Antipyretic effects of nimesulide in paediatric practice: a double-blind study.
A double-blind, multi-centre study was carried out in 42 hospitalized children, aged 6 months to 8 years, suffering from acute respiratory tract infections with fever, to investigate the antipyretic activity of nimesulide. On entry, patients were allocated at random to receive either nimesulide oral suspension, 5 mg/kg/day divided into 3 daily doses, for 5 days or placebo. Both groups were treated simultaneously with antibiotics: children under 5 years of age received 100 mg amoxycillin/kg/day, those over 5 years received 40 to 50 mg erythromycin/kg/day. Measurements of rectal temperature before and during the 6 hours after the first dose of nimesulide showed a significant mean decrease from a baseline value of 38.89 +/- 0.74 degrees C to 37.28 +/- 0.76 degrees C at 6 hours. In the placebo group, no significant changes were observed between baseline (38.82 +/- 0.67 degrees C) and the 6-hour value (38.28 +/- 1 degree C). Morning temperatures remained within the normal range on the following days. Nimesulide was well tolerated. The results indicate that nimesulide has a prompt antipyretic effect which may well be clinically helpful before the correct antibiotic therapy is effectively established.
Lecomte
J
J
Institute of Pharmacology and Biomedical Investigations, Charleroi, Belgium.
Monti
T
T
Pochobradsky
M G
MG
D000208:Acute Disease; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D013449:Sulfonamides; C012655:nimesulide