previously has not been studied, researchers note. Sixteen patients presenting within 24 hours of ischemic stroke and given 650 mg acetaminophen every four hours were compared with a historical control cohort of 16 patients treated with conventional reactive antipyretic therapy. A randomized, controlled clinical trial is needed to determine whether acetaminophen-mediated body temperature lowering results in smaller infarct volume and improved clinical outcomes, Kalafut et al. say