title: Pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen in febrile children.
abstract: Ibuprofen may be an alternative to acetaminophen to control fever in children but little is known about its pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients. We studied 17 patients (age 3-10 yr) with fever; the most prevalent diagnoses were streptococcal pharyngitis and otitis media. Ibuprofen liquid was given as a single dose, 5 mg/kg (9 patients) or 10 mg/kg (8 patients). Multiple blood samples were collected over 8 hours and analyzed by HPLC. The maximum observed serum concentrations of ibuprofen ranged from 17-42 micrograms.ml-1 at 5 mg.kg-1 and 25-53 micrograms.ml-1 at 10 mg.kg-1 doses. Pharmacokinetics did not appear to be affected by ibuprofen dose. Mean tmax, oral clearance and elimination half life were 1.1 h, 1.2 ml.min-1.kg-1, and 1.6 h, respectively in patients at 5 mg.kg-1 doses; the corresponding values were 1.2 h, 1.4 ml.min-1.kg-1, and 1.6 h in those receiving 10 mg.kg-1 doses. There was no relationship between age and ibuprofen kinetics. No adverse effects occurred in any patients. These data suggest that ibuprofen pharmacokinetics may not be affected by dose between 5 and 10 mg/kg or age between 3 and 10 years.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nahata
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Durrell
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate
chemical_list: D007052:Ibuprofen