Analgesic Research In Brief
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Ibuprofen in children: Compared with acetaminophen, ibuprofen may reduce risk of morbidity from asthma among children not known to be sensitive to aspirin or NSAIDs, Samuel Lesko, MD, et al., state in February Pediatrics. Analysis looked at 1,879 asthmatic children participating in the Boston University Fever Study. Acetaminophen 5 mg/kg, ibuprofen 5 mg/kg or ibuprofen 10 mg/kg were provided to parents of 632, 636 and 611 children on asthma medications, respectively. In the next month, children taking either dose of ibuprofen were 44% less likely to have an outpatient visit for asthma than children taking acetaminophen. Hospitalization rates were 37% lower among ibuprofen users, but deemed statistically insignificant. Since no placebo was used, researchers note it is impossible to determine whether "acetaminophen increased or ibuprofen decreased short-term asthma morbidity." Boots Healthcare International, which makes ibuprofen-containing Nurofen, sponsored the study...