Antipyretic Choice in the ICU: Not So Easy

Investigators from Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor University, Houston, TX, conducted a retrospective study assessing the efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen for treatment of fever among children in ICUs. Patients who received acetaminophen or ibuprofen for a temperature ≥38.0°C while in a NICU, PICU, or cardiac ICU between 2011 and 2017 were enrolled. Only patients who had a temperature obtained <1 hour before receiving either acetaminophen or ibuprofen and who had at least 1 temperature measured within 6 hours of the dose were included. The medical records of study participants were reviewed, and information was abstracted about the drug, route of administration (enteral, IV, or rectal for acetaminophen and enteral for ibuprofen), baseline temperature, and temperatures after the dose. Additional information collected included demographics, use of mechanical ventilation, and other medications.

For the analysis, study children were placed into 1 of …