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Ibuprofen Effective Pain Killer for Kids With Broken
Arms
Reported August 19, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Children with arm fractures fared as well with
ibuprofen as they did with acetaminophen with codeine, according to a new
study.
Amy Drendel, D.O., assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College
of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Children's Research Institute led the study.
"Our study calls into question the practice of using acetaminophen with
codeine as a rescue medicine if ibuprofen fails to treat fracture pain for
children," Dr. Drendel was quoted as saying.
This study compared how children ages four to 18 years responded to
treatment when prescribed ibuprofen or acetaminophen with codeine for pain.
In the two groups, there was no difference in the number of children in whom
treatment failed, but children receiving ibuprofen reported better
functional outcomes, higher satisfaction, and fewer adverse effects than
those receiving acetaminophen with codeine.
In the ibuprofen group, 29.5 percent reported an adverse effect, compared
with 50.9 percent of the acetaminophen with codeine group. Additionally,
almost 90 percent of children treated with ibuprofen preferred the same
treatment for future fractures, compared with only 72 percent of the group
who received acetaminophen with codeine.
The clinical trial evaluated, treated and discharged 336 children from the
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin emergency department between August 2003
and September 2007.
The study found 93 percent of children received pain medication for arm
fractures at home. Both groups received a median of three doses of their
respective medicine in the first 72 hours, though some children required up
to 16 doses. Pain also affected the ability of these children to function,
with 60 percent reporting limitations on the date of injury and almost 30
percent continuing to be limited on the third day.
The treatment was considered a success when the patients reported the pain
medication achieved the desired pain reduction, and a failure when the
medicine did not work, requiring the child to take a rescue pain medication.
The ibuprofen group reported lower incidence of treatment failure than did
the acetaminophen group, though the results were not statistically
significant.
"The majority of children with simple arm fractures have pain at home
significant enough to result in analgesic administration and our study helps
clinicians make an informed decision about what medication will work best
for children with these injuries once they are sent home," explained Dr.
Drendel.
SOURCE: Annals of Emergency Medicine, August 18, 2009 |
