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Review
. 2004 Jan;38(1):146-50.
doi: 10.1345/aph.1C391.

Antipyretic efficacy and safety of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in children

Ran D Goldman  1 , Karen Ko, Lauren J Linett, Dennis Scolnik
Affiliations
Review

Antipyretic efficacy and safety of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in children

Ran D Goldman et al. Ann Pharmacother. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the antipyretic effects and safety of ibuprofen compared with acetaminophen in febrile children.

Data sources: Searches of MEDLINE (1966-November 2003) and EMBASE (1988-November 2003) were conducted using the terms ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Bibliographies of selected articles were reviewed.

Data synthesis: Ibuprofen was significantly more effective than acetaminophen in reducing fever after a single dose. Ibuprofen was found to be more effective after 6 hours, but not after a longer period of time. Studies with multiple doses have also failed to show that one drug is better than the other.

Conclusions: The efficacy and effectiveness of acetaminophen and ibuprofen in their recommended dosages are similar, with slightly more beneficial effects shown with ibuprofen.

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