Display Settings:


Send to:

Choose Destination
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006 Feb;160(2):197-202.

Antipyretic treatment in young children with fever: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or both alternating in a randomized, double-blind study.

Author information

  • 1Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. sarrell@netvision.net.il



To compare the antipyretic benefit of acetaminophen or ibuprofen monotherapy with an alternating regimen of both drugs in young children aged 6 to 36 months.


Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial.


Three primary pediatric community ambulatory centers in central Israel.


A total of 464 children aged 6 to 36 months with fever.


Infants were assigned to receive either acetaminophen (12.5 mg/kg per dose every 6 hours) (n = 154) or ibuprofen (5 mg/kg per dose every 8 hours) (n = 155) or to receive alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen (every 4 hours) (n = 155) for 3 days after a loading dose.


Temperature, stress score, amount of antipyretic received, total days that the infant or caregiver was absent from day care or work, respectively, at the 3-day time point, recurrence of fever, and number of emergency department visits.


The group given the alternating regimen was characterized by a lower mean temperature, more rapid reduction of fever, receiving less antipyretic medication, less stress, and less absenteeism from day care as compared with the other groups; all of the differences were statistically significant (P< .001). None of the regimens were associated with a significantly higher number of emergency department visits (P = .65) or serious long-term complications (P = .66). The drug used for initial loading had no effect on outcome in any of the groups.


An alternating treatment regimen of acetaminophen (12.5 mg/kg per dose) and ibuprofen (5 mg/kg per dose) every 4 hours for 3 days, regardless of the initial loading medication, is more effective than monotherapy in lowering fever in infants and children.

Comment in

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PubMed Commons home

PubMed Commons

How to join PubMed Commons

    Supplemental Content

    Full text links

    Icon for Silverchair Information Systems
    Loading ...
    Write to the Help Desk