Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Ibuprofen vs Tylenol with Codeine for Kids

Following an arm fracture, is ibuprofen as effective as acetaminophen (paracetamol) with codeine to relieve short-term pain?

Bottom Line:In the first 3 days following a fracture, ibuprofen is as effective as acetaminophen with codeine in the treatment of children's pain due to an arm fracture. It also causes fewer side effects. One caveat: The total daily dose of ibuprofen used in this study is higher than typically used because it was given every 4 to 6 hours rather than every 6 to 8 hours (as labeled). (LOE = 2b-)

Drendel AL, Gorelick MH, Weisman SJ, Lyon R, Brousseau DC, Kim MK. A randomized clinical trial of ibuprofen versus acetaminophen with codeine for acute pediatric arm fracture pain. Ann Emerg Med 2009;54(4):553-560.

Taken from Evidence Essential Plus, Daily POEM.